ZipLink Year 2000 Statement and Readiness Disclosure

Introduction

ZipLink is aware of the Year 2000 issue and is taking steps to ensure there will be no negative impact (or interruption in service) to its end customers. ZipLink wants to keep all customers informed about its efforts to achieve Year 2000 Compliance. ZipLink has prepared the following statement in accordance with and subject to the provisions of The Year 2000 Information Readiness and Disclosure Act of 1998, IRDA, P.L. 105-271.

Year 2000 Problem

The Year 2000 problem involves limitations in equipment, computer hardware, and software. These systems make use of dates, and many of these systems only recognize a 2-digit 'year'. As a result, going from 99 to 00 (1999 to 2000) may cause the equipment, computer hardware and/or software systems to malfunction or cease working completely.

ZipLink Scope of Project

ZipLink's Year 2000 Project is comprehensive in scope. It covers all of the company's operations and focuses on the systems we make available to clients, systems we use to support the delivery of our services to clients, and systems we use internally to manage and operate our business. Our goal is to mitigate the risks associated with all Year 2000 issues affecting our operations, so that ZipLink enters January 2000 with all material systems in normal operation.

ZipLink Board of Directors

Our Year 2000 Project represents a large investment for the company and one that is critical to the company's continued success. It moves forward under the supervision of ZipLink's Board of Directors. The Board receives reports on the program's operation and progress once a month.

ZipLink Project Components

The Year 2000 project consists of the following components, which we will complete by the end of 1999:

Awareness: to increase knowledge of Year 2000 issues and individual responsibilities throughout all of ZipLink. This effort has been underway for more than a year and is on going.

Inventory: to obtain a complete record of existing and planned applications, systems and infrastructure components that are used by the company. This process has been completed.

Assessment: to identify and quantify ZipLink's Year 2000 risks through automated and manual means. This process has been completed for client-related and internal systems. This process is largely complete for the products and services we acquire from vendors.

Planning: to develop and achieve Year 2000 work plans by each unit responsible for any given application, system, or infrastructure component. This planning process has been completed.

Contingency Planning: to conduct similar activities as those defined in the above for unexpected, unplanned discoveries related to the Year 2000 problem. As part of the overall planning process, each business unit is preparing contingency plans to provide for continuation of critical business activities in the event of unforeseen difficulties in the remediation and testing stages. We are still building and carrying through with these plans.

Standards: to develop standard processes for remediation, testing, verification, and implementation. Each unit continues to enhance these standards as part of the planning stage.

Remediation: to implement process for remediation, testing, and verification. Most business units are already engaged in this process and applicable systems have been replaced.

Production: to place all systems which have completed the Year 2000 process into production for normal operations. Most business units are still engaged in this process.

ZipLink Readiness Statement

ZipLink defines the term "Year 2000 Compliance" to mean the assurance that ZipLink customers will not be negatively impacted, nor will there be any disruption in service, by dates prior to, during, or after the year 2000.

ZipLink will report to its customers periodically about the status of its Year 2000 compliance project. This website, http://www.ziplink.net/year2000 is provided for all customers and business partners as a reference site on that status.

As a general rule, while the sharing of information about Year 2000 readiness is essential, ZipLink is not intending to provide warranties or other guarantees specific to Year 2000 issues.

When will ZipLink be Year 2000 Compliant?

ZipLink expects that all critical equipment, computer hardware, and software will be compliant within the fourth quarter of 1999.