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Welcome to B & M Bulletin, produced specifically for IT specialists. In this issue:
• Phone a friend - why it pays to introduce us to good IT professionals
• Tech View - Voice over IP
• Specialist profile - Security and MVS specialist Jonathan Briggs
• B & M staff member profile - Sarah Yandle
• Work opportunities
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Phone a friend this Christmas
Jerry Smart explains why it is in your interest to introduce knowledgeable IT professionals to B & M
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A gift is not just for Christmas
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Our business is all about people - good people. It is not always easy to find good people. That is where you can help.
You know when you have worked with specialists who you respect technically and who get on well with those around them. That gives you a distinct advantage over B & M, because although we do take references, there is no substitute for personal recommendation.
We work in a close community of specialists. No doubt some of those people with whom you have worked in the past are known to us both. However, there are people out there who we don't know yet - and that is where you come in. We would like to hear about your colleagues, present and past, who either have technical skills on UNIX or IBM mainframe platforms, or who have communications or security skills (check out our web site at www.bmeurope.com for more technical details).
Why should you refer specialists to B & M? Because, as a fellow professional, you respect them and their abilities and are motivated to help a colleague. But more than that - you will receive a reward!
So why not call or e-mail B & M with details of your colleague this Christmas - or encourage them to mention you when contacting B & M? Once the person you have referred has been on assignment successfully with B & M for one month, we will send you a luxury Fortnum & Mason hamper with our compliments. Rest assured that B & M treats all referrals with the utmost sensitivity.
To refer a friend to B & M, contact people@bmeurope.com
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Tech View: is VoIP the new Rock and Roll?
Paul Smith looks at how sending voice over IP networks has matured and is now growing apace
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In 1973 the introduction of 'Network Voice Protocol' heralded the first attempts at using data networks to carry voice. This later evolved into Voice over IP as a way of using LAN/WAN networks and the Internet as telephone carriers. Early services were patchy and offered highly variable voice quality, making them unsuitable for business; but with investment in VoIP systems in 2004 having reached $3.9 billion [Source: Infonetics Research], the technology is now truly embedded in the mainstream. During 2005 the prediction is that more TCP/IP PBX exchanges will ship than conventional digital systems.
The biggest concern is security. Currently a number of VoIP systems do not encrypt voice traffic between network nodes, potentially allowing them to be open to hackers, and therefore spoofing. Products such as Skype, MSN Messenger and PeerMe rely on a PC based client using tunnels through a firewall to allow the voice traffic through. However, this can also open up the risk of other types of security breaches; consequently many businesses are blocking the use of these products based on theoretical risks.
There are also side issues like the US e911 regulations which require that emergency services have access to a geographic location of the caller, although none of these appears to be major show stoppers as vendors work flat out to resolve these problems.
The next 12 to 24 months will probably see a significant growth in the commercial exploitation of VoIP. This will provide new opportunities for both communications and security professionals whose skills will be in high demand by large enterprises looking to capitalise on the enormous cost-saving potential of VoIP.
For information about security or communications opportunities contact people@bmeurope.com
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Specialist profile
This month, we interview Senior Security and MVS specialist, Jonathan Briggs
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Jonathan Briggs has worked in IT for 23 years and is currently on assignment for a major insurance company.
He has written three Red Books during his career, the latter two both on security with one on J2EE security in 2002 and 'What's new in security' in 2004. Jonathan's recent career has been focused on MVS and RACF systems programming, security installation and maintenance issues.
One recent project saw him working as part of a three-consultant team placed by B & M to merge and rationalise RACF security databases for a major UK financial organisation. In addition to a range of technical skills, Jonathan also offers the companies he works with his experience in managing people and training staff.
Jonathan believes that one of the major benefits of working on contract is the independence that it brings, along with the opportunities to learn new skills and to be exposed to different technical environments. He added, "The companies I work for benefit from my experience of working with different technologies and in different types of organisation".
Outside work, being on contract enables Jonathan to pursue his interest of playing football - he plays mid-field for a local team. He also enjoys cycling, home computing, films and music.
Why not tell us about your experience? Send your CV to people@bmeurope.com
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Real Skills. Real People - B & M's Sarah Yandle
Get to know more about our people. This month we profile HR Administrator Sarah Yandle
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HR Administrator Sarah Yandle joined B & M in 2003. Having gained a degree in Business Studies from the University of Glamorgan, Sarah began her career as Payroll Assistant for a Social Services division in South Wales, later moving into a support role for the Children's Service Department.
Sarah moved to Hampshire in 2003 and began working for B & M. Over the past couple of years she has developed an expertise in identifying suitable specialists for our customer requirements. Sarah has succeeded in building relationships with our specialists and has helped to tailor how B & M focuses its attention to meet the needs of our specialists. Sarah is also responsible for delivering valuable and essential administrative support to our internal Account Managers, thus helping to increase our core business productivity.
In her spare time, Sarah can be found visiting family and friends and cycling in the Welsh valleys.
To contact Sarah or her colleagues, email people@bmeurope.com
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B & M has specialised in delivering skilled ICT specialists to meet the needs of leading organisations throughout Europe since 1992. We focus exclusively on providing consultancy, technical services and support for z/OS, UNIX and Linux enterprise systems, including third-party systems software, open systems and networking connectivity. We add real value for HR and IT professionals by taking the time to understand their needs and applying best practice methods to deliver results. To find out more about our approach to providing the best skills for each business, go to www.bmeurope.com B & M Europe Limited
www.bmeurope.com
+44 (0)118 981 1880
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