News that Viasoft Inc will OEM and integrate French software house Sopra SA’s multi-currency conversion applications into a range of Euro Solution programs got as much attention on network news programs as the latest gains by the portal companies yesterday morning. Viasoft is claiming the integration means it will have the first software conforming to both US and European legal, financial and business rules. Viasoft will embed Sopra’s EuroConverter into its mainframe Systems Workbench first, then into its OnMark PC applications. Interestingly, Viasoft – best known for all of the noise it’s raised about its Year 200 products – claims analysts tell it that converting applications to using the new Euro currency will cost $150bn; much more than the total cost of Y2K fixes. Viasoft’s new Euro products will include a data converter facility for currency translation and a code-change tool for implementing dual-currency systems, plus program analysis features.
