Welcome to B & M Bulletin, produced specifically for IT specialists. In this issue:
• Limosa - the new registration laws in Belgium
• Tech View: The world of remote support
• Specialist profile: Storage Network Designer - Steve Carcas
• B & M staff member profile - Kate Davidson
• Phone a friend and receive a hamper
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New registration laws in Belgium
B & M's HR Manager, Melanie Thompson explains what new employment regulations in Belgium mean to contract specialists
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"...new registration laws in Belgium..."
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From 1st April 2007, employment businesses such as B & M, employment agencies and customer companies have been required to comply with a new pre-registration system in Belgium. Called 'Limosa', the new law requires any foreign national working in Belgium for a period of more than five days to be registered for the purpose of ensuring that they are socially secure.
The Belgian authorities have introduced this new registration system to create a better framework for the employment of foreign workers. Registration is a fairly simple process, involving the completion of a standard form containing the contractor's name, duration of the assignment and the customer organisation's name and address. Once the registration form has been submitted, the Belgian authorities issue a Limosa Declaration Certificate to whoever submitted the form - a Managed Service Company, an employment business, an agency or the individual. This certificate is then given to the customer organisation before the start of the contract.
Belgian law stipulates that Limosa registration must take place prior to commencing an assignment. Failure to do this - or failure to register at all - could result in criminal proceedings and/or punitive fines for any or all of the parties in the chain. The end customer is ultimately responsible for ensuring that they hold a Limosa Declaration Certificate for any foreign national working for their organisation.
Limosa is limited to the period of the original contract, so any contract extensions will require a new Limosa registration. Any specialists who were working in Belgium when Limosa was introduced in April 2007 have a six month transition period, but must be registered by 30th September 2007.
The whole process, from registration to receiving the Declaration Certificate should take no more than three working days - but we have heard of teething problems which have meant that some registrations are taking a little longer. The Belgian authorities are committed to making the project work, so we expect these issues to be resolved fairly shortly. If you require any further information regarding Limosa legislation, go to www.limosa.be or email people@bmeurope.com
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Tech View: The world of remote support
B & M's Technical Manager, Paul Smith looks at some of the pros and cons of providing remote technical support
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It's hard to count the benefits that businesses have derived from the implementation of TCP/IP and the ensuing birth of Virtual Private Networking and IP telephony. Perhaps one of the most significant advantages has been the opportunity for organisations to use staff in different countries or even on different continents to provide technical support.
ICL was one of the earliest adopters of this idea as far back as 1970 and today the majority of multinational corporations use people around the world to deliver 24/7 remote support, while making significant cost-savings into the bargain. A reduction in the cost of Internet technologies over the past few years has meant that many smaller enterprises and consumers have been able to reap the benefits of remote support. A prime example of this way of working - familiar to many people - is the Remote Desktop Support option that Microsoft built into Windows XP.
However, this meteoric growth in enabling access to the core of the corporate network has naturally created security issues. In its report entitled Gmail, iPhones and Wiis: Preparing Enterprise Security for the Consumerisation of IT published in June, Gartner warns that organisations cannot prevent remote access technologies into the enterprise, but that this way of working does call into question traditional security models.
By using IT support staff who work from home or from different locations worldwide, the IT function can offer a better level of service to internal and external customers - fixing problems remotely and carrying out general support and maintenance outside normal working hours. But enterprises do have to put measures in place to ensure that this freedom of access does not become a security nightmare.
This view was echoed by the US-based analysis company Forrester at its IT Forum in Edinburgh in June. Forrester warned in particular against using unsecured wireless technologies such as Bluetooth, un-encrypted home wireless networks and public wi-fi hotspots. But the company concluded that enabling IT and other information workers to work remotely has many advantages including better back-up of corporate data, cost savings on equipment and improved collaboration between different functions.
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Specialist profile: Storage Network Designer - Steve Carcas
Steve Carcas explains how contracting has given him the opportunity to study and to enjoy the relaxed Dutch lifestyle
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Steve Carcas is a Legato Certified Engineer and is currently on assignment at a multi-national IT services organisation based in The Netherlands. Here, he is working on developing the architectural design and handling the administration and maintenance of Legato NetWorker backup infrastructures. His current role involves working on several large backup landscapes thus providing data protection for over 20 third-party organisations. Currently, he is undertaking the acceptance testing of Virtual Tape Library (VTL) technology, using Storage Area Network attached disks with a view to reducing backup and recovery lead times.
Steve began what was originally a three-month contract in January 2006 - and is still there. He started contracting in early 2000, shortly after acquiring his Legato certification as he found that it was far more lucrative than working as an employee. Eight years on, he is now studying for a Masters degree in IT, specialising in Information Security via an eLearning course with the University of Liverpool.
After 23 years in IT and some 15 years working in the storage arena, Steve is keen to apply his studies to broaden his horizons and plans to seek a role in IT security once he completes his degree. In addition to helping him achieve his personal goals, Steve believes that the customer is also benefiting from his studies. "I put into practice what I'm learning on my Masters - particularly imposing a sense of order on things".
Asked about how he was able to settle into working in The Netherlands, Steve was enthusiastic. "The Dutch approach is very relaxed and the people are open and honest and extremely friendly - even those at a very senior level. I've made some genuine friends here". However, this relaxed attitude does not mean that he or those he works with are any less effective. Steve explains, "We work very hard, but everyone here is aware of the work/life balance. As long as the work gets done, there is plenty of opportunity for flexible working hours".
Steve acknowledges that there is a conundrum about working in Europe: "Candidates who have a proven track record of working abroad will have more success in gaining further employment outside their native country. Once you have proven your abilities in working away from home, job offers in Europe are more forthcoming". He also emphasises that "Working in a foreign country is not for everyone - you need to give careful consideration to your personal circumstances before undertaking a foreign assignment".
Steve adheres to the adage that 'IT is an attitude rather than an aptitude' and believes that this is particularly applicable for those working and living in a different culture.
But what about the future? Steve is about halfway through his Masters degree and just about to start his dissertation. Once qualified, he says that he wants to "Go somewhere warm and get a sun tan!"
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Real Skills. Real People - B & M's Kate Davidson
This month we profile HR Administrator Kate Davidson
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After studying Graphic Communication, Art & Design based in Cardiff, Kate worked for a global training company as sales and marketing field representative where she trained new employees and marketed services. As a keen photographer and graphic designer, she has undertaken roles including taking and producing photographs for company websites and designing food labels for an organic food company.
Kate's experience of the recruitment industry came from working as a recruitment assistant for a multi-division recruitment business and she is now committed to progressing her career in this field, whilst keeping her creative talents as a side-line. Kate moved to Hampshire in early 2007 and joined B & M in April as HR Administrator, where she provides administration support to B & M Account Managers.
Kate loves to travel and experience new cultures around the world, particularly in Africa and South America. She is also qualified by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) in open water and advanced open water diving and likes to take the plunge whenever the opportunity arises.
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Phone a friend and receive a hamper
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B & M would like to hear about your colleagues, past and present, who are looking for challenging and interesting assignments. Once they are on assignment with B & M, we will send you a luxury Fortnum & Mason hamper by way of thanks. For more details and full terms and conditions click here.
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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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