THREE YEARS, 230 DAYS AND COUNTING BEFORE DREADED YEAR 2000 COMPUTER
GLITCH

BUT RELIEF IS IN SIGHT, COMPUTER ASSOCIATES EXECUTIVE TELLS CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEE

CA'S MARC SOKOL TELLS LAWMAKERS AUTOMATED SOFTWARE IS ONLY WAY TO FIX
CENTURY DATE PROBLEM BEFORE CLOCK RUNS OUT

ISLANDIA, N.Y., May 14, 1996--With just three years and 230 days before the
next millennium, automated software is the only way to fix Year 2000
computer problems on time, a Computer Associates executive told lawmakers
today.

"There's simply not enough time to convert everything manually," Marc
Sokol, CA vice president of advanced technology, told the U.S. House of
Representatives Committee on Science, Subcommittee on Technology. "There's
too much software code to change and too few weekends to do it."

Sokol said automated software tools are the only way of ensuring that
information systems continue performing successfully into the next
millennium. They eliminate human errors, problem delays and missed
deadlines. Without these tools, he said the millennium date change could
cripple an organization's ability to execute critical business functions
by impacting everything from insurance calculations to budgeting to
electronic data transfers.

"Most organizations don't have the time, money and other resources to bring
their applications into Year 2000 compliance," said Sokol. "You need to
find every date field and test it correctly. That's why automated tools
are so essential."

Sokol is a widely respected authority on COBOL, the programming language at
the heart of most corporate information systems. He quoted studies showing
that maintenance of legacy applications--those that are likely to have the
Year 2000 problem--is the most resource-intensive task for IS.

Every line of code must be scrutinized to ensure Year 2000 compliance. For
many enterprises, that means inspecting hundreds of millions of lines of
code and correcting errant code at a minimum estimated cost of $.30 to
$.50 per line, according to Sokol. A company with 10 million lines of code
or 5,000-10,000 programs to be modified, for example, is facing minimum
costs of $3 million to $5 million for a manual conversion.

Sokol said the Year 2000 date problem exists in any business, in both
public and private sectors, where date calculations are crucial. "That's
why business and government have to get their arms around the problem
before it's too late," he told lawmakers during a hearing entitled
"Solving the Year 2000 Software Problem: Creating A Blueprint for
Success."

Sokol said CA has already successfully analyzed and updated hundreds of
millions of lines of its own code, both in its software solutions and
internal applications. The CA Discovery 2000 Solution provides a complete
suite of software and services to help reduce the costs and resources
associated with Year 2000 processing. Included are tools to help estimate
and plan the Year 2000 initiative and services including impact
assessment, project planning, education and conversion techniques.

Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE: CA), with headquarters in
Islandia, N.Y., is the world leader in mission-critical business software.
The company develops, licenses and supports more than 500 integrated
products that include enterprise computing and information management,
application development, manufacturing and financial applications. CA has
9,000 people in 130 offices in 36 countries and had revenue of $3.2
billion in calendar year 1995. CA can be reached by visiting
http://www.cai.com on the World Wide Web, emailing info@cai.com or calling
1-516-342-5224.
 
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