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Contact Information
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Send mail to: Texas Instruments
Year 2000 Program Office
6500 Chase Oaks Blvd.
M/S 8418
Plano, Texas 75023
Att: Customer Communications For a specific business, call 1-800-336-5236.
Send an e-mail to our Year 2000 Program Office.
The following information is a Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Year 2000 problem?
A: Computer programs that perform arithmetic, sorting and logic operations on date fields may use only the last two digits of the year. As long as all the dates in question are in the same century, this works fine. However, problems may arise when the century changes. Millions of mathematical calculations are based on dates. Failure to comprehend century within these calculations could result in computer shutdowns or production of incorrect information. There are other date-related problems that are typically included in the Year 2000 challenge, such as incorrect leap year calculations (since 2000 is a leap year) and issues associated with "bogus dates" such as "99" and "00" that may be used in the date field to control logic flow.
Q: What caused the problem?
A: Until the 1980s, the cost of owning and operating a computer in the business world was high because data storage and processing were very expensive. In the 1960s and 1970s, small increases in computing power and data storage equated to high costs. A good way to save money was to abbreviate whenever possible. So to save space, software was typically developed to use only two digits for the year and assumed the century was 19. In the 1980s, data storage prices decreased, but by then the use of abbreviated dates had become a common practice.
Q: Is TI planning to fix every piece of equipment or internal system that has or could have Year 2000 issues?
A: No. There is not enough time and resources to find and fix every possible date-processing issue that could occur. Finding and fixing everything that could go wrong is just not cost-effective. We have prioritized Year 2000 issues based on degree of business impact.
Q: Does TI plan to meet the Year 2000 challenge?
A: Yes. At June 30, 1999, TI achieved its scheduled Y2K readiness milestone. Corrective action plans have been deployed for substantially all priority items and contingency plans have been developed.
Q: How is TI's Year 2000 Project structured?
A: TI's Year 2000 Project is coordinated by TI's Year 2000 Program Office, which also serves as the Year 2000 Program Office for the Semiconductor Group. This program office works closely with other TI business-level Year 2000 program offices for Materials & Controls, Digital Imaging (Digital Light Products) and Educational & Productivity Solutions (TI calculators and organizers) businesses. At the local level, we have site coordinators that work on site-specific Year 2000 hardware and software issues and assist with the deployment of corrective actions.
Q: Who is TI's Year 2000 executive sponsor?
A: TI Senior Vice President and CIO, Pallab Chatterjee, is the executive sponsor for our Year 2000 Project.
Q: Who manages TI's Year 2000 Project?
A: Karla Barber is TI's Year 2000 Manager. Karla directs the activities of the TI-wide and Semiconductor Group Year 2000 Program Office.
Q: What approach is TI taking to meet the Year 2000 challenge?
A: TI's approach takes us through the steps of ownership, inventory, assessment and corrective action deployment. Also, TI has activities in place that enable us to maintain Y2K readiness and to complete a detailed Y2K business continuity plan (BCP).
Q: Does TI have a Year 2000 Project plan?
A: Yes. TI has a detailed Year 2000 Project Plan.
Q: What areas does TI's Year 2000 Project focus on?
A: TI divides its Year 2000 efforts into four major program areas: Products, Extended Enterprise (Suppliers and Customers), Information Technology (Business Systems, IT Infrastructure, EDI and EDA) and Physical Plant (Manufacturing and Facilities).
Q: What are TI's scheduled milestones for its Year 2000 Project?
A: Milestones are completion target dates by which steps are expected to be accomplished according to business priorities.
Q: How are priorities determined?
A: Priorities are determined based on potential business impact, with the most critical and time-consuming items addressed first.
Q: Does TI have contingency plans?
A: Contingency plans were developed for those critical suppliers that were not assessed as Y2K ready by June 30, 1999.
Q: How does TI report on its progress?
A: Progress is reported through TI's Year 2000 Program Office and periodic status briefings are provided to TI leadership.
