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Welcome to B & M Bulletin, produced specifically for IT specialists. In this issue:
• Working in Europe - a look at some of the financial issues
• Tech View - Linux on zSeries
• Specialist profile - Security and operations specialist Ian Burke
• B & M staff member profile - Cathy Smart
• Work opportunities
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Financial considerations of working in another EU country
HR Manager Melanie Thompson highlights some of the tax and insurance issues you should consider when taking a contract in Continental Europe
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"Working abroad has advantages.."
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Working abroad has many advantages - you get to experience the culture of the foreign country, meet the people and indulge in the food. However, before embarking on a foreign assignment, there are some financial aspects that should be taken into consideration.
Firstly, you need to consider what constitutes tax residency, the qualifying period and the dates of the tax year in the foreign country. These issues vary from country to country and could affect your tax residency status depending on your circumstances. If you are earning in one country and are tax resident in another, you may be liable to pay tax in both countries, although double taxation treaties mean that ultimately you pay only once.
To be socially secure, you must provide evidence of National Insurance or Social Security contributions in your home country - evidenced by form E101 - or else be paying local social security insurance in the foreign country where you are working.
In some countries, it is a requisite to take out health insurance and in others it is advisable to do so because the EHIC (the European Health Insurance Card that has replaced the E111) only entitles you to basic medical treatment and is intended for short-term visits.
Many banks will charge for currency conversion if your earnings are paid in a different currency, so it is advisable to set up a bank account in your foreign country of work to save yourself these charges.
Purchasing a mobile phone and having a local number for the country in which you are working will prove more cost effective than using your home country mobile phone.
To ensure that you have been judicious in planning for a foreign assignment, it is important to seek advice from a financial advisor who will be able to provide professional guidance.
For more information about working abroad contact people@bmeurope.com
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Tech View: why run Linux on zSeries frames?
Paul Smith, Technical Manager at B & M looks at some ways that large organisations are reaping benefits
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Gartner's Hype Cycle Special Report 2005 cited Linux on zSeries as arguably the leading driver of the adoption of Linux among businesses and public sector organisations, giving it a highly significant degree of credibility. The ability to run Linux native on zSeries boxes has given many companies access to highly fault-tolerant hardware, given IBM's estimate that zSeries has a mean time between failures of around 30 years.
z/VM, which is also seeing something of a rise in popularity, allows the Linux kernel to work better in terms of sharing resources and provides a highly cost effective solution for server consolidation. Typically, UNIX based DNS, firewalls, application and web servers use between three and 15 per cent CPU. So for example, pulling all four functions into a single LPAR running z/VM, together with an Integrated Facility for Linux (IFL) can give a highly optimised solution in terms of both hardware and cost savings.
In z/OS a new feature entitled zAAP (zSeries Application Assist Processor) is available as a microcode upgrade, enabling businesses to have designated Java engines on zSeries.
Although early uptake of Linux was cautious, more and more companies are now consolidating on zSeries. For example, the First National Bank of Nebraska is putting around 560 Windows and UNIX servers down to 70 Linux images running on a single IBM mainframe saving an estimated $10m over five years (Source: BusinessWeek Online).
It seems highly likely therefore that the future of the zSeries will see it supporting 'hybrid' centres with z/VM running Linux web-based services and hypersocket links to established z/OS security and backend databases.
To find out about opportunities in Linux, please contact us at people@bmeurope.com
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Specialist profile
This month, we interview RACF Security and Operations Support specialist Ian Burke
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Ian Burke began contracting in 1998. Since that time he has had both short and longer term contracts in the UK and Europe which have used and enhanced his experience in security, upgrades and technical support for systems with up to 10,000 users. Projects to date have included monitoring security mailboxes, security system audits and actions and developing a disaster recovery system for a large firm of consultants. He is currently on assignment in Brussels through B & M for a major financial organisation.
Ian chose to start working on contract because he felt that he needed a new challenge and wanted to boost his income, although he has since found that this way of working has delivered other benefits that he had not originally expected. "One of the major benefits of contracting is being able to see the different ways that different sites approach the same problems - working at different sites exposes you to almost all the mainframe skills around"
Ian also enjoys the fact that the customers he works for gain from the experience that he has built up by working at different sites and in different environments.
But are there any benefits besides professional development? Ian Burke comments, "There's a real feeling of community here among both overseas and local people on the team and we all enjoy sampling local beers and food in the bars and restaurants in Brussels".
To find out about opportunities in Europe, contact people@bmeurope.com
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Real Skills. Real People - B & M's Cathy Smart
In this issue, we talk to B & M's Financial Controller Cathy Smart
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B & M's Financial Controller, Cathy Smart has spent more than 30 years working in IT. She started work as a programmer with Marconi and progressed as a systems analyst and project manager with Unisys, working with customers as diverse as Walt Disney, the South West Exams Board and the Law Society. In 1986 she and three colleagues established a software company in Henley-on-Thames specialising in some of the first touch-screen applications, notably for the NatWest Online Share Dealing system, starting with the sale of British Gas shares. It was here that, as well as project management, she was responsible for the financial area of the business acting as Financial Director.
In 1991, after project managing five public share sales, Cathy decided to try something which didn't involve computers and took a two-year Garden Design course at Pershore College, buying her drawing board from a garden designer who had decided to try computing! Since then she has built up a local clientele, most of whom she now considers friends.
Cathy joined B & M in 1993 with a view to installing an accounts package and training a member of staff to run it. She's still here - overseeing the accounting functions as well as being involved in the specification of in-house computer systems.
Cathy maintains her interest in Garden Design and has installed a CAD package to streamline the drawing function, her first outing with CAD being to design the courtyard at B & M's offices. Away from the PC and the drawing board, Cathy has been engraving glass since 1988, taking part in local and national exhibitions by the Guild of Glass Engravers.
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Current work opportunities
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If you are coming to the end of a contract or are considering contracting in the near future, have a look at some of the current opportunities on our web site by clicking on Vacancies and following the links to UK & Eire and Continental Europe.
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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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