Post-Y2K slowdown possible

Y2K UNCERTAINTY may well cause an international post-Y2K economic slowdown.

So says Curtin Business School’s Institute for Research into International Competitive-ness director Peter Kenyon.

Professor Kenyon said the main problem was firms not only faced the costs of addressing Y2K issues in their own computer systems, but also had to concern themselves with the activities of their suppliers and partners.

“The Y2K problem does not herald the end of civilisation as it is currently known but it does represent a significant business problem,” he said.

Professor Kenyon said research showed WA’s response to the Y2K problem was on par with world best practice.

“Efforts to combat the Y2K problem are advanced in a comparatively small handful industrialised countries while others appear to be waiting to see whether they really need to do anything,” he said.