Q: Is TI auditing its Year 2000 efforts?
A: Yes. Periodic audits are conducted by teams outside of TI's Year 2000 Program Office.
Q: TI talks about "Year 2000 Ready," but we also hear the expression "Year 2000 Compliant." What's the difference?
A: TI uses the expression "Year 2000 Ready" rather than "Year 2000 Compliant" because compliance indicates that there is a common standard to comply with. There are a number of standards from various standards bodies, industry groups, as well as those established internally by companies. At TI we define Year 2000 Ready in product terms as follows:
"A TI product is designated Year 2000 Ready if the TI product, when used properly, is capable of correctly processing, producing and /or receiving dates in and between the years 1999 and 2000, including leap year calculations, provided that all other products (for example, hardware, software and firmware) used with the TI product, properly exchange accurate date data with it and are themselves Year 2000 Ready."
Q: What about the products TI sells? Are they Year 2000 Ready?
A: TI has essentially completed the assessment of the readiness of its products. TI is publishing product status information on this web site. Special customer notices are provided that describe Year 2000 issues identified in a relatively small number of TI products and corrective actions customers should take. Most of TI's products either contain no date logic or are programmable devices that require customer assessment.
Q: What could TI's customers do to avoid contaminating Year 2000 Ready products?
A: TI's customers should assess the Year 2000 readiness of software or applications that they may add or have added (or that others have added) to TI products. See customer responsibilities.
Q: What about Year 2000 issues with divested products?
A: Customers concerned about Year 2000 issues with products that were manufactured or provided by businesses that have been divested or sold should contact the companies that acquired those product lines.
Q: What about discontinued products?
A: In most cases, TI does not intend to assess the readiness of discontinued or obsolete TI products. If customers plan to continue to use these products, they should assess for themselves whether these products either perform no date logic functions or are Year 2000 Ready.
Q: What if I want to know whether the products I'm using are discontinued or divested?
A: For TI product-related Year 2000 inquiries, you can contact toll-free 1-800-232-3200, or you may search the company web site for product-specific information on divested or discontinued products.
Q: What is TI doing to design Year 2000 readiness into its semiconductor device design and development process (electronic design automation) EDA?
A: As of June 30, 1999, TI has essentially completed corrective action deployment for critical hardware and software used in its semiconductor device design and development process.
Q: What about TI's suppliers? Will they be ready for Year 2000?
A: TI's Y2K supplier program has attempted to assess the readiness of TI suppliers, focusing on those that could significantly disrupt TI's business operations. TI's assessment of its critical suppliers is essentially complete, and contingency plans have been developed for those critical suppliers that were not assessed as Y2K ready as of June 30, 1999. TI will continue to monitor their progress and will invoke contingency plans as needed.
Q: Is TI working with any industry organizations to help meet the Year 2000 challenge?
A: Yes. TI has worked with the SEMATECH Year 2000 Task Force to develop a set of tests for manufacturing equipment and continues to participate in SEMATECH Y2K sessions to share information.
Q: What is TI doing to address Year 2000 issues with electronic commerce (EDI) ?
A: TI supports the use of the EDI formats of EDIFACT D98A and ANSI X12 4010 for electronic commerce. Both of these standards are Year 2000 Ready. TI has worked with business partners on other proprietary EDI feeds as appropriate.
TI is using a date inferencing method, also known as "windowing," to interpret year-date information. This is a commonly used technique and enables us to receive year-dates that are less than four-digits within a particular range in the "window" and accurately infer the century.
As of June 30, 1999, TI has communicated with its electronic commerce partners, and EDI interfaces have been tested with major customers and suppliers in those cases where format changes were identified. TI believes that its EDI interfaces are Y2K ready.
Q: What is TI doing to address Year 2000 issues with its manufacturing equipment?
A: As of June 30, 1999, TI has essentially completed corrective action deployment for manufacturing equipment and software in its wafer fab and assembly/test sites worldwide.
