Does that open up new opportunities for software vendors?
Yes. The whole supply-chain area is one example. Traditional applications, such as back-office accounting, are no longer these little islands. Everything must be integrated — all the way from point of sales back through inventory, distribution, and manufacturing. Before the middle of 1996, say, the only way to connect all [these functions] was through electronic data interchange. The technology was expensive and arcane. Now, you have the Internet, where everyone is wired with the common TCP/IP protocol. This has brought a change in mindset. Managers can think through the whole process of getting a widget from concept to product, up to and including customer feedback. They can conceive of the supply chain, think out of the box, and get with their customers and partners. Q: How does the Year 2000 problem affect this picture? [See BW’s December 29, 1997 story, “Year 2000: The Meter’s Running.”] A: About 18 months ago, maybe 30% to 40% of the people we surveyed told us they would fix Y2K
