Welcome to B & M Bulletin, produced specifically for IT specialists. In this issue:
• Exploring another option
• Tech View: Hyperconnectivity
• Specialist Profile: Jan Broos, Senior Oracle Database Analyst
• B & M staff member profile: Ed Hopper, Sales Manager
• B & M ProSupport
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Exploring another option
Matt Jones, HR Manager for B & M Europe, explains how in these difficult economic times some contractors are making the switch to permanent employment
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"Attractive permanent opportunities… "
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In the current economic climate, some employers appear more willing to fill their IT vacancies with permanent recruits rather than contractors. B & M is benefiting from the investment that it has made in account development which has lead to customers asking us for permanent staff in addition to their requirements for contract staff and technical services.
Coincidentally, many people who have spent years in the contract market are now considering permanent positions. Some contractors are deciding that paid holiday and sick pay - as well as a guaranteed salary, a convenient location and paid training - is a good solution in a highly competitive contract market.
A recent report, co-authored by KPMG and employment organisation Giant, shows that the percentage of contractors wanting stability over earnings has risen to almost two-thirds, implying job security is now a bigger worry for IT contractors than it was at the end of the dotcom boom in 2003.
For employers, permanent staff can offer the perception of greater loyalty, continuity and, in the long-term, a better understanding of the business and company ethos.
While some organisations have put non-critical development work and projects on hold, reducing their need for contract staff, there are still attractive permanent opportunities out there for people with the right skills, experience and commitment.
Of course placing specialists on contract is still our core business and new placements are still being made even in these difficult times. Some of those still seeking contract work prefer to ride out the storm by renovating barns etc. in expectation of an economic upswing in 2010.
If you would like to be considered for permanent opportunities please contact people@bmeurope.com.
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"It's all gone Hyper, Jim!"
B & M Technical Manager, Paul Smith, explains how hyperconnectivity could cause addressing problems sooner than we think
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Hyperconnectivity. It means that everyone is connected everywhere - or looked at another way, that there are more network devices per person than people using any given network.
The numbers are almost incomprehensible; the total number of mobile phones purchased worldwide has just passed 4 billion [source: Reuters Feb 2009], and the rate of growth is estimated at 67,000 new phones per hour, 10% of which are now Internet connected.
In Europe, the number of mobiles ostensibly 'in-use' actually outnumbers the available population. Nortel estimates that by 2025 there will be around 1 trillion mobile devices, at least 75% of them with wireless Internet connections. Don’t forget this is not just phones; devices include PDAs, SatNavs, iPods, cameras, sensors, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, cars, appliances, medical equipment, industrial machinery - and amazingly even irrigation equipment which now has built-in connectivity!
Using the existing IPV4 addressing system this means there will be 1012 units chasing 109 available addresses within the next few years. Even by using Network Address Translation (and depending on which set of figures you believe) we are set to run out of IPV4 addresses anywhere from 2010 to 2023. The solution to this exists: IPV6, which would extend the number of addresses up to an exceedingly comfortable 3.4×1038.
Unfortunately despite having been around since 1998, less than 1% of the worldwide net is IPV6 compliant. No one has yet published estimates of the bandwidth that this burgeoning demand will need, but with the potential for 1 trillion devices all needing to get online, it’s not going to be trivial.
In America, Nortel is testing equipment that provides 40GBps and 100GBps over existing optical fibre, aiming to use the country's surplus supply of dark (unused) fibre. However, in Europe, we have far less spare capacity.
With the growth in Unified Communications and with the current economic climate, now is a very good time for organisations to consider their future networking requirements before it’s too late.
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Specialist Profile: Jan Broos, Senior Oracle Database Analyst
After a year working very close to home in the Netherlands, Jan is now seeking a position a little further afield
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Jan Broos has been a contractor for much of his 14-year IT career, but only started working through B & M when he took on his last placement working for a global outsourced services company at a European public authority last year. He is based in his home town of Utrecht in the Netherlands.
But what is it that has kept him contracting rather than seeking a permanent position? Jan explains, "I like contracting because I'm independent and am able to discuss my job directly with the client instead of through my managers, who would in turn discuss it with the client. I have more influence on how I do my job because it's me who agrees what I will deliver with the client".
Despite this difference, Jan is a firm believer that permanent and contract staff should be treated the same by managers, as long as they are delivering on their commitments. He personally prefers to seek shorter term contracts as he believes that specialists who stay in one place for too long can easily lose their independent view.
Like many contractors, Jan has had some experience recently of having his rates shaved, but he is realistic about this: "Rates in general have decreased a little bit, but for good professionals there's always a market so I'm not worried about finding a new contract when I finish my current one. I never did and will not worry now!"
Having worked through a number of different service providers and agencies, Jan has been very impressed with B & M over this past year: "I like the way they communicate - they do what they promise and, professionally, that is very important for me". He also commented that B & M always pay invoices on time - a practice that he says is not the norm with many agents in the Netherlands.
For his next assignment, Jan will be seeking to broaden his horizons with a placement in Europe away from his home in Holland. He is always keen on projects which result in implementation and enjoys being involved in architecture - designing new standards or introducing new technology.
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Real People, Real Skills - Ed Hopper
This month we profile Sales Manager Ed Hopper
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Ed Hopper joined B & M after graduating from Durham University in 1997, since when he has developed wide-ranging expertise in the provision of technical support services and consultancy.
His particular specialisation is in providing specialists for projects within the banking and insurance markets, where his knowledge has been instrumental in providing highly experienced specialists for a variety of projects with customers such as the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Abbey and Norwich Union.
Ed is also responsible for helping to develop new business markets for B & M, growing the business to ensure that the company builds on its seventeen years' experience and continues to provide services that are relevant to customers in the UK and Europe. Ed has led the development of
B & M's business in France - notably with SNCF; in Luxembourg - with Credit Agricole and in the Republic of Ireland where the company has worked with organisations such as Allied Irish Bank and the Bank of Ireland.
Having taken up the role of Sales Manager is 2005, Ed now leads B & M's team of Account Managers, training and mentoring new sales staff and providing strategic advice to more experienced Account Managers. In addition to his responsibilities as Sales Manager, Ed is the
B & M Account Manager for three of the UK's 'big five' high street banks and some of the UK's largest insurance and retail organisations.
In his leisure time Ed enjoys recreational kayaking, although family commitments now take up more of his time since his competitive peak in 2003 when he represented Great Britain at the 2003 Freestyle World Championships in Graz, Austria.
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B & M ProSupport
proactive IT support
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B & M ProSupport is a flexible support service designed to meet the very different IT situations within large enterprises. B & M ProSupport offers a choice of second and third-level support services that help to reduce downtime and keep the business running - right up to on-site, 24/7 support if required.
B & M ProSupport can be tailored to include a mixture of proactive and reactive services, combining cost-efficiency with optimum system protection. B & M's specialists work in collaboration with customers' own in-house IT staff to analyse, build, integrate, manage and develop IT continuity processes that make sure that key platforms are constantly available to support the business.
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