Computing Magazine

www.computing.co.uk TeAM YYePG DN: cn=TeAM chip race The greatYYePG, c=US, o=TeAM YYePG, ou=TeAM Digitally signed by TeAM YYePG Grid Nose Day How grid computing aided Comic Relief‘s online fund-raising efforts page 23 1 September 2005 £2.75 Top jobs Ten pages of the leading IT jobs starting on page 34 Intel UK’s managing YYePG, email=yyepg@msn.com Reason: I attest to the on director Rick Skettaccuracy and integrity of this document the firm’s future Date: 2005.09.03 11:09:29 +08'00' page 12 Benefits system slammed Sarah Arnott BENEFITS claims backlogs created by the Jobcentre Plus customer management system (CMS2) are causing problems for some of society’s most vulnerable members. More than 75 per cent of calls into Sheffield’s benefits call centre were not answered in July, according to figures seen by Computing. And some cashstrapped claimants are waiting weeks for their money. An open letter to Work and Pensions secretary David Blunkett from local organisations including the Sheffield Law Jobcentre Plus customer management system causes widespread problems Centre and the Mental Health Citizens’ Advice Bureau claims a number of problems, including: ● delays of up to four weeks before the first payment is made ● confusion and frustration among claimants ● people forced to request interim payments because their claim is not processed ● huge arrears of work and increasing sickness absence among members of staff. The difficulties with CMS2 are being caused by problems with the technology itself and the design of the process change involved in sending new claims through call centres rather than via paper forms at local Jobcentre Plus offices. The issues are not unique to Sheffield. Last month Computing highlighted a doubling of crisis loan applications as a result of CMS2 delays in an East coast region (Computing, 11 August). And in Leicester a welfare rights liaison meeting with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) raised issues including unacceptable delays, staff having problems using CMS2, and inflexibility in the design of the computer system. Rollout of CMS2 in Leicester was halted earlier in the summer because of the problems, but has subsequently restarted. ‘The system is working better now because the old clerical process is running alongside it, so if there is a problem they can just do it clerically,’ said Darren Moore, at the Leicester Association of Welfare Rights Advisors. The people worst affected are society’s most vulnerable members, say sources. The call centrebased system assumes claimants can make and receive lengthy phone calls unassisted, which is often not the case for those with mental health problems, for example. ‘DWP has only thought about able claimants, who are workready now. Anybody else, in vulnerable groups, hasn’t been taken into account,’ said one local authority welfare officer. Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2141026 sarah_arnott@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk Nats repairs flaw in flight data software James Watson NATIONAL Air Traffic Services (Nats) has identified and repaired the computer flaw that caused widespread flight delays across the UK last week. The organisation has also outlined a replacement schedule for the system in question, a 30-yearold flight data processing (FDP) system based in West Drayton, that will begin in 2007. A spokesman for Nats says the problem was caused by a rarelyused command issued by a controller to software that has been processing several thousand flight strips a day for the past three decades. ‘It is one of the original bits of code, which has performed without problem for 30 years, until now,’ he said. Nats installed a patch last Friday that forces the system’s software to reject that particular command if it is ever given again, and has ordered all controllers to stop using that instruction, providing an alternative for that specific situation. Nats plans to replace its West Drayton system as part of a £1bn investment programme to consolidate four control centres into just two. Both centres will move to a common computer platform called SACTA, being developed in conjunction with Nats’ Spanish counterpart AENA. Nats has established a timeline for the programme: ● In early 2007, the West Drayton FDP systems, responsible for London terminal control, will relocate to Swanwick ● During late 2008/2009, the Prestwick centre will start using Fewer pupils take IT A-level THE number of students taking IT A-levels has dropped 7.3 per cent since last year, according to figures from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. This is the third year in a row that fewer school leavers have taken technology exams. This year there were 14,883 entries for the Information and Communications Technology A-level and 7,242 for Computer Studies. The figures for 2004 were 15,682 and 8,194 respectively. In contrast, entries for traditional science A-levels all increased: Physics rose from 27,760 to 28,119, Chemistry from 35,518 to 38,851 and Biology from 47,283 to 53,986. ● For more on schools technology, see page 5. Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2141032 www.computing.co.uk A computer flaw caused widespread flight delays in the UK last week the new SACTA air traffic management system ● Shortly after, the Manchester area control centre will transfer to Prestwick, concluding Nats’ two-centre strategy ● Finally, the SACTA system will be installed at Nats’ Swanwick centre between 2011 and 2013, accompanied by a new FDP system to replace the existing West Drayton one. ‘We are committed to a common system as the platform for our two-centre strategy in the UK,’ said Nats chief executive Paul Barron. Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2141471 james_watson@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk Enterprise p9…Opinion p18…Letters p19…Metrics p20…Networking p23…Advantage p30…Courses p32-33…Backbytes p44 Empics Gartner’s Jean-Claude Delcroix has advice for firms considering network services contracts See page 28 computing news www.computing.co.uk inside ● News Industry-funded anti-fraud unit has saved banks £30m this year See page 4 Standardised IT will benefit UK schools, says education sector development agency Becta See page 5 Canary Wharf gets wireless internet Software for management of deliveries is also upgraded Daniel Thomas CANARY Wharf is to become Europe’s largest wireless internetenabled business district, with employees able to connect to the web in office reception areas, parks and shops. Wireless networking firm The Cloud has signed a deal with property management firm Canary Wharf Group (CWG) to install wireless hotspots across the 97-acre site. Some 75,000 people will be able to access the network in Canary Wharf’s shops, as well as from outside areas including Canada Square, Jubilee Park and Cabot Square. CWG hopes wireless connectivity will attract informationdependent staff such as financial experts and journalists, when rollout begins next month. ‘The system has been designed to be scalable,’ said Paul Stubbs, group IT manager at CWG. ‘We have a very large tenant list and we want to make sure that we provide the services they want.’ People will be able to connect to the internet from wireless laptops, PDAs and other wireless devices using The Cloud’s network, which allows connections to wireless service providers incl- Metronet staff to use mobile IT Daniel Thomas METRONET Rail, the publicprivate partnership (PPP) that maintains two-thirds of the London Underground, is to use mobile computers to improve the management of repairs and engineering work. The company is to issue trackside engineers and inspectors with handheld computers to speed up the processing of maintenance information. Some 200 devices, operating on Microsoft’s Windows CE mobile platform, will be used by Metronet staff and contractors to improve recording of data on upgrades and repairs to London Underground. By uploading data collected on handheld computers into Metronet’s £14m Ellipse Enterprise Asset Management system (Computing, 21 July), the organisation aims to improve data accuracy and speed up information processing times by reducing manual data inputting. ‘With the new system there will be data capture at the actual time when the work occurs. It’s going to be more accurate and there will be better integrity,’ said Charles Marks, Metronet Rail IT director. Metronet is in the final stages of shortlisting IT suppliers to undertake the project. ● For more, see pages 14 and 15 Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2071724 daniel_thomas@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk ● Enterprise Financial services firm Abbey improves its staff training with resource management See page 9 IT directors’ jobs look set to become even more complex, according to a new survey See page 10 Metronet makes progress with its £17bn London Underground refurbishment See page 14 75,000 people will be able to access the network at Canary Wharf ● Networking How two organisations are using voice over IP to reduce costs and enable flexible working See page 24 We look at the potential of intelligent networking and its implications See page 26 ● Services Register for the Softworld Accounting & Finance event and you could win an iPod Shuffle See page 30 uding O2, BT Openzone, Skype and Boingo. Canary Wharf has also adapted software installed when the site was under construction, to help handle the 900 deliveries coming into its loading bays each day. The Retail Dock Manager system, developed by supplier The Logistics Business, is being used to improve scheduling of lorries entering the single delivery tunnel under the complex, which serves nine loading bays. ‘We used this software when constructing the site, but the system has now been taken into the truck tunnel. It’s not just about security; it also ensures that the whole place doesn’t get blocked up,’ said Stubbs. The software, which runs on a SQL server, links to different PCs in the control room and loading bays so that employees can view scheduled deliveries, security details and available time slots. ‘This will help retailers, as it’s making the delivery of goods easier to manage and more efficient,’ said Stubbs. Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2135633 daniel_thomas@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk ● Careers Ignorance increases online risks for users Daniel Thomas LACK of knowledge about internet viruses and malicious software is putting computer users at risk from online identity fraud, according to research. Just 16 per cent of the public have heard of key-logging software, which criminals use to steal confidential internet password and banking details, says research firm Mori. And just one-quarter of the respondents to the survey of 1,000 UK adults, commissioned by StreamShield Networks, know about phishing emails, which try to trick online banking customers into giving out personal information. Large IT projects are creating a sellers’ market for IT skills See page 44 Survey shows lack of knowledge about computer viruses and malware More than a third of the UK public (34 per cent) have fallen victim to computer viruses, says the report. Clive Longbottom, service director at analyst Quocirca, says that unless ISPs take preventative action and consumers receive better education about internet security, they could fall prey to online identity fraud. ‘You need to be pretty savvy to see through phishing scams these days, and with key-logging and spyware software it’s very difficult to even know it’s there,’ he said. Spyware is also becoming an increasing problem, with 16 per cent of the survey’s respondents saying their PCs have been infected by the intrusive software, which secretly downloads onto PCs to track which sites people visit. Only two per cent say they have been tricked by phishing emails. More than half of those surveyed (59 per cent) said ISPs should take more responsibility for educating the public about the potential dangers of using ● Have your say Opinion and readers’ letters See pages 18 and 19 computer aid Join our charity appeal by donating old PCs so they can have a second life in the developing world. Visit: www.computing.co.uk/computeraid unsecured computers for online banking and ecommerce. Government education projects, such as Get Safe Online, and more awareness taught in schools and colleges could also reduce viruses and internet fraud (Computing, 11 August). ‘ISPs need to do more to nip this in the bud,’ said Longbottom. ‘There’s action they can take at the wire to stop malicious software from even reaching the PC users in the first place. It’s not going to work if you put all the onus on the end user.’ Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2141010 daniel_thomas@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk 1 September 2005 Computing 03 computing news www.computing.co.uk financial world HP reported third-quarter revenue up 10 per cent year on year to $20.8bn (£11.5bn). Sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa also grew 10 per cent to $8.2bn (£4.5bn). But net income of $73m (£40.4m) was down 88 per cent from the same period last year, due partly to restructuring costs. Online customer relationship management provider Salesforce.com reported second-quarter revenue of $71.9m (£39.8m), an increase of 77 per cent on the same period last year. Net income was $5m (£2.8m), up 331 per cent. The company has 16,900 customers and 308,000 subscribers for its pay-as-you-go software. Storage vendor Network Appliance reported first-quarter revenue of $448.4m (£248.2m), an increase of 25 per cent compared with the same period in 2004. Net income of $60.1m (£33.3m) was up from $46.9m (£26m) last year. Hutchison Whampoa, parent of 3G mobile network provider 3, has announced interim results for the first six months of its financial year. In the UK, 3 has 3.2 million 3G customers, with an average revenue per user of £33.83 per month, down from £40.30 in March. About 22 per cent of user revenue comes from data services. Worldwide, 3 Group’s revenue for the first half of the year increased by 291 per cent from last year to HK$17.26bn (£1.2bn). Payment software specialist Trintech announced second-quarter revenue of $12.6m (£7m), down from $13.2m (£7.3m) in the same period last year. The firm made a net loss for the quarter of $3.7m (£2m). Fraud crime unit saves banks £30m Three-year-old industry-funded team helps to cut online crime James Watson THE Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Fraud Crime Unit (DCPCU) has helped the financial services industry save more than £30m in the first half of this year, combating a range of offences including online fraud. Launched in April 2002, the unit receives all of its £2.9m annual funding from the banking sector, represented by industry body Apacs (Computing, 7 July). Roger Cook, head of the unit, says his team has made about 60 arrests so far this year, and 31 people have been charged. ‘We average about 10 arrests a month by the 25 people in the unit, who include police officers, bank investigators and Apacs support staff,’ he said. The unit’s success is helping to ensure a good return on investment for its backers, although Cook says the focus of the close links between the industry and his unit is targeting crime. ‘The biggest advantage of this unit is that we talk to the banks and they talk to us. We get hot intelligence from them and we pass stuff back to them quickly, which is what makes us successful,’ he said. Motorola bags back-up deal from O2 Airwave James Brown O2 AIRWAVE has awarded Motorola a deal worth tens of millions of pounds to provide an always-on back-up facility for Airwave, the UK emergency services communication system. The National Fallback Service (NFS) will provide a full set of back-up telephony switches for the secure radio system, supplementing an existing standby system that takes several hours to deploy. The contract will cover all 3,500 base sites in the UK, and is the biggest mobile deal that O2 Airwave has awarded to date, according to Jeff Parris, the company’s vice president. ‘Historically, we have had standby installations available, but they could have left a possible gap in some services for up to eight hours,’ he said. ‘The NFS gives us a parallel standby network, with a worstcase service break of 20 minutes, and guards against the possibility of a widespread network failure.’ Worth £190m over the next 15 years, Airwave will be used by the UK’s 120,000 police officers and Ambulance Service staff. ‘We felt that a fall-back system was needed to help make the network as secure as possible, guarding against disasters and possible acts of sabotage,’ said Parris. O2 Airwave says it will announce more Airwave subcontracts in the coming weeks. Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2140095 james_brown@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk Close links between the banks and the DCPCU help to combat fraud The DCPCU’s achievements, and the way it is funded, are being recognised further afield. ‘The EU is interested in our model, and we are meeting representatives soon. We even have officers from Australia who are keen to see how our unit works,’ said Cook. ‘You have only to look at the figures: we have made savings of £100m in just over three years.’ The trend may extend elsewhere. The Metropolitan Police computer crime unit is appealing for £1m private sector funding, which it says would double the number of cases it could handle (Computing, 7 July). As the nature of the crimes that fraudsters perpetrate changes with the introduction of chip- and-PIN, and more fraud is potentially driven online, the DCPCU is beginning to reshape its skills. ‘We don’t specialise in internet crime, so if we have a very technical enquiry, at the moment we would go to the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit or industry leaders such as FraudHalt,’ said Cook. He plans to start sending officers on specialist courses covering computer investigation to improve the DCPCU’s online capabilities. ● See next week’s issue for a full interview with Roger Cook. Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2139447, 2139434 james_watson@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk BT takes the strain for train operator Daniel Thomas THE UK’s largest rail operator has awarded BT a multimillionpound contract to overhaul its voice and data networks. Freight train operator EWS hopes to make significant cost savings through the deal, as well as improving communications by converging voice and data traffic onto a single network across 130 UK sites. EWS expects BT to finish installing the converged Cisco network in the next two months, allowing its 5,200 employees to benefit from improved communications, including internet telephony, unified messaging and video communications. The train company, which hauls 100 million tonnes of freight each year on 500 trains, also hopes the converged network will allow faster contact with response teams faster and a reduction in costs incurred by journey delays. ‘Much of the rail industry inherited legacy IT systems from British Rail, where a supplier monopoly previously existed,’ said Matt Crayton, head of IT infrastructure at EWS. ‘But now we are in a situation where we can replace our data network to support business expansion plans. Moving to new data networks will bring massive savings, and moving voice applications onto the same system makes absolute sense.’ By adopting internet telephony, EWS will be able to improve the way it re-routes calls. The firm will use reporting tools to examine call handling statistics. And the company is also considering introducing ‘softphones’ for field engineers and remote workers so they can be contacted easily in any location. ‘Occasionally, we need to get incident information to employees. The sooner the right people know about potential delays the sooner we can sort it out. This can bring us large cost savings,’ said Crayton. Earlier this year EWS announced it had installed software from Computer Associates to increase the number of IT problems it can fix first time from 40 per cent to 78 per cent (Computing, 10 March). Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2071568 daniel_thomas@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk Computing 30 share index 135 143 133 139 131 135 12 Aug 19 Aug 26 May 4 May 11 May 18 Aug 2 Sep 1 Jun Biggest movers Biggest movers 1: Gresham Computers 1: Computacenter 2: Eidos 2: Eidos 3: Colt Telecom 3: Cable & Wireless 6.6% 9.2% 5.8% 8.2% 4.9% 7.6% For full listing details, visit For full listing details, visit www.computing.co.uk/index30 www.computing.co.uk/index30 04 Computing 1 September 2005 www.computing.co.uk computing news Report points to national framework to help education sector get better deals How standardising IT will benefit UK schools Sarah Arnott UK schools need a standardised approach to management information systems (MIS) to get better value for money, according to an education sector development agency. The British Education, Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) is to negotiate a national framework of contract terms and conditions and interoperability standards to open up the market, improve the quality of MIS software, and take away some of the technical burden from schools. The education MIS market is worth an estimated £180m a year across the country’s 23,000 schools, providing the systems used for schools’ internal administration. But innovation and quality of service are being stifled by lack of competition, says a report published by Becta last week. At the moment, the market is largely dominated by a single supplier – Capita Education Services (CES). Centrally-brokered framework deals would help free schools from some of the complexity of European Union procurement rules, and establish a list of accredited, interoperable suppliers, the report says. Consultation with schools and local education authorities (LEAs) established clearly that it is not efficient for individual organisations to be negotiating data required in time for MIS suppliers to develop the necessary upgrades to systems, schools are left with problem software and extra costs. ‘The education sector needs a national system that provides data to support schools in terms of their learning and teaching, to support the requirements of LEAs, and to support the national government in tracking progress,’ said Lucey. Becta is recommending the development of a Memorandum of Understanding between the government and MIS suppliers to establish clear timescales for changes to the department’s data requirements, and to ensure the costs of upgrades are in future met by the government rather than schools. Ultimately, the aim is for MIS technology to allow real-time transfer of data rather than a single annual snapshot, says Lucey. ‘We want to move to a position where data can be transferred from schools to other agencies in terms of, for example, childrens’ services, or parents who require knowledge of how their children are getting on. We cannot afford for that to be two or three weeks old,’ he said. James Adams, senior analyst at Datamonitor, says there has been concern for some time among schools and LEAs that they are not getting the best deal. ‘There is one dominant supplier and there is not really any competition,’ he said. But centrally-negotiated contractual terms are not necessarily the solution, says Adams. ‘As soon as a contractual relationship with suppliers is established, it automatically closes the door on anyone not able to invest massive amounts of money, because the cost of entering the market is so high,’ he said. ‘The government needs to reduce the barriers to entry so that having a more formalised process for negotiations between government and suppliers does not reduce costs, but increases them.’ Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2141021 sarah_arnott@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk The week in week in Thebulletin 60 seconds 60 seconds Telecoms market buoyant The telecoms industry is bouncing back from the post-dot com dip thanks to the continued growth of mobile and broadband take-up, says the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Telecoms revenues across the OECD area have risen 10 per cent since 2002, despite flat or shrinking fixed-line telephony markets. By August 2004, the number of broadband subscribers had passed 100 million. www.computing.co.uk/2140226 DWP cuts cost of EDS contract The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has re-structured its contracts with services supplier EDS to cut costs and streamline technology provision. Under the terms of the new, simplified contract, DWP will spend about £250m a year on services provided by EDS, a reduction on the £700m spent annually since the DWP was created three years ago. www.computing.co.uk/2141519 Two Zotob virus arrests made The FBI has arrested two men for creating and distributing the Zotob, Mytob and Rbot internet viruses. Moroccan Farid Essebar, 18, and Turk Atilla Ekici, 21, stand accused of writing the Zotob worm which affected more than 100 firms, including CNN and The New York Times, by exploiting flaws in Microsoft software. www.computing.co.uk/2141584 Help for colour-blind surfers University-to-business expert i10 has given an Enterprise Development Award to PhD student Luke Jefferson to extend an application he is developing that helps make web sites easier for colour-blind people to read. His software uses mathematical algorithms to adjust the colours on people’s computers according to their type of colour blindness. www.computing.co.uk/2140800 Server sales on the up Sales of servers grew by 5.6 per cent in the last quarter to $12.2bn (£6.8bn), according to researcher IDC. Growth centred on volume servers – inexpensive industry-standard models often powered by x86-compatible processors made by Intel or AMD. Low-cost server sales increased by 11.1 per cent year-over-year; mid-range servers showed a 4.3 per cent increase; while sales of high-end systems shrunk by three per cent. www.computing.co.uk/2141587 1 September 2005 Computing Adding up the costs: schools could get better value from MIS systems their own contractual terms, says Stephen Lucey, Becta’s executive director for education technology. ‘Certain things can be done effectively nationally, such as setting interoperability standards, quality of service levels, and terms and conditions which then means that schools and LEAs can buy with confidence,’ he said. ‘Service levels at the moment are not what they need to be. ‘Standard contracts will improve the situation because schools will start off with a number of the more technical issues already dealt with, so they can focus on using the technology rather than having to worry about it,’ he said. Of the £180m total annual spend in the MIS market, about £55m is spent on support, says Becta. Another key recommendation to improve value for money is for schools to share support services across local areas. The agency is also recommending a dialogue between the government and MIS suppliers to help software upgrades meet the changing requirements of central government. Every year, schools are required to submit statutory information such as attendance numbers and budget details to the Department for Education and Skills. But if the department does not specify changes to the Exam pass rates go up, but relevance goes down THE UK education establishment is not meeting the needs of the burgeoning knowledge economy, says supplier trade body Intellect. Overall GCSE pass rates rose to 97.8 per cent this year, but without a re-think of the structure of the education system, UK children will not be equipped with the skills needed to compete in the global market. School-leavers need to be taught to think on their feet, rather than simply being filled with a certain amount of specific knowledge, says Intellect. The style of education needs to change from cramming facts to creativity and problem-solving to help develop the UK as a source of innovation and invention. ‘We should look to learn from the US and develop an education system that creates young innovators and entrepreneurs,’ said Beatrice Rogers, senior programme manager at Intellect. ‘Changing how education works will be a big challenge. But if we are serious about the knowledge economy, we must be serious about creating the workforce to enable us to get there,’ she said. Hack Corbis 05 computing news www.computing.co.uk Learning in a virtual car showroom cuts down training time and costs Volvo dealerships put new elearning system into gear James Mortleman VOLVO dealerships have adopted an elearning system to train staff using 3D computer games. The ‘Knowledge Drive’ initiative uses games-based training applications developed by Caspian Learning. The Volvo dealer network is using the system to train its employees in areas ranging from legal and regulatory issues through to sales training and Volvo brand initiatives. The applications have already been rolled out to 110 of the company’s 150 UK dealerships, with the rest due to install them in October. Neil Gordon, sales executive at Kings Volvo in the Isle of Wight, which has been using the training system for about six months, says all the ‘games’ are based in a 3D virtual car showroom. ‘In the sales training application, for example, you walk around and interact with people to find out about different car models, finance options and so on,’ he this system for 20 minutes for a little refresher, continue where they left off last time, or concentrate on areas where they are weak,’ he said. Gordon says the system is far more costeffective than conventional training. Caspian says its games-based approach to training applications is based on research suggesting immersive play is a highly effective way to learn. Gordon says the response from staff has been very positive. ‘Volvo has found the system very successful so far. Whether this kind of training will be adopted more widely among organisations has yet to be seen. But I certainly believe people should embrace it,’ he said. As well as rolling out the system to the remaining 40 dealerships, the next phase of the project will see the development of further training games and updates. Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2014019 www.computing.co.uk NHS trust speeds up records access James Brown A BIRMINGHAM NHS trust has overhauled its storage systems to increase capacity and allow staff to access patient records much faster. University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation has replaced an ageing legacy infrastructure with a Dell storage area network (San) to cope with growing information demands. Stephen Chilton, the trust’s technical development manager, says the old system was reaching capacity and could not deal with new initiatives. ‘We could no longer support our core applications such as financial management, radiology, and email systems, and needed to grow to meet the demands of the organisation,’ he said. ‘The change in infrastructure has also allowed us to consolidate our back-up infrastructure. We now have the ability to offload all our records to a remote location. In future, the entire system will be able to run from a remote location if necessary.’ Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2071448 james_brown@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk Volvo dealerships use 3D ‘games’ for training said. ‘To score, you bump into floating question marks, which ask you something pertinent and offer multiple choice answers.’ Gordon says the system has proved far simpler and less time-consuming than previous offsite training. ‘In the past, our guys would have to drive three hours to Daventry and back for training sessions, often involving an overnight stay. Now people can sit down with IT’S YOUR FUTURE... At Azlan Training we’re building an expanding portfolio of training in the key technologies that are just around the corner for you and your organisation. You may not know what lies in wait for you, but you do know we’ll always be there with the training you need. 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CALL 0118 977 7766 SAVE 50% CALL 0118 977 7766 06 Computing 1 September 2005 EMAIL uktraining@azlan.com www.azlantraining.com/uk IP Telephony Switching Wireless Routing Security Power up… …your network ® with 3Com If you think that Gigabit is only for large enterprises, 3Com has a comprehensive range of affordable 10/100/1000 solutions to make you think again: 3Com® SuperStack® 3 Switch 3870 family Future-proof ‘Gigabit-to-the-desktop’ switching with 40Gbps stacking capacity, a 10 Gigabit module and enhanced security. 3Com SuperStack 3 Switch 3800 family Managed Gigabit Ethernet switches. Available in 12, 24 and 48 port configurations. 3Com Baseline Gigabit switches Unmanaged, plug-and-play, rack-mountable 8, 16 and 24 port configurations with advanced switching features. 3Com OfficeConnect® Gigabit switches Unmanaged, plug-and-play, compact 5 and 8 port, Layer 2 switches for home and office. SAVE 25% WHEN YOU BUY 4 On selected 3Com Gigabit switches, buy four of the same and you’ll receive 25% off. OR, SAVE UP TO 25% off the normal buy price when you trade up to selected 3Com Gigabit products. Best in class warranty support All switches come with a Limited Lifetime product warranty and Advanced Hardware Replacement. The OfficeConnect switching range is supported by a 3 year product warranty. Contact 3Com today on 01442 432288, or visit http://emea.3com.com/findreseller to find a 3Com authorised reseller in your area. The Global Future Forum’s David Smith tells Computing what lies ahead for IT managers See page 10 enterprise Edited by Emma Nash www.computing.co.uk Compliance slows growth of ecommerce James Mortleman BUDGETARY constraints and compliance issues are hindering businesses’ ecommerce development, research shows. Almost half the organisations surveyed by law firm Pinsent Masons say a limited budget is preventing them from improving ecommerce systems, while one in five cites compliance issues as the biggest obstacle. Data protection ranked as the top regulatory barrier, followed by financial services legislation and laws on accessibility. ‘Companies need to build compliance into systems at the design stage, rather than thinking about it afterwards,’ said John Salmon, a partner at Pinsent Masons. But the survey shows that overall investment in ecommerce continues to grow, with 43 per cent of firms increasing their online expenditure this year and only two per cent reporting a decrease. The findings suggest that some IT managers are using ecommerce budgets to deal with compliance, rather than investing to improve efficiency. ‘Different industries have different priorities. In finance and banking, for example, compliance is a huge issue. But in some other sectors it is largely ignored,’ said Salmon. Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2140435 www.computing.co.uk Abbey saves time on staff training Resource management tools improve planning of courses James Mortleman FINANCIAL services firm Abbey is using a resource management system across its training department to improve efficiency and cut costs. The company has implemented resource and time management tools from project tracking vendor Innate to provide better control over how it allocates trainers. Stephen Wass, Abbey’s learning project manager, says the old manual system made it difficult to plan effectively. ‘Previously, managers decided when to allocate or hire trainers based on conversations and historical data recorded in spreadsheets, but we didn’t have an advanced planning tool,’ he said. Abbey uses 120 in-house trainers, as well as external providers, to deliver bespoke training to the group’s 24,000 employees. ‘Courses initially focus on induction programmes, which take up to six weeks. Staff are trained in their roles as well as financial and regulatory requirements,’ said Wass. He says Abbey can now predict peaks and troughs in demand for training several months in advance. ‘The system gives us rapid access to management informa- bulletin Cardiff hits hotspots Cardiff International Airport has installed wireless hotspots from BT, providing broadband internet access for the 1.9 million passengers that pass through the terminal each year. Travellers can access the hotspots in departure and executive lounges, as well as other public areas. BT has already installed hotspots at Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Belfast airports. www.computing.co.uk/2140744 Google Talk introduced Google has unveiled a beta of its Google Talk instant messaging (IM) and voice over IP (VoIP) application. But the software, does not yet offer interoperability with leading IM or VoIP vendors. Most IM is carried over networks provided by AOL, Microsoft or Yahoo!, while Skype dominates in the VoIP space. www.computing.co.uk/2141459 Secure Computing buys rival Secure Computing has acquired fellow security firm CyberGuard for $295m (£163m). Both companies have concentrated on the firewall and content monitoring market, and Secure Computing hopes to save money while benefiting from economies of scale through the acquisition. ‘This transaction meets important strategic priorities and better positions Secure Computing in two of the fastest growing markets of the security industry,‘ said John McNulty, chairman of Secure Computing. www.computing.co.uk/2141420 Offenders to be registered A new national database, the Violent Offender and Sex Offender Register, codenamed ViSOR, has been set up. The system is a merger of offenders registers held by the police and probation services, and was developed and built by the Police Information Technology Organisation. www.computing.co.uk/2141334 Intel integrates with Cisco Intel and Cisco have formed an alliance to improve integration of their wireless products. The two companies unveiled their joint Business Class Wireless Suite at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco last week. The software prioritises network traffic for internet telephony to improve the quality of wireless calls. www.computing.co.uk/2141457 Abbey has cut costs in planning training courses for its 24,000 staff tion such as planned resource usage,’ he said. The software has already delivered significant business benefits. ‘We have drastically cut timescales in activity recording and reporting. Before, it was a laborious task, but the system has cut it down from a few days to a few minutes,’ said Wass. ‘We have also made notable savings in external resources because we have been able to plan better.’ Wass says the system has also improved management across Abbey’s Learning Delivery Unit. ‘We use it as a resourcing tool for the whole department, so we manage not only those who are delivering training, but also the project management and design resources,’ he said. Abbey Learning Delivery runs about half of its courses in the classroom and half online. It also uses a learning management system from Saba to measure the progress of staff training. Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2071496 www.computing.co.uk Supply chain company centralises web data Miya Knights GIST, the logistics arm of BOC Group, is using software to standardise data and reduce storage costs across its web sites. The company, which provides supply chain services to customers such as Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, British Airways and Carlsberg UK, had been maintaining a variety of internal and external web sites. But the firm has now centralised internet and intranet data using content management software from vendor Stellent. Andrew Caramba-Coker, solutions architect at Gist, says the Gist uses content management to reduce its web site storage costs software has allowed the firm to cut departmental costs. ‘Email was predominantly the company’s means of communication,’ said Caramba-Coker. ‘There was no simple way to find information internally, and we used a lot of external agencies to maintain our public web sites.’ The system defines a hierarchy of content managers from each department, who approve content for publication, liaise to avoid duplicating information across departments, and ensure areas of the sites have a consistent look and feel. ‘We wanted to be able to use standard desktop applications and convert documents that had been produced by off-the-shelf products to HTML pages,’ said Caramba-Coker. The software integrates with Gist’s rights management system to ensure that employees can view only those pages relevant to their role or department. Caramba-Coker says the removal of duplicated information has reduced the company’s intranet and internet storage needs by 20 per cent. ‘We thought we would also bring our external web sites onto Stellent, and we are integrating it into our customer portals, which run on a bespoke solution at the moment,’ he said. ‘It will soon be our only way of putting unstructured content on the web.’ Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2087304 miya_knights@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk 1 September 2005 Computing 09 computing enterprise www.computing.co.uk Agility and flexibility will be key as survey reveals the likelihood of a shift for IT management IT directors set for a more complex role James Watson IT DIRECTORS trying to cope with managing information across complex corporate networks must prepare for an even more complicated future, according to research published this week. Large organisations are increasingly becoming a network of outsourced resources, partnerships, alliances and contractors, so they can be more responsive to market demands, making their management ever trickier. This is according to Pulse 2005, an annual survey conducted by the Global Future Forum (GFF), an international partnership of academics, futurologists and business leaders that examines the way we will live and work in the future. The survey, sponsored by Unisys, questioned 286 respondents on a variety of possible business and social scenarios. Some 85 per cent of experts polled see this trend of increasing complexity being established within four years, compared with 75 per cent last year. David Smith, chief executive of the GFF, says this finding is highly significant, and marks a shift for IT management. ‘Everyone is utterly convinced that this is the way it is going to go. In many ways it’s already here. But what we see is that it’s going to go a lot further,’ he said. The primary drivers for this change in organisational structure include the need for cost reduction, increased business flexibility and improved customer service. ‘While cost reduction has been an issue for everyone, the issue of agility stems from the phenomenal rate of globalisation,’ said Smith. ‘It’s very hard for firms to differentiate themselves, so agility is about being able to get into a market very quickly and take advantage of it.’ Smith says that as we become more critical and demanding as consumers, our service expectation has increased dramatically – and we want it to be more personalised. ‘All these factors are helping firms move towards the need to work with excellent partners in all aspects of the supply chain. Some firms already do, but many more will,’ he said. This shift in organisational structure places the need for a constantly updated topology of the company’s technology onto the IT department. ‘Companies need to see if they Smith: ‘Agility is about being able to get into a market can plug-and-play new partners very quickly and take advantage of it’ without any disruption, so it is a vital core competency to have excellent vis- believe will happen. The knock-on effect will also have an ibility across all partners,’ said Smith. ‘And not only as a one-off project, but for a impact on IT workers, who will increasstructure that’s changing all the time, ingly need to shift their skills away from because that is what the networked organi- focusing on just administering networks sation does as it automatically changes and applications. ‘IT staff need to move up the intellectual and adapts.’ Adding to the challenge is the rapid rate property scale to become designers and of change and innovation, which makes it architects of those functions, which someharder for the IT department to effectively one else somewhere else can build and manage,’ said Smith. manage and deploy new technology. ‘We need to maintain that excellence of More than 70 per cent of the survey’s respondents see this as a problem that will design and architecture that others can affect their organisations over the next put together.’ four years. But this will result in an increase in Further reading firms renting, rather than owning, their IT www.computing.co.uk/news/2075985 james_watson@vnu.co.uk infrastructures and applications, somewww.computing.co.uk thing that three-quarters of those polled How likely are the following scenarios by 2009? Percentage of respondents Many organisations are unable to effectively manage change because of constant innovation Very unlikely Larger companies have become a network of outsourced resources and alliances to stay market responsive Very unlikely BCS-FACS/BCSWomen Evening Seminar BCS, 5 Southampton St, London, WC2E 7HA Formal Methods meets Biochemical Pathways Professor Muffy Calder University of Glasgow No prior knowledge of biochemistry nor PEPA (Performance Evaluation Process Algebra) will be assumed 1% 24% 45% 30% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 1% 14% 46% 39% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Unlikely Unlikely Likely Very likely 0% Likely Very likely 0% 21 September 2005 5.15pm for a 5.45pm start Pre-registration is required by: 16 September 2005 People will want control of what is transmitted about them in a connected society Very unlikely Organisations will rent rather than own their IT infrastructures Very unlikely 1% 5% 39% 55% 40% 50% 60% 3% 19% 46% 32% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Matt Buck The seminar is free of charge and open to everyone Unlikely Unlikely To register and for more information Likely Very likely Likely Very likely 0% www.bcs-facs.org/events/EveningSeminars or email Paul.Boca@virgin.net 10 Computing 1 September 2005 0% 10% 20% 30% Source: The Global Future Forum computing questions & answers www.computing.co.uk Computing talks to Intel UK’s managing director, Rick Skett, about the chip maker’s plans Users want more than a speed race Bryan Glick INTEL continues to be one of the financial stars of the IT industry. In July, the chip giant reported record second-quarter sales of $9.2bn (£5.1bn), with profits of $2bn (£1.1bn). But despite its success, the company initiated a major reorganisation in January, when 45,000 of its 85,000 staff were told they would have a new boss within the next 60 days. Computing talked exclusively to Intel’s UK managing director, Rick Skett, to find out what the future holds for the world’s biggest processor maker. What was the reason for such a widespread reorganisation? It was a realisation that users are looking for more than a Megahertz race. They are looking for more value from the platform, and we feel we are ready to translate architecture decisions into true user benefits, particularly around mobility. Two years ago we introduced Centrino technology. That was an architecture defined from a user perspective on what would give mobile users value. It is not just about developing another processor, but developing the supporting chipsets and radio technology, and working with the industry to deliver devices. So we came out with mobile devices that took advantage of longer battery life, after working with the battery suppliers and system designers on devices that are very thin and light. We worked with the telecoms industry to deliver the infrastructure based on wireless Lans. And in time we will be delivering ultra-wideband technology and WiMax wireless capability. That’s an example of going from looking for an opportunity to sell chips to looking at what the market really needs several years ahead. We have applied that to several areas that will not just generate business for Intel, but stimulate the industry. Mobile technology is rapidly growing in popularity but some users still find the experience frustrating. What needs to be done to improve it? BCS Guildford Branch Autumn Events 2005 University of Surrey Lecture Theatre F Guildford, GU2 7XH You can argue that the technology is not joined up. We have to ask how we can provide processors and chipsets that will allow us to support all sorts of devices. We are working with the standards and Skett: Mobile technology is not yet joined up regulatory bodies to deploy technologies such as WiMax, software companies, silicon technology from base stations to device to clients to companies, and companies that have the transmission systems. By 2007, we solutions we can deliver either as an will have Centrino mobile notebooks that application, or as part of the silicon. won’t be connecting at 54Mbit/s as they You have to think about how far silicon can do today; it will be 100Mbit/s. You will can go. Today, the distance between be able to stream live data feeds at adjacent transistors on a chip is only high-bandwidth broadband rates, with live TV-quality or high-definition video on about four or five atoms. How do you stop thermal leakage between devices? We your notebook PC. have to stretch atoms. We stretch the GSM is a fairly robust mobile silicon lattice to allow data to pass more technology, but it’s not really a good solid freely. These are examples of where we data network. Once you can start to will continue to innovate. provide broadband speeds to a notebook PC it will make a significant difference. Moore’s Law has applied to the growing speeds of processors for 40 years, but the use of IT now is less about faster chips and more about innovative ways of using technology. How does that affect Intel? AUTUMN PROGRAMME 2005 Biometrics: Personal Identification in a Networked World Mark Yadegar Director, Romsey Associates Limited Thursday 22 September 2005 Web-Based Mapping and Geographical Information Systems Steve Wallace Team Leader GIS Systems, QinetiQ Thursday 27 October 2005 Ethical Hacking Casebook Peter Wood Chief of Operations, First Base Technologies Thursday 24 November 2005 Two years ago we had a bunch of product marketing people who would go out and do surveys and ask retailers what they are selling, and there was no real view of the future. We now employ behavioural scientists and ethnographers who are trying to look further out and think what problems we need to solve. In business, the challenges we face are more predictable. There’s an insatiable demand for increasing performance and amounts of memory addressing, and concerns around security. We are putting in virtualisation capabilities, security features, greater memory addressing, all of those kind of features. We predict that Moore’s Law will continue, with twice the number of silicon devices on a chip every 24 months. We’re not just doing that to improve clock speeds but to develop more functionality. Intel is also one of the world’s biggest venture capital firms. What sort of technologies is the company investing in? ‘We have to ask how we can provide processors and chipsets that will allow us to support all sorts of devices’ PCs are becoming ubiquitous. How much more growth is there in that market? For more information: I’d like to think that in two years’ time, at least 70 per cent of households will own a PC, and 100 per cent of people will have access to a PC, should they want it. I hope that in two to three years it will be an essential part of productivity and lifestyle. I think the government has very similar views: that a connected computing device will help to drive the transformation of public service delivery. The government has relaunched the Home Computing Initiative. The programme is now the fastest-growing staff benefit that employers are offering. About 400,000 computers have been delivered through employer schemes since January last year. Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2135679 bryan_glick@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk www.guildford.bcs.org rob.scott@btinternet.com 12 Computing 1 September 2005 We continue to look at the opportunities in wireless technology. We invest in computing enterprise www.computing.co.uk Metronet reaches a milestone in Overhauled processes and IT systems will provide better data for decision-making Daniel Thomas METRONET Rail, the public-private partnership (PPP) that maintains two-thirds of the London Underground, has been working to modernise tube services since its appointment in April 2003. Despite struggling to meet engineering targets and last week announcing plans to cut 300 jobs, the organisation must, over its 30-year contract, invest £17bn in refurbishing 150 stations, lay 127.5 miles of track, and introduce more than 300 new tube trains to the nine underground lines that it maintains. But to achieve this Metronet must overhaul business processes and IT systems, says the group’s IT director Charles Marks. ‘The information technology, and the systems that use it, are to some extent like the real assets themselves. In the past they suffered from under-investment and were sub-optimal in performance,’ he says. uding when it should happen and also what materials are needed,’ says Marks. By doing this, engineering time will be used more effectively and assets will be replaced when required, instead of when they reach a certain age. ‘In the past some repairs would be carried out just because an asset had been in place for a certain amount of time, regardless of what state it was in,’ says Marks. ‘It was also very difficult to figure out the cost of maintaining an escalator or some other asset, because the knowledge was held locally in many disparate systems. Now we are able to build a universal view of all our assets.’ Crucial to the modernisation of tube stations, on tracks and on trains, is the effective use of the short time that engineers have each night to make repairs and upgrades when the tube network is shut. ‘We have a window of four-and-a-half hours in which we can do things. To improve availability and performance we need better data to make more informed decisions,’ says Marks. But while Ellipse EAM will improve decision-making and how assets are repaired, Metronet is also hoping to add intelligence to assets themselves, so that they can tell engineers when they need fixing. ‘More and more information technolo- The new database will enable better-targeted maintenance of trains and other assets ‘Until recently we had more than 300 systems all over the place, and they didn’t talk to each other very much.’ In July, Metronet reached a major milestone in its upgrade plan, announcing completion of a £14m project to implement its Ellipse Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system (Computing, 21 July). Working with systems integrator AMTSybex, Metronet has replaced 35 finance, materials and procurement systems and 150 asset management systems with the single Ellipse database. ‘For the first time we have all the assets in one inventory, and there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of them,’ says Marks. The system will allow the group to store and analyse information about all its assets from tracks, tunnels and bridges through to escalators, trains and journey display boards. ‘Against each asset we will hold details of the maintenance that is required, incl- You won’t find a more attractive proposition. Official fuel economy figures for the 320Cd ES: Extra Urban 62.8 mpg (4.5 l/100km). Urban 35.8 mpg (7.9 l/100km). *Combined 49.6 mpg (5.7 l/100km). CO2 emissions 153 g/km. The new BMW 320Cd ES at £22,995 on the road. Model featured is the BMW 320Cd ES at £23,490 on the road including metallic paint at £495. Prices are based on manufacturer’s recommended retail prices and include 3 year dealer warranty, BMW Emergency Service, 12 months road fund licence, first vehicle registration fee, delivery, number plates and VAT. Prices are correct at the time of going to print and subject to change without notice. ^BMW Service and Maintenance 5 years or 60,000 miles includes all routine servicing and maintenance within 5 years from registration or 60,000 miles (whichever is sooner). Service requirements conducted under the BMW Service Inclusive option will be dictated by the vehicle’s on-board computer and must be carried out in line with service schedules and BMW repair instructions (copies of which are available on request), which may be updated from time to time according to manufacturer’s instructions. BMW Service and Maintenance 5 years or 60,000 miles includes parts and labour for all scheduled service items: brake pads, brake discs, brake sensors, brake fluid, air filters, micro filters, fuel filter (diesel models only), spark plugs, oil filters, engine oil, clutch assembly (only if worn) and wiper blade rubbers. 14 Computing 1 September 2005 www.computing.co.uk computing enterprise tube modernisation programme gy is being built into assets. The trains we will introduce in 2009 will have 10 IT systems on them, and some escalators already have IT systems to monitor what they are doing,’ says Marks. Sensors in trains or on public address systems will be able to diagnose symptoms, such as overheating or a drop in productivity in a component, and automatically alert repair work scheduling systems of the potential problem. ‘We want to shift from old-fashioned inspection and time-based maintenance to a more active way of doing things,’ says Marks. ‘Rather than going and inspecting the asset each week, we will be able to ask it how it’s feeling. If a train isn’t feeling well it will be able to raise an alert so we can then send someone out to fix it before even the drivers or passengers know.’ Newly refurbished stations will also have an operations console fitted in their control rooms, so managers can see at a glance if everything is working as it should be. Railway Engineering Simulators (RES) are also being used to create a virtual tube network so the company can increase the time available for undertaking repairs. The RES software, which includes track topology, gradients, tunnel conditions and signal points, allows engineers to imitate real journeys and test the effects that changes may have on services (Computing, 17 March). This will allow engineers to ensure in advance that upgrades will work, and eliminate potential problems that may crop up in the repair time. Although Metronet has £17bn to invest in the maintenance and modernisation of London Underground, every penny needs to be accounted for and projects must be kept within budget. Central to achieving this is a capital expenditure and project management system called Primavera – also used by Tube Lines, the PPP which carries out similar work to Metronet on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly Lines – to provide vital project updates to London Underground’s management team. ‘Using Primavera and a linked system called Cobra, we get an instant snapshot of how projects are running, and can make adjustments accordingly,’ says Marks. Feeding into the core Primavera and Ellipse EAM management systems is an Oracle 11i HR and payroll database, to manage Metronet’s thousands of employees and subcontractors. The system was put in place by supplier Capita within nine months of staff transferring from London Underground. Metronet is also considering upgrading data networks, and is looking at projects on the New York, San Francisco and Hong Kong subways to see if other improvements can be made. ‘The outcome of all this is better availability and fewer breakdowns and outages on the Underground,’ says Marks. ‘This comes from having better IT systems and information available, to make betterinformed decisions about what needs to be maintained and renewed, and when.’ Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2076038 www.computing.co.uk/2071440 daniel_thomas@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk Keeping trains running – whatever the weather METRONET Rail is using computerised detectors across the London Underground network to help respond faster to changing weather conditions. More than 10 sensors have been placed on rail sleepers to automatically measure air and rail temperatures every hour. The sensors have replaced the need for maintenance teams to carry out hourly thermometer checks, as the devices automatically send weather data back to Metronet’s head offices via the internet. Predictive software analyses changes in temperature and checks whether or not action needs to be taken to counteract excessive heat, or frost, which can disrupt tube journeys. Bad weather conditions such as ice can erode the four-and-a-half hours a night that engineers have to carry out vital maintenance work, as sleet trains have to be deployed to stop tracks from freezing. ‘It will definitely allow us to gain a better understanding of weather problems affecting the railway, by giving us more accurate information and the capability of being able to predict trends,’ says Phil Galligan, track delivery manager at Metronet Rail. ‘The data will have a knock-on effect, particularly during the winter months, assisting with our decision-making to introduce sleet trains or to allow engineering works to run, which aids the uninterrupted running of the railway.’ The BMW 3 Series Coupé The Ultimate Driving Machine The new BMW 320Cd ES Coupé. Of all the decisions you make, none will impress more than choosing the new BMW 320Cd ES. Dynamic performance and comprehensive specification ensure high driver appeal whilst strong residual values, fuel economy of 49.6mpg* and 5 years’ free service and maintenance^ ensure class-leading running costs†. Add to this a BIK rating of only 17% until the end of 2005~ and it’s one of the most astute decisions you could make; even if it is one of the easiest. For more details, please call 0800 325 600 or visit www.bmw.co.uk Owners are responsible for topping up the various fluids in between services. Tyres are not included. BMW Service Inclusive is not available on vehicles that have undergone any form of aftermarket, unapproved tuning or performance enhancement and excludes all non-scheduled work outside warranty and accident damage. Items requiring replacement or repair due to excessive wear and tear or misuse are not covered. Servicing must be carried out at a BMW Service Authorised Workshop by BMW Approved Technicians as specified in the Owner’s Manual. BMW Service Inclusive is transferable to subsequent owners of the car but not transferable to another car. Manufacturer’s servicing guidelines are subject to change. †When compared over 36 months/20k miles per annum to Mercedes-Benz C220 2.2 CDI Sports Coupé £22,200 (whole life costs (pence per mile) 28.82p), BMW 320Cd ES Coupé £22,995 (whole life costs (pence per mile) 28.63p) – source www.topcalc.co.uk 19/07/05. ~Applies to all manual 3 Series diesel models ordered and delivered by 31 December 2005. 1 September 2005 Computing 15 computing bcs www.computing.co.uk Good governance lies in right standards Iain Parker IMPROVING the consistency of IT delivery is a paramount consideration for effective IT governance. Most IT organisations have processes and procedures for how services are delivered both for projects and operations. Often these processes and procedures are codified but not maintained or actively policed, and there is only a tacit understanding of what may be acceptable. Adopting process for process’ sake will not motivate your people to improve the way they work. But most people in an organisation want to do a good job and deliver to the best of their ability, provided they have the right tools for the task. In this instance, the tools are a suitable framework of processes and procedures linked into appropriate standards. Changing the way people work cannot be done overnight. Any attempt must be paced to match the culture of the organisation. Implement too much change and people cannot absorb it all into normal operation; implement too little and people become frustrated and unmotivated. COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and related Technology) provides a useful framework, because it provides coverage across an IT organisation. But there are also many guidelines that can be employed, including ITIL, ISO17799, CMMI and PRINCE2. Although COBIT provides good breadth, its limited depth usually means that it must be supported by more detailed standards, such as those listed above. COBIT can also appear overly complex when first encountered, and a pragmatic approach is required to identify which of the 34 processes and 318 associated control objectives should be addressed first, from the domains of planning and organisation, acquisition and implementation, delivery and support, and monitoring. Determining the correct mix of standards and embedding them in a live, dynamic work setting is a key element to successful IT governance. But it is important to retain a measure of flexibility so that exemptions from process can be exercised by senior management when business needs require it, but not when an individual feels like it. Once IT-wide processes and procedures have started to be formalised it is important that continuous improvement becomes normal practice, to maintain the momentum and ensure that good practice does not fall into disrepair. Continuous improvement is often seen as a review to identify what went wrong after a major project failure. This approach will not work. A variety of both formal and informal approaches is required when implementing continuous improvement, so you need to consider: ● How your organisation differs from every loudest voices ● How to ensure that review items are actioned and not just forgotten ● How to celebrate success when things go well. The route to improving IT governance through using better processes and procedures is not a simple one and requires significant effort and investment, especially to deploy a culture of continuous improvement. The good news is that, if you treat the implementation as a programme, then you can adjust the pace to match the needs and culture of your organisation. You can also ensure that IT governance acts as an enabler for IT to deliver more to the business, while reducing risk and motivating people through improving the quality of their work. A BCS seminar on IT governance, at which Iain Parker will be a speaker, will be held on 31 October in central London. For further information, see www.bcs.org/events/governance Iain Parker MBCS is a member of the BCS Elite group and a recognised specialist in implementing IT governance Adopting process for process’ sake will not motivate your people to improve the way they work other organisation, and how this will affect continuous improvement ● Whether continuous improvement should apply only to projects or to all areas of IT ● Whether more informal ‘buddying’ techniques should be used as well as formal reviews ● How to ensure that reviews capture good points as well as the things that need to be changed ● How to ensure that views are included from everybody, not just those with the It can sometimes pay to have a unique identity Over 30% of organisations do not have a facility to track and bar-code assets* If you are finding it difficult to locate particular items on your fixed asset or inventory register, why not look at a specialist system designed to track the location of all your assets and inventory items? Using the latest scanning and bar-coding technology, it can help you carry out regular physical audits. Series4000 provides every aspect of inventory control, computerised maintenance management, asset tracking, help desk management, capital project control, lessee asset accounting and fixed asset accounting, in one comprehensive solution. For a free information pack call: 01689 892100 e-mail: solution@realassetmgt.com visit: www.realassetmgt.com *Statistics taken from a RAM independent survey. 16 Computing 1 September 2005 I say, Viatel are cutting up to 50% off call costs, Frank. A half sounds smashing, Earnest. Had your fill of costly call charges? With Viatel’s IP Voice, you’ll enjoy up to 50% on us. If you’d like to dramatically reduce your phone bills without investing in a new phone system, here’s a taste of Viatel’s solution. Using a range of connections including broadband, leased lines and Ethernet to carry your calls, Viatel’s IP Voice can save you up to a staggering 50% on call charges. What’s more, because this fully managed solution runs voice and data on the same network, you’ll get the most out of your existing infrastructure – without having to top up your budget. For your free VoIP Management Guide, and to find out more: Phone 0870 166 2269 E-mail ipvoice@viatel.com Or visit www.viatel.com/ipvoice Combining modern technology with traditional service values, only Viatel is Frank and Earnest computing IT is just a part of managing change THERE is every chance that critics will quickly put the problems at Jobcentre Plus, revealed by Computing, into the already-overflowing box marked ‘government computer disasters’. But to pigeonhole this situation in such an easy and predictable manner would be wrong. The Customer Management System introduced to support Jobcentre Plus is not without its faults. But it is only one factor in a wider issue that is increasingly evident in large-scale public sector projects. The IT system was designed to support a major business change initiative that fundamentally alters the day-to-day working processes of jobcentres, and the organisation’s relationship with its customers. As such, its success is reliant on people and processes far more than it is on computers. IT is enabling this change, but is not the cause of it. The purpose of the changes introduced may well be valid – the new operation could become cheaper, slicker and more effective. But success cannot be achieved by imposing that change on customers (in this case, often vulnerable benefits claimants) that never asked for change, and workers that are not motivated to change. Changing a process requires the people it affects to change, and the priority needs to be managing that human – not technological – transition. The days of the public sector introducing IT systems to simply automate back-office processing are over. We have a fairly IT-literate government which recognises that technology is allowing, for the first time, a radical modernisation of public services, and is not afraid to make this happen. But if that goal is to succeed, it cannot be seen as an IT project, nor as an IT failure if problems occur. Business change is not easy, and the scale of an organisation such as Jobcentre Plus brings challenges that few companies would have to face. But the lesson that government is learning the hard way is that IT-enabled change requires management and organisational skills far beyond that of implementing a new IT system. Published weekly by VNU Business Publications Ltd Registered in England no 1513633 Computing is printed by St Ives Peterborough Ltd © copyright VNU Business Publications Ltd Average qualified circulation: 115,641 BPA (January-June 2004) available at http://marketing.vnu.co.uk/computing ISSN: 1361-2972 Subscribe online at http://www.subscription.co.uk/cc/computing Delivery or circulation issues Email us at help@vnuservices.co.uk or call our helpline on (01858) 435344 Reprints Computing offers a commercial reprint service. Call Alex Watson on (020) 7316 9206 Licensing Computing is available for international licensing. Contact: joanna_mitchell@vnu.co.uk Computing contains articles under licence from CMP Media LLC which are reprinted with permission of Information Week. © Copyright 2005 CMP Media LLC. All rights reserved. Computing supports The Prince’s Trust Technology Leadership Group, raising money for technology-related startup businesses. Call (020) 7543 7331 comment Positive motivation is as important as salary for retaining the most talented employees, says Charles Woodruffe Don’t neglect your most valuable assets ‘I LOVE work,’ the Victorian author Jerome K. Jerome wrote in Three Men in a Boat. ‘I could watch it for hours.’ Most of us enjoy the complete focus and concentration on something we really want to do. But how can organisations maximise the number of their employees who regard their jobs in this way? For IT directors, staff motivation and retention are particularly relevant as skills shortages start to spread, and Computing’s letters page offers regular testimony to IT professionals’ concerns about the recruitment market and job satisfaction. Chief executives rarely miss an opportunity to say people are their most precious asset. In the highly sophisticated economies in which organisations operate today, where every player can gain access to a similar calibre and quality of technology, and where most pay about the same for financing, premises and other key resources, it is commercial logic that people are the most crucial competitive weapon. But organisations often fail to take steps to ensure that every member of staff wants to perform to the highest levels of which they are capable. Instead, the attrition of morale and energy can begin almost the instant a new employee starts their job. For far too many people, the initial job interview may be the most positive and idealistice xperience they have with a company. This is not only tragic for the people involved, it is also commercial nonsense for the employer. Fortunately, more and more organisations have realised there is little point employing people if they are not going to make them want to give their best in return. There are still chief executives who think employees will be motivated simply because the Employees who receive no ongoing development will seek other jobs company has hired them. If they pay employees enough they will put up with anything and have no reason to grumble. This is faulty and outdated thinking. In practice, people are influenced by a range of non-financial factors. This is particularly true of really talented people, who tend to have a good idea of the market rate they can command and will be looking for an employer who can offer other advantages. The notion of cradle-to-grave job security is an increasingly distant memory, and people are more conscious of the need to maximise their employability. They will expect ongoing development, and will very likely go elsewhere if they do not have that sense of being developed. In a tough job market, employers need to understand that training and development they extend to their employees will not only make staff more able and valuable, but will act as a powerful incentive for them to stay. Of course, organisations are always at risk of staff leaving, taking new skills with them. But employees that are not developed have little motivation to stay. This is a paradox, but one that has a simple solution: accept that employees are more likely to leave if they aren’t developed, and find ways to make people want to keep working for you. There is considerable scope for employers to offer staff the non-financial motivations they crave. Typical examples include career advancement, autonomy in work, giving praise where it is due, making support available, addressing the work/life balance, and encouraging feelings of being challenged, trusted, and working for a good organisation that treats staff with respect. All these elements of positive motivation are contributing factors to the engagement the employee brings to a job. The term engagement is being used increasingly to denote the idea of an employee being fully intellectually and emotionally committed, so that he or she wants to give discretionary effort to the job: that which is not necessary to give but which someone wants to give. Employee engagement is always important, but especially crucial for talented people who are likely to have leadership potential, and needs to be a top priority for IT employers. Talented employees are much more likely to look elsewhere if they feel that their needs for job satisfaction, purpose and sense of self-worth are not being met. Dr Charles Woodruffe is managing director of business psychology firm Human Assets What do you think? If you have an opinion about issues raised in Computing, email us at feedback@ computing.co.uk. Please keep to a maximum of 250 words and include your job title and postal address 18 Computing 1 September 2005 computing opinion Talking point On security threats (Online users must be rid of hackers and phishers, 18 August) I found your interviewwith Peter Cullen, chief privacy strategist at Microsoft, very useful. As a system administrator I am constantlyreminding managers and staff of the dangers ofweb and mail usage. I have attended a number of seminars on the legal aspects of being caught out by one of these criminal acts. Despite the steps taken to combatcomputer fraud, more and more scams seem to be coming into play. But it is increasingly difficult to know exactlywhat organisations should be doing next to protect their staff and business. Lee Richardson By email On ID cards (Biometric flaws mar start of ID card plan, 18 August) Britain's self-denying culture will keep saying no to ID cards until they are a reality. In computing today the moral high ground is more and more difficult to distinguish, as technology becomes completely integrated into our our lifestyles. What lurks behind every organisation is a system in which we are no more than categories for, say, a loan or a job. This has been coming for a long time and itcannot be stopped now. Christon Reid By email On schools IT tests (Lessons to learn for the IT skills assessment test, 11 August) The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s (QCA’s) decision to roll out online IT tests in schools will help to ensure that all children leave school with the IT skills needed for the world ofwork. The government has indicated itwill include IT skills in performance league tables, so schools mustready themselves and their students to succeed in these tests. Some schools are using specialised information and communications technology programs in the classroom. These free programs complement the national curriculum and build pupils’ IT skills and confidence in a fun environment, which will help them to perform well in the QCA’s tests. Caroline Hook Oracle Education Foundation On delay to kit disposal laws (WEEE directive delayed again, 18 August) It is interesting that IT vendors are being blamed for the delay to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive because of their issues with the legislation. It is true that some vendors are not entirely prepared, but I do not believe this is cause for a six-month delay. Vendors need to realise that the directive will lead to huge opportunities for the industry. As older models become obsolete, end users will have to obtain products elsewhere. Robin Edwardes TallyGenico If you have an opinion, write to the editor at 32-34 Broadwick Street, London W1A 2HG email us at feedback@computing.co.uk or call the hotline on (020) 7316 9744 Prepare children for career changes ANDREW Parkin says he will discourage his children from pursuing a career in IT, and instead steer them towards professions that cannot be commoditised, such as medicine or law (Letters, 18 August). He is assuming that because these careers are not generally commoditised now, they will not be in the future either. But any field, given the right technology, processes and drivers, will support commoditisation and outsourcing. Indeed, this is already happening with medicine. In the Ukraine, eye surgery is done using industrial production line techniques, resulting in a throughput five or six times higher than with conventional approaches and requiring lower skill levels from the surgeons. Parkin might better serve his children by showing them tools to learn on their own and giving them the expectation that they will need to use them. That way, when their chosen career path disappears or evolves into a commodity in China, they are not left high and dry but can move smoothly on to their next career. Simon Tye By email convince agency staff that they are worth consideration. Far too many people, Pearson among them, think courtesy and consideration can be ignored. Recruitment agencies are in the people business, and there are people at both ends of the process: manual work, 11 August). This is especially good timing given recent stories about various banks having to increase their bad debt provision as consumer debt levels continue to rise. In the current economic climate any utility, telecoms provider, financial institution or credit-issuing government department not using one of these systems should give it some thought. Tony Geater By email ID cards on shaky ground The government has changed its mind several times about why we need identity cards (Biometric flaws mar start of ID card plan, 18 August). None of the reasons seems valid. National security is dubious, since visitors to the UK with evil plans would not have to have an ID card. Benefit fraud is also on shaky ground because government IT systems cannot even cope with current data. The Inland Revenue, for example, recently centralised processing of certain forms, because its systems were so old that the records were having to be passed manually between different offices for the data to be updated on all the systems. Even the concept of scanning in the forms, let alone using an intranet, was too advanced. As a former employee of a software company involved with some public sector projects, I know how outdated the systems and management processes can be. IT systems in the public service have an appalling record: cost overruns, delays and poor service. Against that background, and given their complexity, it is very difficult to see how ID cards could work properly. John Higham By email Recruiters rapped: Computing, 18 August A deserved reputation Further to the recent spate of correspondence about recruitment agencies (Letters, 4, 11, 18 August), I can confirm from an employer’s point of view that they are, as a whole, a bunch of money-grabbing vultures. As soon as one finds out you have a vacancy they descend in their hundreds, offering the best candidates you have ever seen. They are skilled at circumventing receptionists and getting through to you direct, and then deluge you with irrelevant computer-generated CVs, hoping to get their 25 per cent recruitment fee. There are, thankfully, a couple of exceptions: agencies where you build a relationship with someone who really does try to match candidates. They are the only ones I ever deal with. Anthony Koller By email job-seekers as well as those seeking to fill vacancies. Ignoring basic courtesy is a sure way to disaster. It is never justified to ignore phone calls, emails or letters from job applicants. Even worse is to send automatically generated responses, be they email or letter. People are not to be treated like a commodity. Pearson should remember that the job-seekers he ignores may soon be in a position to recruit, and past experiences will tell in their choice of agency. David Dewick By email Lost chance for patents I was interested to read Ayesha Bramwell’s article on software patents in the wake of the rejection of the European Union directive last month (Confusion continues for software patents, 11 August), and the subsequent debate (Letters, 18 August). The failure of the directive is a lost chance to promote a more cohesive European approach to patenting software. A harmonised system would have been a sensible move towards protecting investment in software development, dragging some countries away from applying the same law differently. Had it been successful, the directive would also have encouraged innovation and, in turn, economic activity. The last thing European industry needs is competitive disadvantage through undermined patent protection. With the directive having failed, we can only hope that, at the very least, regulations are not diluted to hinder the grant of patents for software inventions. Julian Heathcote-Hobbins Federation Against Software Theft Keeping an eye on porn As a former police officer for the Met’s Obscene Publications Unit, I believe that the .xxx domain will make it easier to monitor and control the porn industry, illegal content and who is accessing it (www.computing.co.uk/2141244). Realistically, the new domain will not curb the amount of pornography on the net, nor will it cause a dramatic increase. What it might do is encourage legitimate adult sites to concentrate on the .xxx area of the web, making it much easier for parents and businesses to control access and block content. Obviously, child pornography will continue to operate underground. But the potential revenue generated from the .xxx domain could actually fund an industry watchdog to bolster the efforts of organisations such as the Internet Watch Foundation, already working to minimise the availability of online illegal content, particularly child pornography. Mark Taylor Computer Forensics Courtesy call Charles Pearson’s views made my blood boil (Letters, 18 August). His arrogant opinions serve only to vindicate the widespread criticism of recruitment agencies and the way they treat applicants. Pearson seems to think that job applicants have no right to complain because agencies offer a free service. It is not free. Employers pay fees to agencies, and job-seekers pay with their own time, researching prospective employers and crafting CVs and covering letters to All for arrears systems Hats off to Computing. Having been a reader for nearly 10 years, I have finally seen customer revenue management and collections systems being given an airing (Loan arrears software cuts 1 September 2005 Computing 19 computing Virus alert level metrics Contact us at (020) 7316 9000 or 7316 and extensions as listed on the right www.computing.co.uk Hot links Computing jobs www.computingcareers.co.uk Computing media information www.vnumedia.co.uk Computing Directories directories.computing.co.uk Computing Awards for Excellence www.computing.co.uk/awards Public sector employee www.computing.co.uk/ publicsector 2 ALERT STATUS is 2: (1 to 5 where 5 is most serious). There is serious worm/virus activity without a public exploit code Get your daily news at Critical stats What do users think about internet scams? Had you heard of either ’phishing’ or ‘keystroke logging’ before this survey? Percentage of respondents 100% 80% 60% Phishing only 40% Yes, both 20% 0% All UK net users Net Net users banking who don't users bank online Use telephone banking more than I used to No longer open emails from my bank No, neither Keystroke only All net users Installed a firewall on my computer Internet banking users Installed up-to-date virus software Source: Forrester Research Network Box network-box.co.uk/ Has your use of the internet changed because of security scares over the past year? Percentage of UK internet users Most active viruses this week... Subscriptions Subscribe online: www.vnuservices.co.uk/ computing Problems with circulation? Call our helpline on (01858) 435344 or email us at: help@vnuservices.co.uk Toby Wolpe Editor-in-Chief toby_wolpe@vnu.co.uk 9132 Mike Wright Managing editor michael_wright@vnu.co.uk 9153 Bryan Glick Managing editor bryan_glick@vnu.co.uk 9149 Emma Nash News editor emma_nash@vnu.co.uk 9146 Mark Samuels Features editor mark_samuels@vnu.co.uk 9412 Chris Green Technical editor chris_green@vnu.co.uk 9627 Sarah Arnott Senior reporter 9629 James Watson Senior reporter 9644 Daniel Thomas Reporter 9235 Miya Knights Reporter 9588 James Brown Reporter 9156 Sophy Dale Sub–editor 9157 Richard Brighouse Picture editor 9143 Matt Buck Graphics artist VNU Business Publications London Brin Bucknor Managing director John Barnes Publishing director Catrina Attard Publishing administrator catrina_attard@vnu.co.uk 9158 Marieke Visser Marketing manager 9306 Joanne Hurst Production director 9227 Sales www.computing-media.co.uk Kumaran Ramanathan Sales director 9209 Mark Burton Sales manager 9351 Daniel Shaw Major client