Welcome to B & M Bulletin, produced specifically for IT specialists. In this issue:
• Tech View: Middleware past and present
• What really matters when building an IT Strategy?
• Specialist Profile: Steve Ives, Senior Operations Analyst
• Real People, Real Skills: Paul Hawkins, Account Director
• B & M ProSupport – proactive ITsupport
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Tech View: Middleware past and present
Technical Consultant Tim Crossland takes a further look at the history of Middleware and its role in business today
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“...software in the middle...”
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For those of us who have worked in IT for a while, the concept of Middleware may seem like a relatively new technology. Yet, the earliest reference to Middleware can be traced back to the 1968 NATO Software Engineering Conference which describes Middleware as a layer that sits between Application programs and Operating System services routines (e.g. file handlers).
However it was not until the 1980s that the concept of Middleware really developed, as people wanted to connect their new (often GUI based) applications up to their proven legacy systems.
Middleware can be defined simply as software that is positioned in the middle - between operating systems and applications.
But what exactly does Middleware do? It enables applications to communicate with each other or to access services without having to be tied to a specific platform.
As with many other emerging technologies, there has been a rush by vendors to ensure that their product is classified as Middleware and there are now too many different types of Middleware to list them all. However, the following list outlines some of the types of Middleware that are used most commonly in business today:
- Message Oriented Middleware - allows applications to communicate with each other, across platforms by sending and receiving messages. Leading products are IBM's WebSphere MQ, Apache's ActiveMQ and Microsoft's MSMQ
- Enterprise Service Bus - enables access to services, an important component of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). Leading products are IBM's WebSphere Message Broker, Apache's ServiceMix and Mule ESB
- Application Servers - provides an environment for applications (especially web-based Java applications). Examples are Oracle Application Server, Apache Tomcat, JBoss and WebSphere Application Server
- Transaction Processing Monitors - supports transactional applications, usually in high volume, on-line environments. Examples are the (primarily) mainframe-based CICS and BEA's (now part of Oracle) Tuxedo
- Data Access - Middleware that sits between applications and databases, providing access via techniques such as Java Database Connectivity, Open Database Connectivity and SQL.
As the trend for businesses to merge with one another grows, there is a tendency for organisations to increase the number of platforms that they use with each successive merger or acquisition. Today, businesses need to integrate their systems more and more, so the role of Middleware is set to be one of growing importance for the foreseeable future.
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What really matters when building an IT Strategy?
Jerry Smart, MD of B & M Europe, considers the elements which help ensure the creation of a successful IT strategy
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In the past, IT used to follow the rest of the business when it came to setting the strategy, but all this is changing. According to Sharyn Leaver, CIO practice leader at Forrester, IT professionals can’t sit around waiting for the business to set strategy, they “need to be out ahead of the business”.
But what make a ‘good’ IT strategy? Here is a list of six key questions that can help to inform a strong IT strategy.
- Is the scope of the strategy clearly defined and communicated? The IT strategy needs to take account of the structure and specific goals of each operating arm of the business and its market. At board level, senior managers need to understand end-goals and financials; but it is also critical for the IT team, internal clients and external customers to have access to a document that clearly communicates the strategy’s scope and objectives in a way that is relevant to them.
- Does it meet the needs of your business sector? Strategists need to consider the environment they are in and the context of the business. Consulting with customer-facing staff, internal clients and customers will provide useful insights into the IT framework needed for success.
- Is it achievable? There is no point creating an ambitious strategy unless you are certain that you can secure the funding and – perhaps more importantly - resources to fulfil it. IT managers need to consider how they will source the necessary technical skills to make the best of IT hardware and software.
- Will it get management buy-in? Unless the senior management team is firmly on board, it will be hard to sell the IT strategy to the rest of the business. Having champions across different disciplines who will put their weight behind the implementation of the strategy will support its success.
- Does the strategy improve productivity or efficiency? Everyone has seen examples of hot new technologies being introduced to organisations for the sake of it. The IT strategy needs to demonstrate that it supports high-level business goals of improving operating procedures, adding value or improving worker efficiency.
- Can the strategy cater for change? No organisation is static: macro economic factors, market changes, political changes, mergers and acquisitions will all affect the business in general and the IT strategy in particular. The strategy needs to be able to support and enable developments in the business to maximise the value from change.
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Specialist Profile: Steve Ives, Senior Operations Analyst
This month we talk to Steve Ives about moving from UK-based permanent roles to contracting on the Continent
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Steve Ives is a Senior Operations Analyst, who has spent much of his 24-year IT career in the financial and professional services sector, including ten years with one of the major global management consultancies in London.
He has now been on contract at a major European public sector body for ten months, having had his original contract renewed earlier this year. This is his first contract role, after holding mostly long-term senior roles working in-house for large organisations.
But how easy is it to change from working in the financial sector to his current role? Steve explains, “It's refreshing, as the culture is very different from an American bank and we are looking after a 'real' product rather than just moving money around. I also enjoy the extremely varied range of nationalities I come into contact with here”.
Steve chose this position as it offered him the chance for a complete change, giving him the chance to work outside the UK in a completely different industry sector to the one he was used to, and to expand his French language skills.
However, it is the work itself that Steve finds particularly interesting: “Coming from a mainframe background, I enjoy the challenge of improving my Linux skills as well as learning some new products”.
He feels that living and working in the Netherlands suits him well too. As he explained, “The people are friendly and all speak English, so language isn't a problem. The country isn't too dissimilar to home. It's also nice when the family comes over for the weekend and you can spend some time seeing more of the country and its attractions”. He also enjoys his commute far more these days – he has a 15-minute scenic bike ride to work rather than a 90-minute commute on packed trains and the London Underground!
Steve stresses that it is not just specialists who benefit from working a contractual rather than permanent relationship – “I think contractors are a cost-effective solution for fast-moving organisations and also bring new skills, attitudes and ways of doing things to a role”
As a newcomer to the world of contracting, Steve has found the support he has received from B & M to be helpful, and said of his Account Director, Seamus Hayes, “He is straight on the phone if I email with a question or concern and we usually see each other every couple of months”.
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Real People. Real Skills: Account Director Paul Hawkins
This month we profile new B & M Account Director Paul Hawkins
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Paul joined B & M in April 2011 as Account Director following five years living in Desertmartin, Northern Ireland.
Paul graduated from Loughborough University in 2006 before moving to Northern Ireland to begin a career as a sales representative and later as an Account Manager with Randox Laboratories selling medical diagnostic supplies into hospitals, universities and research labs across the south of England.
This was followed by a six-month period working in vehicle rental at Belfast International Airport before relocating to his original home of Newbury.
Paul still enjoys playing rugby at his local rugby club having earned a cap for England as a schoolboy.
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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 situation 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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B & M Europe Limited
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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 technical services, consultancy 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 B & M Services.
The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of B & M Europe Limited or any employee thereof.
B & M Europe Limited
Whitehouse Farm, Silchester Road, Tadley, RG26 3PY, United Kingdom
Tel +44 (0) 118 981 1880
Fax +44 (0) 118 981 1881
Registered in England and Wales
Company No. 02696668
VAT No. GB 591718218 Expert Technical Resourcing for Enterprise Systems
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