Cochrane Research Toasts The Millennium With AMD.

Chip manufacturer AMD and Year 2000 software provider Cochrane Research signed an agreement to provide independent certification of the Y2K capability of new machines. One of the problems facing computer buyers is the understanding of what "Year 2000 Compliant" actually means. AMD Reseller Program members throughout Europe will be able to use Cochrane's Millennium Toolkit to test their new machines and prove to customers that they are Y2K compliant. The software is able to distinguish between PCs using "industry standard" Real Time Clocks, which rely on the BIOS to make sure that the century is updated, and those using chips.

"We like to offer our members the support to help build and sell AMD processor-based systems," said Tony Thuy, channel program manager of AMD. "Managing the Y2K issue is important to them and we would like to do what we can to support this. We want our reseller's customers to have confidence in their PC."

Mark Anfilogoff, director of Cochrane Research, Ltd. and co-author of a white paper on Millennium Testing Safety, said, "We are delighted with this ideal. We have been calling for clarity for some time. No business can afford to ignore the possible effects of the Year 2000, particularly if they are considering investing in new equipment."

Cochrane's toolkit provides a suite of utilities to allow users to carry out Year 2000 hardware testing and correction with confidence and to identify software titles to establish their Y2K states. It is used by organizations of all sizes throughout the world.