When I spoke to this group two years ago, Laura Woodburn had just started as Vice President - Engineering. In fact, my speech was one of the first impressions she had of me, and she probably decided that she had a total lunatic on her hands. Now that we've worked together for a couple of years, I think she realizes that I'm only a partial lunatic.

Please reflect on the astounding progress Engineering has made in two short years. We finally have professional management! We do long term planning! We have a published Plan of Record, thanks to Barb Purchia! Sometimes, we even know what we're doing! Listen to Alex Schay of The Motley Fool: QUOTE "[Kronos's] gains came from a clear increase in the productivity of the company's sales force -- I thank you all -- as well as the unprecedented amount of new products pushed into the pipeline." UNQUOTE. I think Laura deserves a round of applause.

OK, enough sucking up to my boss. Laura, remember, my review has to be in just before January first!

Since the Millennium is an issue of Biblical proportions, I went straight to the Good Book for an analysis of some of the other people helping with Y2K testing. In addition to TKC Win, Dan Doherty is responsible for all our legacy and character-mode products. But this was all foretold. In the Book of Daniel, Chapter 1, verse 9, it says "Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs." Hmm, Dan, were these HP-eunuchs, or DG-eunuchs?

Now, just in case Microsoft has any Y2K problems, who's going to protect us? I'll tell you who; our Vice President, Client/Server Systems, Peter George. As it is written, Matthew chapter 16, verse 18: "Thou art Peter, and on this rock I shall build my church, and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it".

Quick Bible lesson (something about being up here at a pulpit is inspiring me!): "Thou art Peter" is a translation of "Tu es Petrus", but "Petrus" in fact means "rock" in Latin. If we translated names by meaning instead of sound, then we wouldn't have the apostle Peter, we'd have the apostle "Rock", like "Rock Hudson. And then that verse would read, "Thou art Rock, and on this rock I shall build my church," and then even readers of the English translation would get the pun.

See, I can't give a speech without teaching something. I promise not to do it again. Why all these quotes from the Bible? Because as a computer nerd, I'm a member of the Geek Orthodox Church.

I'd also like to acknowledge Paul Lacy, our Chief Financial Officer, chairman of the Year 2000 Steering Committee, who has worked tirelessly on this problem, even after it stopped being fun. OK, Paul, from now on, your Y2K memos will be referred to as the "Epistles of Paul".

Finally: In my speech two years ago, I included the line "Already, Tom Champine is working diligently to be sure that our products crash reliably in the year 2000!" I made a joke out of it, but there was truth behind that line. At a time when Engineering thought we wouldn't have any problem with Y2K, Tom was, to stick with my Biblical theme, our "Doubting Thomas". Had he not pushed us early on, we might be in serious trouble right now. Please join me in giving a round of applause to Tom Champine.

Tom started with Kronos nearly 13 years ago, in our Detroit office. The British captured Detroit in 1760, but they gave it back. They couldn't get the parts. Tom is now Director of Service Planning, and sits in a lovely sun-lit corner office at Omni Way. Tom; you've come a long way from the Balloon Saloon back in Southfield, Michigan. Debbie Burns worked with Tom in Detroit back then, so I asked her if she had any stories about him. She smiled, then laughed for quite a while, and then looked serious, and said, "Yes, but I can't tell you any of them". Steve Hiatt was the District Manager in Detroit back then, possibly on the strength of his guitar playing.