Were the Efforts Made to Fix the Problem Worth It?

Efforts made to make sure the Y2K bug did not bring an end to civilization as we know it not only prevented what would have been serious problems world-wide, but also had many other very positive consequences which many people fail to realize.  Sure, the cost of making virtually all software and hardware created since the 1960's year 2000 compliant was huge -- approximately $300 billion were spent world-wide in efforts to remove the bug from computer systems before year 2000 even arrived -- but the benefits of the spending go far beyond simply having computers which can function in the 21st century.

Testing and upgrading computer systems forced companies to bring their information technology systems under control.  Most organizations didn't have a complete inventory of their systems before Y2K concerns came about.  Many systems were consolidated and used more efficiently.  This not only helped companies and other organizations get a grasp on the technology they were using, but also reduced the number of systems which needed to be checked for Y2K compliance.  Redundant systems could be eliminated.

Understanding of the dependencies between computer systems was greatly increased by the Y2K bug.  In order to test systems for compliance, the testers needed to have substantial knowledge about the systems which the system being tested depended on.  Computers do not work in isolation today.  Manufacturers needed to verify that their suppliers were Y2K compliant, or the supply chains could be cut off, causing major economic problems.

Many companies were either forced to or took this opportunity to upgrade their systems and use newer technology.  Many software and hardware companies didn't have the resources to, or purposely decided not to make old versions of their software compliant.  This mandated that users of the software update to more recent, year 2000 compliant versions.  This provided for more uniformity of software and hardware across the globe and helped deal with compatibility issues which arose as a result of many different versions of software and hardware being in use at the same time.