Q: What is TI doing to address Year 2000 issues with its strategic business systems?
A: As of June 30, 1999, corrective actions have been deployed for substantially all of TI's legacy business strategic information systems, including financial, manufacturing, marketing and human resources. In the ordinary course of business, TI continues to install new business systems as appropriate. Verification of Year 2000 readiness is incorporated into the process of implementing these new systems. TI continues to conduct integrated systems tests that verify date data.
Q: What is TI doing to address Year 2000 issues with its IT infrastructure?
A: As of June 30, 1999, TI has essentially completed its deployment of corrective actions for critical infrastructure hardware and software that support TI's enterprise-wide networks and servers. Components include voice and data equipment and networks, servers and clients, as well as internet, e-mail and directory services. TI has also deployed an assessment tool and corrective action process for desktop computers.
Q: What is TI doing to address Year 2000 issues with its facilities?
A: As of June 30, 1999, corrective action deployment is essentially complete for TI facilities equipment, which includes environmental controls, safety and security systems, elevators and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVACs), as well as equipment containing programmable logic controllers (PLCs). As part of our facilities supplier program, we have contacted local utility providers for major TI sites worldwide and have assessed their Year 2000 readiness efforts in order to avoid disruptions in essential services.
Q: What is TI doing to address Year 2000 issues with its customers?
A: TI has discussed Y2K status with selected strategic customers and distributors, and, in some cases, has conducted face-to-face meetings to assess their Y2K progress and share information. If available, we are also reviewing information provided on their web sites, their communications with TI on this topic and Y2K statements in their SEC filings.
Q: How can I get information about TI's Year 2000 Project including progress and product status?
A: This web site (www.ti.com/year2000) is where you can find information about TI's Year 2000 Project.
Q: How can I be informed when updates are made to TI's Year 2000 web site?
A: You can register with the TI&ME; Internet Information Service to receive e-mail that will let you know when updates are made to this web site.
Q: How can I contact TI's Year 2000 Program Office?
A: TI's Year 2000 Program Office can contacted by mail or e-mail. See contact information.
Q: Has TI included a Year 2000 disclosure in its SEC filings?
A: TI has included Year 2000 statements in its SEC filings for 1998 and 1999. See the Y2K statement excerpted from the most recent filing.
Q: What does TI estimate the cost to be to address its Year 2000 issues?
A: TI's estimated aggregate costs for its Y2K activities from 1995 through 2000 have been lowered as we get closer to the end of this project, and as of June 30, 1999 are expected to range from $65 to $75 million. Through September 30, 1999, TI has spent approximately $63 million.
Q: How can I learn more about the relationship between embedded chips and Y2K?
A: The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) issued a position paper on 12/3/1998 describing some of the unique challenges facing the semiconductor industry and providing a perspective on some issues regarding embedded chips and Y2K. See the paper located at http://www.semichips.org/news/archives/pospaper.htm
Q: What is TI doing to maintain Y2K readiness?
A: Now that TI has met its Y2K readiness milestone on June 30, 1999, we are conducting reviews to validate the quality of processes used to maintain Y2K readiness in the four major program areas of information technology, physical plant, products and extended enterprise. Also, TI is conducting selected audits of Y2K corrective actions and tracking the implementation of contingency plans. See the milestone schedule.
Q: What is the status of TI's business continuity plan?
A: As of June 30, 1999, TI developed a high-level Y2K business continuity plan (BCP) that includes strategies to communicate promptly should there be any significant Y2K impact to TI and to respond rapidly to any unforeseen critical Y2K interruptions, particularly during the period around the end of December 1999 through the beginning of January 2000. See the milestone schedule.
Q: How can I find out TI's Y2K status after the clocks roll over to the Year 2000?
A: TI will be publishing regional Y2K status updates on this website from December 31 - January 2, after the Y2K Program Office receives reports from each of the critical TI sites in the regions in which we operate.
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