Welcome to B & M Bulletin, produced specifically for IT specialists. In this issue:
• Tech View: Rise of the mainframe
• Integrating IT and Business Strategies
• Specialist Profile: Lawrence McGee, Senior Systems Programmer
• Real People, Real Skills: Financial Controller, Clare Brennan
• B & M ProLegacy – enduring support for legacy systems
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Rise of the mainframe
B & M MD Jerry Smart looks at the benefits to be gained from IBM’s zEnterprise systems
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A consolidated view
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In July 2011, IBM announced the zEnterprise 114 mainframe aimed at mid-sized businesses. This server is aggressively priced to offer performance and products to businesses that are looking to consolidate their existing servers (especially those who have x86 proliferation) by hosting Linux on System z, and to virtualise and optimise their applications.
The arguments in favour of this consolidation include reducing staff support costs, reducing footprint, lower energy consumption, achieving better utilisation rates, reducing licence costs and increasing reliability. But perhaps more important are the benefits to the business of superior transaction throughput and a much higher level of security compliance.
The arguments against considering this move are largely based on platform prejudice, which tends to be a cultural issue within organisations. True, this type of change can be challenging to manage; and businesses will need to take retraining of staff into consideration.
The z114 is scalable up to 10 configurable engines and 3100 MIPS and IBM claims that the adoption of Linux on System z is growing at a compound rate of 42% per annum (18% year-on-year).
For those companies suffering from server proliferation, the question is not what are you doing about server consolidation but when are you doing it?
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Integrating IT and Business Strategies
Jerry Smart explains why it is essential for IT and business strategy to be integrated, with the IT Director/CIO taking the lead
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It is widely accepted that successful businesses today must be totally customer-focused. And because the customer’s interface to the organisation is increasing through technology, IT strategy must be integral with business strategy.
Technology has never moved forward at a faster rate with customers having more power at their fingertips than ever.
Traditionally, IT has reacted to business demand. This approach no longer delivers solutions that are fast or technologically sophisticated enough for the customer-led business. It is for this reason that the IT Director (preferably engaged at board level) must now take the lead and do three things:
- Explain how technology can differentiate the business in terms of customer service
- Challenge established strategic thinking and move it towards a more flexible approach
- Influence the creation of systems that are responsive to increasingly mobile customers.
This strategy must take into account the ever-widening nature of the customer’s interface, whether it is through social networks in the coffee house or apps on hand-held devices. Moreover, the power at the fingertips will become the power of the voice.
This is a strategy that is gaining traction globally. Speaking at Gartner's Symposium in October, Peter Sondergaard, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Research said, “This is the era of mass collaboration driven by the consumerization of IT. For an IT leader to thrive in this environment, they must re-imagine their role, and they must lead from the front.”
In the UK, we have long promoted business transformation – now is the time for IT transformation. This approach involves risks that may not be in the mindset of IT professionals but are certainly within the remit of business.
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Specialist profile: Senior Systems Programmer Lawrence McGee
Lawrence McGee enjoys being able to 'get his hands dirty'
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Lawrence McGee's current placement is with a major utility company based in the West Midlands where he has just finished MVS upgrade and CA-Datacom upgrade projects, and is preparing for a CICS upgrade in the New Year. Before this, past contracts have included working at a global transport organisation on an MVS project and as part of a large IT department of a major global bank on a major CICS modification.
But what is it about contracting that makes Lawrence continue to work in this way after over 30 years in IT? "I still like to get my hands dirty", he comments, explaining further, "If I was in permanent employment, I would be in management, which doesn't appeal to me. I prefer to take a technical view of things".
Lawrence often chooses positions for their ability to help him hone his skills and to keep his technical knowledge right up to date. As a specialist in both MVS and CICS, whenever he can he prefers to choose contracts that allow him to alternate these technologies, ensuring the currency of his impressive set of skills.
From a personal perspective, Lawrence also enjoys working in different places - which latterly have been predominantly in the UK. "I like to rent a house where my wife can come and stay for a few weeks so that we can explore new areas together". He also tends to choose a location close to wherever he is working so that he can either walk or cycle to work.
Lawrence sums up the life of a contract systems programmer very succinctly: "It's never boring!"
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Claire Brennan, Financial Controller
Claire Brennan reveals her fiscal ability and love of wine
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Claire joined B & M in May 2007 as Financial Controller to oversee the day-to-day running of the Accounts department. She started her career eighteen years ago working with Deloitte Haskins & Sells (now PriceWaterhouseCoopers) as an Auditor.
In 1991, Claire joined Piper Trust where she worked with two of their retail ventures, Postcard (a small group of card shops), and Pitcher & Piano (a national bar chain). She spent a total of nine years with Pitcher & Piano where she was instrumental in their fast-track expansion programme. During her time with the company she studied both AAT and ACCA, and obtained a Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Certificate in Wine.
In 2000, Claire moved to Tootsies Restaurants where she developed both an accounts team and financial systems, neither of which had existed before. During her time at Tootsies, the company expanded from having eight sites to thirty.
Outside work, Claire likes to travel when given the opportunity. Following her interest in wine she has travelled extensively visiting vineyards as far apart as the Casablanca Valley in Chile and Montana Valley in Australia. She is also a keen sailor and completed her Day Skipper seven years ago, although she has not had much opportunity to pursue this since having her son. She is currently teaching him how to swim so that he will be confident when she next ventures on a sailing trip.
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B & M ProLegacy
Enduring support for legacy systems
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B & M ProLegacy is an enduring legacy support service which ensures that critical business applications and platforms continue to work effectively. The service enables organisations to improve the efficiency and productivity of their IT function by outsourcing the support and maintenance of systems software environments whilst reducing organisational complexity, headcount, cost and risk. B & M ProLegacy is designed to provide support for any stabilised production system where further development is not anticipated.
B & M will manage the customer's software infrastructure to ensure that legacy systems offer optimum levels of availability. The service allows organisations to outsource the maintenance of their legacy systems, freeing up in-house IT staff to focus on development of future IT infrastructure. For information about how ProLegacy could benefit your organisation, contact sales@bmeurope.com.
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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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