Farmington Hills, Mich., March 6, 1996 -- Compuware Corp. today unveiled its Production 2000 strategy that combines time-tested products integrated with a 2,400-person professional services staff and an automated process that tackles date-change projects from start to finish.
Compuware Professional Services developed Production 2000 after having received input from 800 clients, who said they want a comprehensive approach that includes tools, people and tactics. As a result, Production 2000 was designed to be the industry's first fully-integrated year-2000 solution. Production 2000 utilizes such Compuware products as File-AID, Abend-AID, XPEDITER and PLAYBACK, and will go beyond traditional consulting by providing programmers with a "conversion and implementation guide" that will allow them to perform their conversion by following instructions while using the Compuware tools.
More than 8,000 Compuware customers already own many of the products necessary to make the year-2000 conversion. "As the millennium approaches, Compuware is in the right place at the right time," said Steve Fagan, Compuware's Senior Vice-President for Enterprise Systems.
"The kinds of tasks needed for year-2000 changes are precisely what the company has been doing for 23 years. With 73 percent of Fortune 1,000 companies owning at least one Compuware product, many large firms have a head start on solving their turn-of-the-century problem. Production 2000 will give them everything else they need."
The first step in Production 2000 is to reduce the scope of the project by eliminating systems that need not be converted. Then Production 2000 calls for the building of a "flexible factory" to automate the process of analyzing, converting, testing and maintaining systems for the year 2000. Emphasis is placed on testing, which makes up 50 to 70 percent of the total year-2000 effort. Clients will benefit from Compuware's leadership and long-standing experience in the testing marketplace. The result will be a shorter delivery cycle and faster payback.
The survey of Compuware customers indicated only 10 percent had made their systems compliant with year-2000 requirements. Most expect to start their plans and conversions in earnest in 1996. Waiting to find help, however, could pose a problem. "By 1997, most of the available third-party resources for year 2000 will be committed," said John Phelps of the Gartner Group. "Availability of outside help will decrease and costs will increase as the date draws closer."
"The time for thinking about the year 2000 is over," said John N. Shevillo, Senior Vice-President, Professional Services. "This is a complex problem, but a manageable one. Compuware is ready to get to work."
To ensure qualified resources are available, companies can enlist Compuware to provide a team of project managers and programmer/analysts who will perform the conversion. A Production 2000 training program is being developed to ensure that enough Compuware people will be trained and available. For companies that would prefer to share the project, Compuware will assign a project manager to select and train existing members of the company's IS staff . In addition, Compuware also will be arranging partnerships with other professional services firms to train their staffs on the Production 2000 implementation process.
"Compuware listened to its customers and came up with Production 2000," said Joe Nathan, Compuware's President and Chief Operating Officer. "By designing a process that will solve year-2000 conversion problems as efficiently as possible, we are re-affirming our commitment to our customers for their faith over the years in Compuware products and services."
Founded in 1973, Compuware develops, markets and supports an integrated set of systems software products designed to improve the productivity of information technology professionals in application development, implementation and maintenance. The Company's products are used by more than 8,800 customers worldwide. Working across a broad spectrum of technologies, including mainframe, mid-range and client/server platforms, more than 2,400 people in Compuware's Professional Services Division offer business systems analysis, design, programming and implementation as well as software conversion and systems planning and consulting. Compuware can be contacted at 1-800-535-8707 (U.S. or Canada) or 1-810-737-7300.