Update January 2000: Hungary

Several changes and events worth mentioning have occurred even in the last quarter of 1999 in the field of information society promotion in Hungary, which shows that both the state and the civil sector, professional organizations and the business world realize the importance of acquainting a wider segment of the population with the ever-increasing possibilities of the information age.

1. Prime Minister’s Office (MeH) (http://www.meh.hu)

The Prime Minister’s Office created a department in April 1999 to coordinate the activities relating to the Year 2000 Problem (Y2K), and designated a government commissioner to head the department. In the interest of providing information, the commissioner’s office (http://www.y2k.gov.hu) has made use of almost all kinds of media, depending on the desired audience:

• To arouse interest - with the help of the John von Neumann Computer Society (NJSZT) - a four-minute animated movie was produced, which viewers will be able to see on different television stations as of December.
• A nine-part television series informed the greater public regarding the Y2K problem, and the preparations being carried out by those concerned (see separately in detail). Additionally, several million letters were also sent out to inform the population, attached to certain service providers’ newsletters or bills.
• The State Financial and Capital Market Supervision (ÁPTF) has printed 450,000 informational leaflets for private clients, to be distributed through the financial institutions.
• For postal workers who have daily contact with the population, a brochure containing frequently asked questions was prepared, with answers to these questions frequently asked by the people.
• Educational presentations were organized through the channels of the Scientific Education Society.
• Free test programs and further services were provided for public administration institutions (to check personal computers). The corrected, updated versions of widely used program packages were made available on the Internet, and favourable terms could be negotiated with certain producers regarding upgrades.
• Several conferences were organized for representatives of local governments, the civil sector, and the health care industry. An international conference was held in Sopron between October 14 and 15, to discuss the regional questions regarding Y2K (see separately in detail).
• On September 24 the secretary’s office of the commissioner sent out 50,000 free information brochures and CDs specially prepared for small and medium-size enterprises to help combat the Y2K problem.
• The compilation of a publication discussing the legal aspects of the Y2K problem is in the works.

In compliance with the agreement between the Y2K commissioner and the Hungarian Television Rt. (MTV), viewers of the public broadcast stations MTV1 and MTV2 saw a nine-part educational series starting on October 11, 1999. The series, which cost 15.5 million forints to produce, made an effort to give a national overview of the preparations for Y2K. In the first episodes, experts presented the core of the problem and the modes of prevention. In the following episodes, the program examined one ofr one the areas where Y2K could cause problems in everyday life, as well as in the production and service activities, and then rendered an account of where the different institutions, organizations, and companies stand in their preparations. During two of the episodes, a live telephone consultation was held by experts, whereby viewers’ questions were answered. The 15-minute episodes were aired every Monday on MTV1 and repeated later on MTV2, but according to plans, the whole series will be re-aired in December, on consecutive workdays.

The cabinet has accepted the proposition which lays the foundations for a governmental Y2K control center. According to the soon to be released document, which can be regarded as a source of law, the Y2K commissioner and the state secretary of the Defense Ministry signed a contract on December 2, which stipulates that, in accordance with the initial plans, the national Y2K control center will be developed in one of the Budapest facilities of the Ministry. The development of the infrastructure is already under way. The necessary funds for developing and maintaining the center have already been set aside, as mandated by the contract. A test run is expected for December 15-17, in which the communication between the various governmental sites and the center will be tested.

2. On October 11, the world-day of computer science, two stations of the public service Hungarian Radio devoted a lot of time to programs about information technology. On Radio Kossuth, most of the regular programs were also related to the topic at hand, which was discussed extensively from all sides, from science to child-rearing, from law to business and culture. The day-long Digital Rendezvous program of Radio Petõfi was directed at both beginners and advanced computer users, and gave listeners the chance to ask questions over the phone from the experts sitting in the studio, or to send sound files through the Internet, including questions, requests, or opinions. Useful information was relayed in everyday, comprehensible language about telecommuting, digital photography, DVDs, MP3, and at-home CD writing.

3. On November 1, 1999 the Ministry of Social and Family Affairs and Matáv Rt. signed a cooperative agreement on the joint development of telecommuting (that is, working from home, or teleworking). Through the agreement, they primarily want to help those with a reduced ability to work, those working in disadvantaged regions, and those raising multiple children. Matáv offers telecommunication packages at a reduced rate to telecommuters. To help their work, Matáv also offers computers and telecommunication equipment at a low one-time cost, with a certain monthly subscription rate. The telecommuting development program of the ministry and the telecommunication company will be carried out by the Telecommuting Coordinating Non-Profit Association (Távmunka Kht.). The association existed earlier, but was practically not operating. Now Matáv has helped out the association, where currently 12 to 13 thousand citizens looking for telecommuting work are registered, with a proprietary loan of an undisclosed amount. Távmunka Kht. is owned 33 percent by the ministry and 67 percent by Matáv. It is likely, that soon a few hundred, but in a few years’ time, several thousand telecommuters will be working in the country.