Daylight-saving time is coming three weeks early this year – March 11 – forcing businesses to spring into action to update computer networks.
The Energy Policy Act, signed by President Bush in August 2005, mandates that daylight-saving time fall on the second Sunday of March beginning this year – and end a week later, on the first Sunday of November.
The time change was in the energy-reform bill designed to offer business and residential tax credits for using hybrid cars and fuel-efficient appliances.
Adding four weeks to daylight-saving time would, potentially, help conserve energy. While individuals may welcome longer days, information-technology professionals have had to put in a few longer nights to ensure that office systems will run smoothly.
“We’ve been preparing for the new daylight-saving time date changes (March and November) for several months,” said Cristie Drumm, spokeswoman for Wells Fargo Bank.
Most appliances and consumer electronics – such as a cable box – are automatically designed to change the time at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in April and the last Sunday of October, but consumers may have to manually update some devices.
Comcast spokeswoman Cindy Parsons said that the company has made the necessary changes to ensure cable set-top clocks and digital video recorders function properly.
“It’s not like it’s going to take down anything necessarily,” said Mischa Danaceau, marketing director for The Illumen Group, a Denver-based provider of network and security solutions. “But there are applications that rely on a system clock, such as backups set to run automatically at a certain time.”
Computer companies such as Microsoft have released patches for IT professionals that will allow them to update network software to automatically change the time on March 11, and cancel any changes scheduled to take place April 1.
IBM, Sun Microsystems and Oracle have released similar information.
Microsoft advises users of the Microsoft Outlook calendar function to install a software update and to “exercise caution with the appointments and meetings” in the period between March 11 and April 1. For users of cell phones and smart phones that run on the Windows Mobile operating system, Microsoft advises that individuals consult their service provider.
Staff writer Kimberly S. Johnson can be reached at 303-954-1088 or kjohnson@denverpost.com.
