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| Norton 2000 | Utilities |
 Yes, it's August,
and by now your firm should be well on its way to becoming Year 2000- (Y2K) compliant.
But, as we all know, this is the real world and there's probably still plenty of firms out
there that have yet to start their Y2K testing. If you're with one of these firms, then
this review is for you.This is one of those situations where good things do come to those who wait (although your malpractice carrier might disagree). While many Y2K applications that check workstation hardware and software were released a while back, most were difficult to use or not very complete. Then came Symantec's Norton 2000. Symantec has been releasing the popular line of Norton products for several years, and this is yet another impressive product to add to that list. I recently used the retail/small business edition of this product on my workstation (there is a corporate version which is very similar), and found it to be the most impressive solution yet. The Norton application completes Y2K compliance scans in three important areas: system date functions, workstation applications and data files (usually spreadsheets and databases, searching for two-digit years and related issues). Setup and installation is straightforward and effortless. I installed Norton 2000 on several workstations and laptops without running into any difficulties. After installation is complete, Norton 2000 begins with a wizard, or "helper" function, that makes it easy for even novice users to navigate their way through the procedures. Norton 2000 also has a "live update" option, which will run after installation. This links you to the Symantec File Transfer Web site in order to update the Y2K application compliance list. I completed the update in less than 30 seconds using a T1 line and about eight minutes through a 56K modem. After installation, the application prompts you to begin the Year 2000 compliance test. The first test is a Sys-tem Date Test, which determines the ability of the workstation to complete rollover procedures for various Y2K key dates. If any Y2K issues arise, the application informs you of the problem as well as how to fix it. The second scan Norton 2000 conducts is a comprehensive application scan. The program reviews every application on your workstation and compares it to the application vendor's "claimed" Y2K-compliance status. If an application is not compliant or compliance is questionable, Norton adds suggestions on how to make your version of an application more Year 2000 compliant, if possible. The final scan that is completed is a Data File Scan. Norton 2000 will detect and report any spreadsheet date problems, including two-digit dates as well as dates close to a conversion cusp (such as December 31). For the later versions of Excel, you can customize the search to allow each individual cell in the spreadsheet to be analyzed and then color-coded depending upon its Y2K compliance severity. Overall, this is an impressive program. It completed a comprehensive scan of my workstation very quickly, giving detailed analysis. It was also very easy to use. I would recommend it for any law office. |
Symantec Corporation (408) 253-9600 www.symantec.com Windows 95, 98, NT $49.95 Reviewed by Adam Nelson, attorney and consultant, Chicago, Ill. PROS CONS VERDICT |
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