Ready for a cyber-future?

January 1, brings us within 365 days of the millenium. The countdown started quite some time ago, and like all countdowns, it has the pos...

January 1, brings us within 365 days of the millenium. The countdown started quite some time ago, and like all countdowns, it has the positive effect of turning thoughts to the future. For one thing, moving on to the next thousand years means a crisis for all things computerised in the shape of a gordian knot called Y2K. All over the world, programming experts are searching for the formula that will allow computers to move from 31.12.99 to 01.01.2000.

Millions of records will have to be fixed 8211; and that means work for computer programmers. As a major centre of expertise, Chandigarh and Mohali can expect the Y2K problem alone to bring an enormous inflow of business in 1999. But even without Y2K, businesses involving programming, web-site creation and hosting constitute the most exciting commercial scene in the city and its satellite townships. This growth is not yet highly visible to the average man and the numbers don8217;t impress: internet connections number only about 1500 so far. And yet, every week one hears of some new venture: in mid-December a local publisher specialising in Supreme Court rulings went on-line, in early December Panchkula got its first cyber-cafe. Chandigarh and Mohali already have a few.

Chandigarh8217;s computer pioneers are moving into lucrative areas such as transcribing medical records, preparing engineering and architectural plans, creating programmes for traffic management, inventories, mailing lists, accounts 8230;. The city has one on-line bank now and in 1999, other banks will follow. Just a step away from the banks and waiting for RBI guidelines are the credit card companies.

Computer manpower in the Chandigarh-Panchkula-Mohali area exists in plenty 8211; sufficient to give Bangalore and Hyderabad a run for the money 8211; but infrastructure is still weak. The city8217;s 1999 wish-list should include: 1 hiving off within the Chandigarh Telecom District a full-fledged and completely staffed department dealing exclusively with internet; 2 pushing through ISDN, an all-digital operation that allows modems to run at a speed of 64 K. and 3 a VSAT link. The Chandigarh Telecom District intends to get ISDN going place by 1999. Officially, the initials stand for Integrated Subscribers Digital Network, unofficially read It Still Does Nothing8217;. As for VSAT, private concerns are active but are far too small to even dream of it; those who could do it and only the cash-strapped Punjab government is talking of it are not active. VSAT remains one of 19998217;s quot;ifsquot;.

Improved telecommunication is the biggest success story of the8217;90s 8211; for India in general and Chandigarh in particular. But the more we have, the more we need, and the more dismay one feels at the occasional hiccup 8211; such as the Telecom Department announcement that it will release no new connections for some time, and the routing of the region8217;s calls throughChandigarh8217;s limited lines pending the creation of the VSNL net-gateway at Jalandhar. The city8217;s cyber-future needs networks and links as much as it needs men and machines . The city needs more 8230; fast!