Y2K jitters force Cisco and Cabletron to move

Top suppliers kicked into action by increasingly concerned users.

Networking vendors are compounding growing user concern over Y2K. compliance by claiming limited exposure to the problem, then launching high-profile campaigns to cash in on the issue.

In spite of Cisco's professed compliance confidence, it has launched a marketing campaign to 5,000 UK companies, offering them discounts and consultancy to help with their compliance programmes.

This initiative follows the announcement of Bay Networks' Y2K compliance blitz.

Nick Kondola, MD of Hyperchannel and a former senior Cisco executive, said: "We know that there are many routers out there that are not Year 2000-compliant, but that's not the message it (Cisco) wants to take to market."

Though Cisco insists that the core functionality of routers will not be affected even if the date change causes data corruption, the company has stated it "strongly urges customers to upgrade to IOS 11, as it has been tested for compliance".

It has also admitted that, "The date is needed if the device is managed by a network management platform. If the router detected an error and sent back an incorrect date, the management system could get confused."

For its part, Cabletron admits reticence in making definitive compliance statements, even though the company listed 1,700 tested products on its website.

Mark Hill, Y2K programme manager, said: "We have been very thorough and there are revisions available for the vast majority of our products, but it would be careless for a vendor to state full compliance."

Cabletron user Gary Sherry, infrastructure manager at Scottish Provident, said: "The majority of the responsibility should be with the manufacturer, but you just can't wait for them."

Peter Howells, sales director at integrator Voyager Networks, said vendors were leaving compliance responsibility to customers and third-party service companies: "It is not simply a case of swapping old components for Y2K-compliant ones. Products are related, causing chain reactions through the system."