Update 2000

Conventional methods to achieve Year 2000 compliance are time consuming and prohibitively expensive. The need of the hour therefore is low-cost, high productivity solutions, which mesh with new business needs without interrupting work already in progress. Update 2000, from DSQ Software Ltd., addresses this need. A comprehensive suite of services that extends the life of an application system into the next millennium, Update 2000 is customised and independent of language and environment. Developed exclusively to answer the Year 2000 concerns, the methodology offers a five pronged service approach. Each service package with its defined stages and set of deliverables responds to a specific need. Bypassing abrupt system termination, data corruption and unexpected results while conforming to current applications at high performance levels, offering cost effective offshore software development, Update 2000 offers more value for money.

The Five Service Approach

1) EDUCATION AND AWARENESS SERVICE

Activities

Providing an overview of the need for the Year 2000 transition
Customer specific awareness/education
Discussions on the technical aspects of the change

The deliverables of this phase are

Year 2000 education module
Customer specific business implications
Business re-engineering / enhancement possibilities

2) ASSESSMENT AND IMPACT ANALYSIS SERVICE

Activities

System Inventory and Scoping: is an initial analysis stage. All the items are identified and grouped logically. The various items involved in an application system such as source code, hardware and software interfaces, system scripts, databases, files, test sets, GUI software and others are listed.

Impact Analysis: provides a complete review of the entire application and will help in quantifying the century date non-compliance of the application system.

The deliverables of this phase are

Impact analysis reports
Effort estimate
Suggested approach for conversion

3) PILOT CONVERSION SERVICE - A PROOF OF CONCEPT

Activities

Pilot conversion stage is an optional stage that is recommended, if the application is large or complex. This is to ensure that the concept works and also to fine tune the methodology and tools.

The deliverables of this phase are

Refined estimates and schedules
Conversion methodology

4) FULL SCALE CODE CONVERSION SERVICE

This is the most vital and crucial phase of the Year 2000 conversion process. It covers all the activities from project planning to customer acceptance and is based on proven offshore development methodology evolved by DSQ Software Ltd..

Activities

Project Planning
Project Management is the biggest challenge of the Year 2000 project. Project planning and tracking are the most critical factors for successful completion of the project.

Development of Conversion Methodology
The documentation of the conversion methodology, which is initiated during the impact analysis stage, is completed and reviewed before use. The conversion methodology will also indicate the tool set that will be used for a specific project.

Conversion
The process involves conversion of source, data and archives. Each individual subsystem is modified carefully.

Testing
The project team performs the testing. In addition a "quality group" performs an independent selective testing to assure high quality of the deliverables. The test plans are prepared, reviewed and approved during the conversion phase. Testing can be formalised into four phases - Unit Testing, Integration Testing, System Testing and Acceptance Testing.

Implementation
On acceptance, the application system is made to run parallel and subsequently implemented in the live environment.

The deliverable of this phase is Converted and Tested software

5) POST IMPLEMENTATION SERVICE

This phase provides corrective maintenance of the converted application. The activity covers managing - changes, updates and new releases of the software systems converted to cross Year 2000 and beyond.