In a storyline reminiscent of Y2K, there is a little-known glitch on the way that could soon confound computer systems across the United States. The author of the problem isn't some malware writer bent on causing trouble; the glitch is compliments of the United States Congress. In 2005 when the Congress passed legislation to lengthen the U.S. observation of Daylight Savings Time (DST), the move was a benign effort to squeeze a little more light out of each of our days.

The legislation moved the start of DST forward in 2007 by three weeks-it will begin this year on March 11, rather than the traditional first Saturday in April. At the close of the season, DST won't end until November 4, a week later than the traditional last Saturday in October.

The problem is that programs like Microsoft Outlook are programmed to make the time switch on the traditional April and October dates. So when the changes are made according to the new DST schedule, programs that depend on a computer's internal clock-calendaring and scheduling applications, for example-won't align with real time.

In addition, many calendaring applications don't simply use the computer clock; they often set their own time flags to facilitate scheduling in multiple time zones. Simply adjusting the computer clock will cause an appointment that was coded for Eastern Standard Time to show up one hour off after the computer clock is updated with the new DST schedule.

If only the computer clock is updated and not the corresponding calendar items, appointments in the changed DST window for this year and future years are all impacted by one hour.

"This could have very real implications for business systems built around a basic calendar function," said Jason Sharp, a technology consultant with C/D/H, a Michigan-based technology consulting firm that is working with clients to correct the issue. "On something as basic as Microsoft Outlook, IT people need to figure out how they are going to get all of their workstations, servers, and calendaring software updated to reflect the change."

The DST issue goes beyond desktop computer systems and extends to things like mobile phones, security systems, and environmental controls. Modern buildings use computerized heating and cooling and access control that are often programmed around typical working hours, for example to unlock entrances, turn on lighting, or adjust heating. Another example might be sophisticated logistics systems that track just-in-time manufacturing processes into a state where parts deliveries may no longer align with workers' scheduled shifts.

"A lot of people I've spoken with are simply not aware of the full impact of the changes that are coming in very short order," Sharp said. "There are fixes for the problems, but people need to start thinking about how they are going to get them done."

Founded in 1990, C/D/H serves clients in business, government and education with technology consulting that is experienced, unbiased and client- focused. The company has offices in Royal Oak and Grand Rapids, from which it provides clients with consulting services in the design, management and implementation of information technology infrastructure. C/D/H is certified as a Novell Platinum Partner, a Microsoft Gold Infrastructure Partner and also has earned top levels of certification with Cisco Systems and Citrix.