Spring forward, fall back ... shut down?

A congressionally mandated change in the date when the United States switches to daylight-saving time has prompted some people in the computer industry to warn of a possible "technology crisis" reminiscent of the infamous Y2K bug.

Lowcountry technology experts, however, say the situation is under control and that there's no need for alarm. Fixing the problem is pretty simple, they say, and most companies already have installed the necessary fixes.

"The folks I've talked to within our group are prepared. They have plans in place," said Nadine Evans, president of the Charleston chapter of the Association of Information Technology Professionals and vice president of operations at PST Computer Training Inc.

But, she added, "I think this is going to sneak up on some people."

Among the already-prepared is Daniel Island-based software maker Blackbaud Inc. "We've already dealt with everything," said spokeswoman Melanie Milonas. "It's a non-issue for us."

Serge Mislevy, systems performance engineer for Verizon Wireless, agreed that the change isn't a major challenge. "We deal with the daylight-saving time issue every year, so the only thing different is that this year we are making the changes about three weeks earlier," he said.

Whatever issues there might be, they result from a provision in a federal law passed two years ago.

The Uniform Time Act of 1966 set the start of daylight-saving time nationally as the first Sunday in April and the end as the last Sunday in October. But beginning this year, a change intended as an energy-saving measure in the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 moves the start of DST to the second Sunday in March (this year that's March 11) and the end to the first Sunday in November (Nov. 4).

That change is a technology issue because most computers and many electronic devices - including personal digital assistants, video recorders and mobile phones - are programmed to adjust their internal clocks automatically for DST based on the 1966 law. As a result, those devices will be off by one hour for three weeks in the spring and again for one week in the fall, unless users install a software patch or make the change manually.

It may seem like a small change, but anyone who doesn't adjust for it could have problems.

For example, people who keep electronic appointment calendars may find themselves missing meetings. TV watchers who set their video recorders in advance to catch "Grey's Anatomy" may find themselves taping "Ugly Betty" instead.

For businesses, the potential problems revolve mainly around keeping scheduled tasks on schedule and making sure network components stay in synch.

Scheduling or tracking the movement of people or cargo, or staying in synch with branch offices outside the U.S., are matters of special importance in Charleston, Evans noted. "For companies that are global, it is extra important that this be addressed," she said. "Charleston is a very global market."

For businesses and home users alike, fixing the problem simply means downloading and installing a software update. Virtually every software vendor already has such updates available, Evans said.

"I went out to various vendor sites, nine different sites, and checked for their daylight-saving time help center," she said. "Every one of them had a help center that explained what you actually had to do to get your servers ready. It doesn't matter what you're using, your vendor has a solution."

Also, she noted, newer software packages, including Microsoft's recently issued Vista operating system, already incorporate the new DST schedule.

For users of older versions of Windows and other software, vendors are issuing patches as part of their normal updates. Users whose computers update automatically won't need to take any extra action, but anyone who has turned off automatic updates will need to go to the maker's Web site and download the update manually.

Failing to update a computer or other device won't mean the end of the world. For home users, an out-of-synch computer might mean no more than a slight inconvenience. But for businesses, the possibility of system crashes, billing glitches or scheduling conflicts means getting ready is essential.

"Folks need to be prepared," Evans stressed. "It will affect your systems if you're not ready for it. It does take some preparation, and in some cases it's going to take some effort. But it is extremely important that this be addressed."

Marking time

Here's what technology companies are doing to help consumers deal with the change in the law concerning daylight-saving time, and what some consumers may have to do for themselves:

--All major computer operating systems have released a software patch to reflect the change of the start and end dates for daylight-saving time. Computers using an automatic update feature will soon receive the software patch, if they haven't already.

--Most cable and satellite television tuners and digital video recorders will receive an update automatically with the current show schedule.

--Some computers and other electronic devices will require the manual installation of a software update. This includes computers, PDAs, VCRs and mobile phones that are not connected to the Internet. Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems, GPS navigation systems and "smart home" appliances also might be affected.

--Users will have to check the settings on these devices to determine if they adjust themselves for daylight-saving time and, if so, whether they are showing the correct start and end dates. If the dates need to be changed, consumers should contact the service provider or product manufacturer to find out how to update the settings.

Reach Michael Buettner at mbuettner@postandcourier.com or 937-5553..