Ridgefield, Conn. — The Year 2000 approaches. Small businesses are starting to prepare their computers. Large corporations and government agencies are already heavily involved in Y2K remediation. But many non-profit and charitable organizations may not be dealing with their potential Y2K threats due to a lack of funds.

''We had already decided to offer this service free to existing customers in this charitable category,'' Heere said. ''We were speaking to Dr. Ann Hines, director of the Hanahoe Memorial Children’s Clinic in Danbury and we realized that many more agencies will be in need of these services. This prompted our decision to expand the scope of our free offer.''

''We keep financial records — all the accounts for our clinic are all on the computer, and all of our checks and everything are done on the computer,'' Dr. Hines said. ‘I had nightmares about what would happen if my financial program didn’t work. AMSYS has always been very good about any problems we’ve had, and they called and offered us this before we even 2ot around to calling them to ask for it. The nightmares are over.

To assist these organizations in completing the crucial task of Y2K preparedness, AMSYS is offering to send technicians to qualified organizations to perform Y2K computer hardware testing for free. This testing is necessary to identify and categorize any PC computer system that may not meet the strict performance requirements necessary to properly handle the rollover to the calendar year 2000.

The free testing will include installation and implementation of the YMARK2000 Y2K testing program from the National Software Testing Laboratories. This testing software will enable AMSYS technicians to classify the tested PCs into four distinct categories dependent upon the computer’s ability to handle the various elements of Year 2000 preparedness. These four categories include:

Y2K Ready. This category includes systems that will automatically rollover to January 1, 2000 at midnight on December 31, 1999. To achieve this Y2K Ready Status, the system will also be further tested to be sure that it will also properly deal with leap-year problems related to the Year 2000 rollover. Any system that does not qualify in both series of tests cannot be placed in this first category.

Y2K Ready with Manual Reset. Many computer systems in use today will properly handle Year 2000 and beyond performance if, and only if, the system is once manually set to the proper date and time after the turn of the century. To be included in this category, the system will also have to properly recognize Leap Years going forward. To prevent possible data corruption, each system in this category must be turned off prior to midnight December 31, 1999, and must be restarted following a specific procedure after midnight in order to set the system clock properly, Heere warned.

Y2K Ready with BIOS Update. A large number of PCs being used today will fall into this third category. This group may be able to be made Y2K ready with the addition of a new system BIOS [Basic Input Output System]. The BIOS is a computer firmware program that allows the system’s hardware devices to properly communicate with the computer’s operating system. The program is usually located on a replaceable chip on the computer system board or motherboard. Sometimes, this program can be upgraded on the chip through a method called software flashing and does not have to be physically replaced to be made Y2K Ready (or Y2K Ready With Manual Reset). An upgraded or replacement BIOS is often made available by computer system board manufacturers for a minimum charge or, in some cases, free of charge. Finding and installing the correct BIOS fix is sometimes a difficult and challenging task, according to Heere.

Y2K Fails. This category includes all systems that do not fall within the above three categories. This is a system that is not Y2K ready and cannot be made Y2K ready. Such a system should be replaced prior to December 31, 1999. ''These systems could be used under controlled and monitored circumstances for non-date sensitive functions such as some word processing,'' Heere advised. ‘They might also be used in certain network environments where the system date and is set daily by logging into and obtaining the proper date and time from a Y2K ready network fileserver. However,” Heere said, ''both types of uses are extremely risky and should probably be avoided wherever possible.''

The free service offered by AMSYS Computer will consist of the testing of each system and the labeling of each system with the appropriate category label. The AMSYS color-coded labels will make for easy identification of a system requiring work, and assist an organization in developing an appropriate Y2K plan.

In addition, AMSYS will supply free informational assistance to the charity to help set up and implement a Y2K software certification program. Such a program is necessary to ascertain if any operating system or applications software currently in use is not Y2K capable and will require upgrade or replacement by December 31 in order for the computer to be Y2K Ready.

Heere is quick to recognize that AMSYS Computer, with its 22 employees, cannot provide this free service to all qualified not-for-profit organizations in the local area. Therefore, this service will be offered on an available-resource basis to underfunded organizations. Priority will be given to smaller charities that deal with children’s services or services to the elderly. Early priority will be given to those organizations in Ridgefield, Redding and the Danbury area. Heere also said that qualified organizations willing to bring their PCs to AMSYS for testing may, with prior appointment, be accommodated at a ''drive-thru'' testing area.

Additionally, AMSYS will offer reduced labor rates for those qualified organizations requiring the further assistance of computer technicians or computer engineers to fix non-ready systems. Reduced rates will apply to assistance in researching, obtaining, installing and testing available BIOS upgrades for Category 3 systems as well as help to identify and obtain necessary software upgrades or replacements.

AMSYS, Inc. will also be working with the Danbury Area Computer Society, Inc. [DACSII, a 600-member non-profit organization of computer enthusiasts, to offer no-charge refurbished computers and technical help to organizations with no budget for fixing their Y2K problems. DACS has a long history of computer-related community service through its extensive involvement in local programs such as “Voice for Joanie,” ‘Computers for Kids,” and the Danbury Department of Elderly Services.

Heere is asking local businesses that are upgrading computers to make their displaced computers available to DACS for re-conditioning and distribution t6 local charities. DACS can be contacted through Heere, or directly at (203) 748-4330 in Danbury.

Heere may be reached by phone at (203) 431-1500; by fax at (203) 438-5004, or by e-mail at eheere@amsys.net.

Ed Heere, president, CEO, and founder of AMSYS is a Redding resident and recognized pioneer of the PC computer and the PC industry. He is heavily involved in community PC support and is a director and former chairman of the non-profit, 600-member Danbury Area Computer Society [DACS].

AMSYS also provides business process analysis and computer training as well as internet website design. hosting and marketing.