According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, it looks like the flesh-eating millennium bug might turn out to be little more than a minor irritation, after all. According to BSC Consulting, less than seven per cent of embedded systems will fall over as a result of the year 2000 date change. Embedded systems had been held up by some analysts and job-creation specialists (you mean IT consultants, surely – Ed) as the weakest link in the year 2000 compliance problem. BSC Consulting’s UK study of 38,000 systems all using embedded chips (such as lifts and medical equipment) found the sector to be in much ruder health than had been expected. There is still no excuse for complacency though. Earlier this month, the government warned that the agricultural sector was at risk from the bug. ®