manager 9594 Recruitment: Matt Bush Sales manager 9121 VNU Business Information Europe Ruud Bakker Chief executive US representation Global Media USA, LLC, 565 Commercial Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111-3031, USA Tel: 415 249 1620 Fax: 415 249 1630 www.globalreps.com European/Asian/Middle East representation Global Media Europe, Sarah Speake Tel (44) 207 316 9749 Fax (44) 207 316 9774, sarah_speake@vnu.co.uk 1 2 3 Netsky q 23% Zafi b 12% Zafi d 12% What could your bank do to boost your confidence in online security? Guarantee to replace losses from fraud Help me understand how to protect myself All net users Introduce new, more secure log-on technologies Stopped making online payments and transfers Nothing - I trust their security measures Nothing - there's no way I would trust online banking 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Internet banking users Have you ever had fraudulent (phishing) emails that appeared to be from a genuine company? Percentage of respondents 100% 80% 60% I’m not sure No Yes Stopped using online banking 4 Others 53% ‘The growing popularity of voice over IP (VoIP) threatens the fixed-line revenues of traditional telephony carriers, especially for international calls. In addition, VoIP presents a challenge to mobile telephones, which in many countries are now more numerous than fixed connections’ The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Other methods 40% 20% 0% All UK net users Net Net users banking who don't users bank online Haven’t changed behaviour at all 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% News from the US The US Air Force is warning that nearly half its officer corps may be at risk from identity fraud, after a hacker broke into its databases. Major General Anthony Przybyslawski, commander of the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, said that during May and June a hacker, described as a ‘real scoundrel’, broke into the Air Force's Assignment Management System, which holds career and financial information on Air Force personnel News from Asia/Pacific Novell has announced plans to expand investment in China, with plans to set up a research and development (R&D) centre, open new regional branches, and develop a local technology support centre. By the end of this year, the supplier will establish the R&D operation in Beijing to focus on Linux developments News from Asia/Pacific News from the US Former HP chief executive Carly Fiorina has signed a deal with publisher Penguin to write the story of her career and departure from the IT giant, reports Business Week. Penguin says the book, due out in autumn 2006, will combine recollections of her career with her views on issues such as women in business and the role of technology India’s IT trade body, the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom), has launched a competence-testing programme for workers in the business process outsourcing industry. The aim is to help local suppliers recruit suitable staff – in some cases only eight out of every 100 people who apply for jobs are recruited, reports Cyber India Online News from Middle East and Africa PC sales in the Middle East and Africa rose 37.4 per cent to two million units and 35.5 per cent in revenue to $2.1bn (£1.2bn), compared with the second quarter last year, according to researcher IDC. Notebook PC sales were particularly strong, with unit shipments increasing by 108 per cent. In Saudi Arabia and Turkey, notebooks make up close to 50 per cent of total PC shipments. In the United Arab Emirates, they already outsell desktops, says IDC 20 Computing 1 September 2005 Matt Buck LaCie Ethernet Disk (NAS) Features: - Easy to use on-line storage up to 1TB - Enables editing, archiving and sharing -Powered by trusted Microsoft® Windows XP® Embedded - Expandable through USB Ethernet Disk Storage: Featuring advanced file-sharing technology, the LaCie Ethernet Disk frees PC file servers by providing independent, stand-alone storage accessible to anyone in the network. Ideal for smalland medium-sized business environments, it will store, back up and share files among as many as 25 users at the same time. Easy to use: Offering simple installation, the Ethernet Disk can be easily administered and controlled via any web browser, with a variety of user-friendly tools and wizards. Moreover, this versatile storage device offers universal connectivity with all existing operating systems. Stack, rack or stand alone: The LaCie Ethernet Disk can easily be incorporated into a variety of environments. Its sturdy aluminum design allows it to be used as a stand-alone device that, when positioned on the desktop, can support a monitor weighing as much as 40 lbs. This drive can also be stacked with other LaCie d2 devices or integrated into 19-inch racks. Unlimited Capacity: When the native capacity of the LaCie Ethernet Disk is reached, additional storage space can easily be added by daisy-chaining additional LaCie hard drives through its USB port. Also available from LaCie: LaCie SAFE Drive LaCie 300 Series LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini For latest pricing please visit www.lacie.com/uk E-mail: info.uk@lacie.com E&OE Aug 05 www.computing.co.uk computing networking Bryan Glick opens this month’s networking special with a look at how grids are leaving behind their traditional research background and being adopted for high-profile commercial projects Grid computing does a lot of work for charity GRID computing is increasingly moving out of the research and academic environments that first adopted the technology, and becoming an important consideration for corporate IT projects. One of the highest-profile examples of grids being used in a commercial situation is the infrastructure for Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day online fund-raising efforts, a system which this year was also called into action to support the Live 8 anti-poverty concerts. Warren Kerrigan, chief technology officer of technology design company Can Factory, was involved in the design, testing and operation of the system. He says grid computing was essential for dealing with the large but unpredictable peaks of traffic caused by two such publicly visible events (see graph below). ‘One of the things with a TV-based operation such as Comic Relief is that it’s Comic Relief’s web site received more than 165 million hits on Red Nose Day 2005 a very emotionally led audience,’ he says. ‘Without warning, a presenter will say: “I’m going to stand here for the next 20 McCall, to go on national TV and tell tend not to come back, so we only have minutes until we raise £1m,” and people everyone to stop going to the web site, one shot to capture this information, and actually get up from their sofa and go to and the traffic dropped straight down,’ it has to work every time,’ he says. the web site, so you have some unusual says Kerrigan. ‘We also have a lot of preconfigured traffic levels to deal with. ‘We made some very quick changes and fallback points. As a user logs into the ‘When the BBC news comes on at then she went back on and said: “Thanks platform for the first time, we validate 10pm, everybody gets up again and goes very much, everyone back on,” and the their address or pre-populate the field, to donate, which is quite an interesting site came back up, and it saved the show.’ check their credit card, and provide a half an hour when a few million people try video clip at the end to say thank you. As Processing donations in real time on a to give money online at the same time.’ high-performance grid infrastructure we start to get busier and run out of The web site developed for the charity has additional benefits for the charity, capacity, we stop validating the address or runs on Oracle 10g grid-enabled database we don’t show them the video clip. Also, as says Kerrigan. and application server software, using ‘All the donations are processed for free, we go outside the peaks we immediately Sun Microsystems hardware, replicated at scale back up.’ but the bank was previously inputting two separate locations for resilience. them itself, so it could take about six And if there are any problems, the On Red Nose Day this year, the site months to receive all the money. If you unique nature of the Red Nose Day received more than 165 million hits from imagine the interest on £32m over a television show is very useful. 1.3 million unique users, viewing 55 six-month period, it is staggering. That’s ‘The people on the web site are also million page impressions, with a why this had to go into a different system watching the TV show. We had a major 10-minute average session time. It and an automated process,’ he says. disaster where we had to reconfigure the processed more than £4.5m of donations ‘We also have the problem of reporting front-end switches and reboot some that were authorised online on the night, back how many of those are false or not servers, so we got the presenter, Davina plus £1.5m more from authorised, so the TV show Who visited the Comic Relief web site? interactive TV and a further can give out an accurate Traffic in hits per minute over seven days ending Tuesday 15 March 2005 £1.5m through call centres. update on the pledges. We 450,000 Extensive testing and had security problems 400,000 building-in of various where people used stolen fall-back options for the cards, so there were a lot of 350,000 web site were a vital part of reconciliations to do during 300,000 Comic Relief on the design. the show. We have a massive television: Friday 250,000 ‘We only had one chance to integrated grid platform that 11 March 2005 get this right. If you look at a does live authorisation, 200,000 company such as Interflora, which processed about a 150,000 they have a Valentine’s Day quarter of a million peak but if they go down donations in six hours.’ 100,000 during that week, they have This year, having achieved 50,000 the rest of that week to record online donations 0 recover. If people miss the for Red Nose Day, the Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday show on Red Nose Day they team supporting the Source: Zeus Matt Buck infrastructure then faced an unexpected new challenge. ‘Comic Relief organiser Richard Curtis and Bob Geldof were chatting, and Geldof said to Curtis: “We have this Live 8 thing; I don’t suppose we can host it on that big platform you have?” ‘“Sure, no problem,” replied Curtis. Suddenly we had four weeks to change the way our system works. Instead of taking a quarter of a million donations in six hours, we had to take half a million petition signings and allow people to upload photos and a whole load of different things – with four weeks’ notice,’ says Kerrigan. The flexibility of the grid infrastructure was vital to getting a new web site up and running for the day of the global Live 8 concerts in July. Kerrigan says testing was critical, although it had to be done as quickly as possible. And with the worldwide publicity for the events, security was a major consideration. ‘One of the challenges we had with Live 8 is that we had 250 million names and validated email addresses in the database,’ says Kerrigan. ‘That’s quite a useful database for the Empics ‘One of the things with a TV-based operation such as Comic Relief is that it’s a very emotionally led audience’ spammer network to get their hands on. Equally, there are a quarter of a million credit cards on the database. So we had some interesting challenges. ‘We tend to be a little clever: we often program in error messages from other operating systems or other web servers to give the impression that users are actually logging into another type of software. That helps to confuse the hackers.’ Warren Kerrigan was speaking during a live Computing Web Seminar on grid technology. The full seminar, including Kerrigan’s presentation on the Comic Relief grid computing system, is available to view free of charge at: www.computing.co.uk/webseminars. Further reading www.computing.co.uk/webseminars bryan_glick@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk 1 September 2005 Computing 23 computing networking www.computing.co.uk As more organisations consider voice over IP to reduce costs and streamline their network infrastructure, Lisa Kelly speaks to two firms about the benefits convergence has brought them Case study Arup Cost-cutting investment that led to dynamic use of technology ENGINEERING consultancy Arup has been using voice over IP (VoIP) since the early 1990s, and is rolling out an IP system across the organisation. The firm, which has been involved in high-profile construction projects such as Sydney Opera House and Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport, has a 7,000-strong workforce in 70 offices around the world. Reducing telephone costs through VoIP is vital to Arup’s bottom line, but what started out as a simple cost-cutting investment is flourishing into a dynamic use of the technology where employees can request applications to boost their productivity. Initially Arup used its wide area network infrastructure to connect private telephone exchanges (PBXs) in different offices in the UK. Expanding the technology using Cisco equipment continued until Arup ‘had a complete mish-mash of PBXs and networking equipment’, says Keith Ali, Arup’s network infrastructure manager. Managing a mixed telephone and networking environment was costly and inefficient, but the experience of being an early adopter had its advantages. ‘We are familiar with user expectations of voice: users have zero tolerance. Voice is very different from data. Not all data engineers understand that,’ says Ali. He recommends retraining workers who already have voice networking skills. ‘We found that data engineers brought the knowledge they had learned from using Cisco equipment, but it was the redeployed voice engineers who found the workarounds. The knowledge of the PBX guys in supporting voice and making it work is worth its weight in gold.’ Introducing multi-protocol label switching (MPLS), to add routing and priority to transmissions across the network, improved the quality of service for voice traffic. But in one case the balance swung too far in favour of voice. ‘In the Singapore office too much bandwidth was dedicated to voice, and data suffered. It was hard to get the right balance,’ says Ali. A Leeds pilot, which involved ripping out the PBX and installing a server and Cisco CallManager, was a turning point. Now Arup is focusing on a converged voice, video and data IP infrastructure. There is a freeze on PBX purchases without a preceding audit. In most cases VoIP wins the day. As Arup moves closer to convergence, mundane considerations such as guaranteeing power supplies are crucial for maintaining the network. ‘PBX systems have their own built-in uninterruptible power supply (UPS). But you have to buy UPS separately for servers, Arup works on high-profile construction projects such as Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5 switches and routers to ensure operations continue in the event of a power failure. We were caught out once,’ says Ali. But with security, being caught out just once may not be good enough. ‘Denial of service is a concern for us,’ says Ali. ‘Having the whole corporate infrastructure on IP means having all your eggs in one basket on a vulnerable protocol. The answer is vigilance.’ A dedicated security team monitors the network perimeter, and Arup conducts a biannual audit and undergoes a yearly external audit. Recent measures include a distributed call-control design for London operations, in response to the terrorist threat. New applications have also been created thanks to the network. The corporate intranet directory has been integrated with the phones, so specialists can be easily located in meetings without PC access. And videoconferencing is more widely used now that the MPLS network permits dedicated video bandwidth. But as employees find new ways of using the network, increasing bandwidth consumption is inevitable. ‘It shouldn’t be looked at as a hidden cost,’ says Ali. ‘It is something to be offset by all the savings.’ Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2140978 www.computing.co.uk Case study First Response Finance IP office system allows flexible working for contact centre staff FIRST Response Finance implemented voice over IP (VoIP) to reduce operating costs by 20 per cent and improve staff retention. The vehicle finance company conducts all its business over the phone. Calls are distributed to underwriting agents at contact centres in Nottingham and Paisley, and a collections centre in Manchester. ‘We wanted the flexibility of being able to operate more contact centre functionality than with a PBX system,’ says Chris Groom, IT manager at First Response Finance. While the company embarked on a cost restructuring operation, consolidating from six offices to three, it wanted to hang on to experienced staff unhappy to relocate. It was also receiving increasing requests from staff to work from home in the wake of the government’s flexible working regulations. The company chose vendor Avaya’s IP Office system, which mirrors office functionality in the home. ‘We have contact centres, not broiler chicken shed call centres, where agents operate in a high-productivity environment. Our calls vary and can demand lengthy interviews to determine why an applicant for a loan has been each other. They are part of the system and they feel part of the team,’ he says. Performance is the acid test for home working. ‘Some of our remote agents are in the top quarter of the performance league,’ says Groom. Lessons have been learned along the way to achieving these benefits. Groom recommends running a pilot scheme, which the company undertook with its first home worker last year. This helped to determine what equipment to use and how best to configure the network to guarantee quality of service. For remote agents, the VoIP system runs over a virtual private network (VPN) using a broadband connection. In the pilot, using an economical router installed in the home proved more suitable for a data-only VPN. ‘For VoIP over a VPN, we found that a more sophisticated router which was more expensive to configure was a better choice at the client end,’ says Groom. Now the company is in a position to easily facilitate home-working requests from its 130 employees. During the pilot an engineer worked on the home site, but now network configuration is stable enough for the company to post the equipment to users and explain over the phone how to plug it in. Groom says prioritising network access for VoIP is important for ensuring quality of service. ‘Our internal network had to be configured to handle the VoIP system so that no one type of traffic hogs all the bandwidth,’ he says. Despite minor headaches with home workers’ headsets, which seem to break more easily than those manufactured for the consumer market, VoIP has been a business enabler, and Groom plans to make the most of the investment. The company has the option of developing a multimedia contact centre where customers communicate via email or web chat. There are also plans to integrate the IP contact centres with a customer relationship management system. ‘Having customers’ details appear automatically on the screen for incoming calls is the next stage in systems development,’ he says. Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2135367 www.computing.co.uk Replacing a PBX system with VoIP can enable staff to work away from the call centre refused credit elsewhere,’ says Groom. ‘In this business it is difficult and expensive to recruit people who are fully trained. VoIP has enabled us to meet home-working requests and to retain experienced employees who lived too far away to relocate.’ Groom says fears that remote agents would feel isolated were unfounded. ‘Calls are distributed, so overflows are automatically directed to someone else. Remote agents are all effectively on an internal extension, so they can easily talk to 24 Computing 1 September 2005 Managed services that deliver continuous improvements back to your business. At Computacenter, we proactively apply our broad range of skills, expertise and the latest technology solutions to deliver continuous improvements across the lifetime of our managed services contracts. Whether it’s finding new ways to deliver operational efficiency gains, using ITIL-based best practices to improve service management or applying new technology innovations – we can help you realise year-on-year cost savings. Transform your service delivery with Computacenter. Find out how BT realised £7m in cost savings in 12 months with Computacenter. See the case study video at: www.computacenter.com/btvideo TECHNOLOGY SOURCING INFRASTRUCTURE INTEGRATION MANAGED SERVICES telephone: 0800 617000 _ email: enquiries@computacnter.com _ web: www.computacenter.com _ computing networking www.computing.co.uk Make your network think Intelligent networks will improve security and compliance, says Martin Fustes THE backbone of any IT infrastructure is the network. It is the one common element across the entire infrastructure, and, as such, has the potential to become much more than a simple conduit for data. Traditionally, networks have simply carried data from one point to another in the fastest, most efficient way possible. But what if the network were able to do more than that? What if the network knew exactly what kind of traffic it was carrying and where that traffic was going? What if it could act on that information to improve performance and security and allow new services to be delivered? That is the promise of the intelligent network. But what exactly makes a network ‘intelligent’? According to Gartner analyst Neil Rickard, at the highest level network intelligence is all about application awareness. Only when a network knows what applications are running across the infrastructure can it begin to be described as intelligent. ‘An intelligent network doesn’t just understand what type of application it is carrying, it also understands what its needs are, and can adjust itself accordingly,’ says Rickard. If a network understands what it is carrying and can react in a predetermined but autonomous manner, what quickly becomes clear is that intelligent networking could have a wide-ranging impact on business, touching on everything from security and mobility that are intelligent from end to end. But one of the most important things to understand about intelligent networks is that, in reality, there is no single solution that can provide such a capability. Even Cisco does not claim to offer a complete answer. ‘They offer parts of it, but not everything,’ says Rickard. ‘What we have is a situation where there are a number of independent vendors that can offer substantial pieces of the puzzle, but certainly not all of it.’ So how should organisations approach intelligent networking? Gartner’s advice is to identify and address their own specific network requirements and business needs, whether these are performance or security enhancements, and then build the appropriate intelligence into the network to meet those needs (see box below). While there are certain technologies that are clearly identifiable as intelligent networking tools, such as the application delivery controller and wide area network optimisation, there are others, says Rickard, that are ‘sort of hanging around on the periphery but that are nevertheless valuable in building an intelligent network’. But inevitably many, if not all, of these separate intelligent network-enabling products will merge. Chief executive John Chambers unveiled Cisco’s Application Oriented Networking in June to efficiency and accountability. Networking giant Cisco was one of the first to outline its unified approach to intelligent networking – called Application Oriented Networking (AON) – which was unveiled in June. Cisco uses the analogy of air travel to describe the promise of the intelligent network. In the past airlines only checked passports and tickets, but now they use X-rays to check passengers’ luggage, to determine what they are carrying onto the plane. In that vein, Cisco’s AON adds intelligence to networks that at present deal only with transmitting discrete packets of data, enabling organisations to exchange XML messages rather than data packets between applications on their networks. This allows information held by software to interact at the network level with policies that come from IT administrators. The network could, for example, receive a customer order and convert it into several messages for the credit, sales and shipping departments. The ability to inspect and route messages will, says Cisco, lead to better visibility in transactions, resulting in improved security, compliance and business intelligence capabilities. This is all part of what Cisco is calling the Intelligent Information Network. With intelligent networking, rules, policies, security and even business processes will be managed and run at the network level. Networks can provide some intelligence today, but that intelligence is largely ad hoc, with specialised devices targeting local security, performance and application issues. The intelligent network is about the coming together of those disparate solutions to provide managed networks ‘An intelligent network understands what its needs are and can adjust itself accordingly’ ‘We are already seeing some blurring of these product categories,’ says Rickard. Perhaps the biggest challenge in incorporating network intelligence will come not from the technology but from the organisation itself. ‘Companies will need to adopt a new way of thinking,’ says Rickard. ‘As it stands, it tends to be that the network is the network guy’s problem and applications are the application guy’s problem, and the two don’t need to talk to each other. That is not true and has never been true.’ To implement an intelligent network, the network function must become an effective part of the application design process, says Rickard. The promise of the intelligent network has yet to be fully realised, with a number of elements, such as application-level standards, still needed to complete the puzzle. But for organisations with specific business goals in mind, the products available today promise to set them on the road towards building a truly intelligent network. Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2138460 www.computing.co.uk Ingredients for an intelligent network Application Delivery Controller The Application Delivery Controller (ADC) sits in the data centre in front of the servers and is designed to improve performance for clients and other external users where the data delivery endpoints cannot be controlled. ADCs can provide transaction security, application firewalls, caching and compression, and can even be fine-tuned to optimise the performance of specific back-office applications such as SAP. Wan optimisation controller The wide area network (Wan) optimisation controller, which sits on the network at the corporate headquarters and any remote offices, uses compression and TCP-IP acceleration tricks to overcome latency and other problems on the Wan. It is generally accepted that the Wan optimisation controller will eventually merge with the application delivery controller. Intelligent switch The intelligent switch is a blade server that sits either at corporate headquarters or at a branch office switch, providing a range of automated services including network security, virus detection and user authentication services, application message inspection, data translation, XML translation, processing, routing and security. Intelligent branch office router The intelligent branch office router provides a range of services to the branch office, including virus and worm detection and throttling, user authentication, encryption, data integration, application message inspection and XML translation and routing. XML message broker The XML message broker is a server designed to process and route XML messages rather than data packets. The broker provides user authorisation and message exchange between internal and external systems, as well as access to various data sources and the ability to log all queries that pass through the network. It can also manage access permissions to data sources on the basis of built-in procedures for user authorisation. XML security gateway Because intelligent networks deal in XML messages rather than packets, the XML security gateway is required to secure both web services and XML traffic within data centres. 26 Computing 1 September 2005 computing networking www.computing.co.uk Managed service providers are looking to IP-based VPNs for growth, says Cath Everett Complex networks benefit from third-party assistance COMPANIES have been turning to external managed services providers for their networking requirements for at least a decade, but the market is still developing as high demand for IP-based virtual private networks (VPNs) drives growth and instigates change. Managed services typically involve a supplier looking after customer premise-based equipment that supports an organisation’s voice or data networks, and performance expectations for such contracts are typically governed by service level agreements (SLAs). While these services have traditionally focused on networks using technologies such as frame relay or asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), by early next year IP VPNs and multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) are expected to become the most popular offering. Ovum research director Peter Hall says many companies are choosing to adopt IP for transporting both voice and data, and are introducing MPLS-based VPNs to provide different service levels for different types of data, with voice given the highest priority. Because of the way these networks work, this also makes it easier, and often more cost-effective, to connect multiple branch offices. Jean-Claude Delcroix, a vice president of research at Gartner, says such technology is much more complex to manage than older equipment, and that many organisations simply do not have the skills or resources in-house. This likely to have grown in a haphazard way based on past events, simply becomes too complex to manage. This often triggers a review. ‘Then the managed option should definitely be on the agenda,’ says Hall. ‘Whether it suits everyone is a separate issue, but it can potentially save money, improve service levels and provide better connectivity and bandwidth, which is important because business applications are expanding all the time, so networks are having to cope with more and more data traffic.’ There are three key considerations for IT directors looking at managed network services. They need good upfront contract negotiation skills; they should think through how the transition phase and other cultural changes will be managed; and they need to evaluate how they intend to promote good communications and a trust-based relationship with their chosen supplier. Hall: SLAs have tremendous advantages Delcroix: Negotiate a dedicated contract means they are looking for third parties to help out in a way they have not necessarily done before. As a result, the European managed data services market, which was valued at £5.3bn last year, is predicted to grow annually by seven per cent over the next five years. Delcroix says sectors that have been most keen to embrace managed services are those with a relatively small in-house IT staff compared with other industries, because they prefer to focus resources on their core business. Companies with multiple geographically dispersed sites, such as retail, manufacturing and construction businesses, are also typical users. A key motivator for adoption of managed services is reducing total cost of ownership, which in some cases can be cut by up to 20 per cent, says Hall. But many organisations are also keen simply to reduce the number of equipment vendors they deal with, and to have a single supplier to take responsibility for it all. ‘Having everything under a single SLA, with one liaison point and one bill, has tremendous advantages, which is why we are seeing a gradual tendency to adoption across the board,’ says Hall. But a common driver for change is when the corporate network, which is ‘Having everything under a single SLA, with one liaison point and one bill, has tremendous advantages’ Most managed network services contracts are between three and five years in duration and come with a fairly standard set of SLAs. But as Delcroix points out: ‘The alphabet may be standard, but the way you use the words can vary. Typically, our advice is to negotiate a dedicated contract that meets your business needs and have a dedicated person to look after it.’ When managing the transition, companies should spend time planning and putting the right processes in place to ensure a seamless switch. Involving staff early on as part of this move is crucial, so that they know what is happening and how any change will affect them. For managing the supplier relationship, Hall says it is critical the chosen providers understand the industry and speak the customer’s language, so they are aware of what is important to the business. ‘If the network fails due to a catastrophe which is not your fault or the supplier’s, it is important that there is goodwill and you work together. That is what will solve the problem, not the SLA,’ he says. Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2071555 www.computing.co.uk Case study Rok Property Solutions service provider Sirocom, which installs and manages a fully managed, broadband IP-based virtual private network for the duration of each contract. This means that support is available on a 24/7 basis, and that the service is more flexible. ‘We can now move the network terminal point as the site moves. So even if it moves only 50 yards each week, the network goes too. If we tried doing that ourselves, we’d need a huge, experienced team to cover all of our sites, and that wouldn’t be feasible,’ says Gifford. But the biggest challenge was persuading site managers to accept the cultural change. ‘They saw it as an obvious upfront unit cost increase to their site,’ says Gifford. ‘On the face of it, the service is more expensive than if you’re just paying a leased-line bill, but if you fully cost it by including administration and IT resources, we know it’s less expensive overall because we modelled it, and they did come to appreciate that after a while.’ Finding a supplier with a good cultural fit to the organisation is also a key consideration. ‘It’s important to have a dedicated team at your provider who not only understands the objectives of the contract, but also the business and the type of people they’re dealing with. Talking to project managers and builders, for example, is a very different proposition to talking to investment bankers,’ says Gifford. ‘The move to managed network services has seen our costs go down on a like-for-like basis by 30 per cent. And going from a low- to a high-bandwidth, always-on network has increased speed and availability by about 20 per cent,’ says Richard Gifford, IT director at Rok Property Solutions. Rok has headquarters in Crawley, Surrey, but builds and develops commercial properties at about 400 sites across the UK. It generated about £500m sales in 2004 and employs some 2,000 staff. In December last year, the company started a three-month planning phase to determine the requirements for moving to a managed network service to increase service levels and cut costs. ‘The purpose of building site networks is to allow staff to connect to corporate data such as drawings and legal documents and enable them to collaborate more effectively with their work teams,’ says Gifford. ‘We see the network mainly as a commodity, but it has a profound impact on efficiency and the morale of the user community, so it’s also deemed a critical business operation.’ In the past, each construction site manager was responsible for sorting out their own communications infrastructure, which generally comprised a leased line and ISDN connection from BT. But purchasing was negotiated on an individual basis for each site, which was costly and time-consuming, says Gifford. Since February all new sites, as they come on-stream, contact 28 Computing 1 September 2005 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 Objective. Get more from your IT - and less hassle from finance. Solution. Get a partner who knows your needs and how to meet them - with efficient IBM eServer, TotalStorage and Printer Express solutions. HOW TO MAKE YOUR IT MORE EFFICIENT AND LE Concentrated power. IBM eServer OpenPower IBM eServer p5 Tuned for Linux. IBM eServer p5 510 Express High performance in a small package. The speed and architecture of the p5 510 processor help ensure outstanding performance for a broad array of applications. IBM eServer OpenPower 710 Competitively priced 64-bit IBM POWER5 processor-based server designed for a flexible, open Linux architecture. Increased power in a rack-dense environment. System Features 1-Way POWER5 1.5GHz 1GB Memory 2 x 73.4GB DASD DVD ROM Drive Supported by AIX 5L and Linux Warranty: 3 years parts and labour System Features 1-Way POWER5 1.5GHz 1GB Memory 2 x 73.4GB DASD DVD ROM Drive Red Hat or Suse Warranty: 3 years parts and labour From £3,619 excl. VAT5 From £2,500 excl. VAT7 IBM ServicePac® 3 years on-site service £359 excl. VAT6 IBM ServicePac® 3 years on-site service £247 excl. VAT8 IT’S EASY TO FIND OUT MORE. Go to ibm.com/eserver/uk/express or c IBM TotalStorage Maximised storage. ESS COSTLY. IBM eServer BladeCenter Even more flexibility. IBM TotalStorage LTO 3580 Ultrium 3 Tape Drive Offers a breakthrough in reliability, capacity and performance to meet the backup and archival needs of small to mid-range environments. System Features Ultrium3 LVD Tape Drive (3580L3H) Rack-mount kit (96P1565) From £3,103 excl. VAT11 IBM eServer BladeCenter JS20 All the reliability and performance of Power Architecture in a dense and efficient form factor. Ideal for file/print, web-serving and commercial e-mail applications. IBM TotalStorage DS4300 Express This scalable solution facilitates storage consolidation in a Storage Area Network (SAN). Highly secure and reliable, it helps keep your systems up and running and protects corporate data assets. System Features 2-Way PowerPC 970 2.20GHz 512MB/4GB Memory (std/max) Integrated ATA-100 EIDE, 0GB Installed Maximum storage capacity 120GB Hard disk type Open bay Network Interface Gigabit Ethernet Integrated Warranty: 3 years parts and labour onsite repair System Features Shortwave SFP GBIC x2 1M fibre optic cable x2 From £1,469 excl. VAT9 From £6,053 excl. VAT12 IBM ServicePac® 3 years on-site service £467 excl. VAT10 call IBM at 0870 539 0390 to find your IBM Business Partner. IBM eServer xSeries & IBM TotalStorage Efficiency at a lower price. IBM eServer xSeries 226 Express Outstandingly efficient, this server provides affordable performance availability features such as redundant hot-swap power and cooling. Plus support for large capacity I/O and storage. Boosts productivity. IBM eServer xSeries 346 Express Designed to maximise performance in a rackdense environment, this server is ideal for handling storage-hungry applications and data for your networked environment or space constrained data centre. System Features Intel® Xeon™ Processor 3.00GHz 2MB L2 Cache 2 x 512MB PC 3200 DDR2 SDRAM Open Bay Hot Swap SCSI Integrated Gigabit Ethernet Redundant Power (optional) 3 years on-site warranty System Features Intel® Xeon™ Processor 3.0GHz 2MB L2 Cache 2 x 256MB PC2-3200 DDR2 SDRAM Open Bay Hot Swap SCSI Integrated Dual Gigabit Ethernet 1 Power Supply 625W 3 years on-site warranty From £1,127 excl. VAT13 From £1,476 excl. VAT16 IBM ServicePac® 3 years on-site service £112 excl. VAT14 IBM ServicePac® 3 years on-site service £430 excl. VAT17 IBM TotalStorage DS4100 Express This entry-level server helps address the storage consolidation and near-line application storage needs of cost-conscious enterprises, while leaving room to grow. IBM TotalStorage DS400 Express Advanced functionality provides an exceptional solution for work group storage applications. The DS400 offers high performance Fibre Channel and highly reliable hot-swap Ultra320 SCSi drive technology. System Features Storage Server – Dual node Up to 28TB of Serial ATA (SATA) physical disk storage 4 x 2GB Fibre Channel host ports System Features 2GB Fibre Channel storage systems area network (SAN) 3U rack-mount entry level Starts at 584GB / Scales to 5.8TB Simultaneous support of heterogeneous operating system environments for xSeries and BladeCenter From £3,850 excl. VAT15 From £3,198 excl. VAT18 IBM Infoprint Make your mark with quality print. Boost productivity and quality… and save money. This compact, monochrome laser offers flexible networking options, including wireless, broad media support and other features generally found only in higher priced printers. With a low acquisition cost, this printer can support your small business or workgroup with fast, reliable monochrome printing, plus colour when you want it. IBM Infoprint 1412 System Features 26 ppm laser A4 Less than 8 sec time-to-first-page Enclosed paper drawer High-capacity laser cartridge Parallel, USB 2.0 and Ethernet Warranty: 1 year on-site IBM Infoprint 1334n Colour System Features 30ppm mono/8ppm colour laser A4 Less than 13/19 second time-to-print for mono/colour 2,400 Image Quality printing Small footprint Parallel, USB 2.0 and Ethernet Warranty: 1 year on-site From £209 excl. VAT1 From £459 excl. VAT3 IBM ServicePac® 3 years on-site service £61 excl. VAT2 IBM ServicePac® 3 years on-site service £489 excl. VAT4 WITH IBM EXPRESS PRODUCTS, INNOVATION BECOMES STANDARD. Optimising your IT, getting more out of open standards, using open platforms to integrate systems more easily, providing innovative products, keeping costs under control – when you get an IBM eServer, TotalStorage and Printer Express solution, it’s all part of the same deal. FIND WHAT YOU NEED WITH IBM SOLUTION CONNECTION. IBM Solution Connection makes it easy for you to choose the most effective solutions for your business, combining innovative applications from IBM and leading Business Partners with IBM software and systems. With IBM Solution Connection, you can make an informed decision about the solutions that will meet your needs now, while giving your infrastructure room for growth. DISCOVER OUR RANGE OF IBM EXPRESS PRODUCTS. And find an IBM Business Partner near you – who is IBM trained to advise which systems meet your specific requirements. Go to ibm.com/eserver/uk/express or call IBM at 0870 539 0390. IBM eServer iSeries LET YOUR BUSINESS GET MORE OUT OF OUR PRICE/PERFORMANCE. IBM eServer i5 520 Express Edition Entry System The IBM eServer iSeries 520 Express Edition offers you a simple, secure, reliable system with centralised management of multiple operating systems and application environments on a single server. With DB/2 UDB and WebSphere Application Server Express included, you have everything you need to support your business. With a range of models to suit businesses of different sizes, you have the flexibility to match your business needs – to start small and grow as your business expands. Ready for innovative business solutions? Choose from the new range of IBM eServer iSeries Express family of servers. System Features 500/30 CPW 1GB Memory 2 x 15k 35GB disk drives Mirroring DASD protection 30GB QIC tape DVD ROM Twinax P05 SWMA i5/OS (DB2 UDB, WAS Express) From £7,646 excl. VAT19 LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR RANGE OF IBM EXPRESS PRODUCTS. And find an IBM Business Partner near you – who is IBM trained to advise which systems meet your specific requirements. Go to ibm.com/eserver/uk/express or call IBM at 0870 539 0390. 1. IBM ESP price for the IBM Infoprint 1412 Machine Type 75P6624. 2. IBM ServicePac® for Infoprint 1412 Ref. 29R4981. 3. IBM ESP price for the IBM Infoprint 1334n Colour Machine Type 75P6641. 4. IBM ServicePac® for Infoprint 1334n Colour Ref. 29R5558. 5. IBM ESP price for the IBM eServer p5 510 Express Machine Type 9110-510. 6. IBM ServicePac® for p5 510 Express Ref. 40M7624. 7. IBM ESP price for the IBM eServer OpenPower 710 Machine Type 9123-710. 8. IBM ServicePac® for OpenPower 710 Express Ref. 40M6810. 9. IBM ESP price for the IBM eServer BladeCenter JS20 (chassis not included) Machine Type K241XEU. 10. IBM ServicePac® for BladeCenter JS20 Ref. 14R1653. 11. IBM TotalStorage LTO 3580 Ultrium 3 Tape Drive Machine Type 96PO863. 12. IBM ESP price for the IBM TotalStorage DS4300 Express Machine Type 172260K. 13. IBM ESP price for the IBM eServer xSeries 226 Express Machine Type 84883DG. 14. IBM ServicePac® for xSeries 226 Express Ref. 40M6919. 15. IBM ESP price for IBM TotalStorage DS4100 Express Machine Type 24P8966. 16. IBM ESP price for the IBM eServer xSeries 346 Express Machine Type 8840-1AG. 17. IBM ServicePac® for xSeries 346 Express Ref. 38R3462. 18. IBM ESP price for the IBM TotalStorage DS400 Express Machine Type 13N1867. 19. IBM ESP price for the IBM eServer i5 520 Express Edition Entry System Machine Type 9405-520 #7390. IBM estimated selling price; correct at time of going to print. Starting price might not include a hard drive, operating system or other features. Prices vary according to configuration. Resellers set their own prices, so reseller prices to end users may vary. Offers are for business customers only and are subject to availability. Note: models pictured are for illustration purposes only and may not correspond to advertised product specifications. IBM may modify its products, including specifications, at any time without notice. Information advertised has no contractual effect. IBM, the IBM logo, the ON DEMAND BUSINESS logo, the “e” logo, “eServer” logo, eServer, TotalStorage, iSeries, pSeries, xSeries, BladeCenter, OpenPower, onForever, IBM Solution Connection, Predictive Failure Analysis, POWER, POWER5 and AIX are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Intel, Intel logo, Intel Inside and Intel Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries. Other company, product or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others. Photo: Getty Images/Coll. Stockbyte. Graphic Obsession: Collection Brand X Pictures. © 2005 IBM Corporation. All rights reserved. computing Win an iPod Shuffle with Softworld A&F SOFTWORLD Accounting & Finance, Europe’s leading software and services event for accounting and finance professionals, is offering the chance to win an iPod Shuffle. Taking place at the NEC in Birmingham on 12-13 October, Softworld will feature some 70 leading accounting and finance software solution providers. Free educational sessions from independent experts will run throughout the event. Visitor badges for Softworld Accounting & Finance will also provide free entry to Softworld HR & Payroll and the Business Performance & Project Management events. For your chance to win a free iPod Shuffle, join the Softworld mailing list by sending your name, company name and contact details, with the subject ‘iPod’, to duncan_campbell@vnu.co.uk. Ten runners-up will also have the chance to win a free Softworld Accounting & Finance Buyers’ Guide Autumn 2005, an invaluable guide to leading suppliers. For more information, or to register for Softworld Accounting & Finance, visit: ww.softworld.co.uk/af services user – the project and programme manager. Vendors will also present case study material in a new solutions centre on the showfloor. Once again, the event is co-located with complementary Softworld events. www.bppm.com Forrester Research Financial Services Forum Europe 2005 13-14 October Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London Forrester analysts will present up-to-the-minute research on financial services and European executives will share their companies’ best practices. Whether you are looking for advice on business, marketing or IT management, this event will provide the answers to issues facing financial services firms. www.gigaweb.com/events Computing Awards for Excellence 16 November Battersea Park Events Arena, London The Oscars of the IT industry, the Computing Awards is the leading, largest and most prestigious event of the year for IT business leaders. The 13th annual awards ceremony will be attended by more than 1,000 of the industry’s most influential people, www.computing.co.uk Diary Softworld Accounting and Finance 12-13 October NEC, Birmingham Europe’s leading software event for the accounting and finance profession brings together more than 70 leading software providers under one roof. Delegates can attend free vendor case studies and learn about the key business challenges facing industry through the independent masterclass and briefing sessions. www.softworld.co.uk/af Softworld HR and Payroll 12-13 October NEC, Birmingham Europe’s leading software event for the HR and payroll community brings together more than 40 suppliers under one roof, offering free vendor case studies. Delegates will be able to learn about key business issues, share their knowledge and network with industry peers. www.softworld.co.uk/hrp Business Performance & Project Management (BPPM) 12-13 October 2005 NEC, Birmingham BPPM focuses on project management. This forum will home in on the skills and technologies available for the real end and is a superb opportunity to entertain VIPs, business partners and important clients. Book your table or enter online at www.computing.co.uk/awards Online Information 2005 29 November - 1 December 2005 Grand Hall, Olympia, London Online Information is an essential forum and meeting place for international information professionals, knowledge managers, librarians, academics, publishers, information users and IT professionals and vendors. Leading online industry commentators, consultants and professionals, top academics and key vendors explore the major issues that have shaped the industry, and determine the key trends facilitating developments for the future. www.online-information.co.uk Content Management Europe 29 November - 1 December 2005 Grand Hall, Olympia, London This content management event showcases the leading providers of enterprise and web content management solutions to the public and private sector, incorporating free exhibitions and a comprehensive seminar programme. www.cme-expo.co.uk The Services Service Selling IT services and products? Need to get maximum value from a small budget? Advertise in the Computing Services Section. Tailor-made, flexible advertising packages to suit all budgets. W i t h ove r 3 0 0 h i g h l y q u a l i f i e d e n g i n e e r s i n t h e U K . . . . A c c r e d i t a t i o n s f r o m a l l m a j o r I T C o m p a n i e s i n c l u d i n g D E L L , H P a n d M I C RO S O F T. . . . Fr o m H a r d wa r e M a i n t e n a n c e t o F u l l s c a l e I T P r o j e c t s “We Can Help You !!!” Call Us On 020 8353 4648 or email us @ paul.afzal@selection.co.uk “And have a friendly chat with one of our members of staff” Call John O’Grady on (020) 7316 9373 or email john_o’grady@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk Public Sector Tender Invitation? Call now for special discounts www.computing.co.uk Hotline (020) 7316 9122 or email classified_services@vnu.co.uk 30 Computing 1 September 2005 computing Comms / Systems showcase directory Events To advertise in the directory call John on (020) 7316 9373 www.computing.co.uk Sales & Marketing Web Filtering Solutions An exciting and informative 1 Day Conference For technical and business staff who wish to learn and share their experiences of becoming and being agile. 13th September 2005, Preston Interested? Register at: www.agilenorth.org.uk Sponsored by: Agile Alliance, DSDM Consortium, exoftware, SPA, University of Central Lancashire Anti-Spyware Anti-Virus Now Standard IT Recycling Asset recovery IT Hardware Make money from redundant servers, storage and networking? Demanufacturing Market valuation Secure wiping Global remarketing Compliant recycling If you’re ready to be bowled over by how easy it is to realise the value from redundant equipment, call 0118 903 7905 or visit www.sml-recycling.co.uk © 1999-2005 Bloxx Limited, Geddes House, Kirkton North, Livingston, EH54 6GU, t:08700 4 25699, e: info@bloxx.com Invitation to Tender Children’s Services Norfolk Education Advisory Services Eastbourne Borough Council IT Services Tenders From individual lots to whole service Eastbourne Borough Council is reorganising the delivery of its internal IT services. Currently there is a mix of internal and external provision, with the technical support contract coming to an end in June 2006. We have taken the view that now is a good time to look at the whole IT Division, the ending of the support contract coinciding roughly with the ending of IEG funding and projects, and a number of fixed-term appointments. The two work streams of GIS and the Web will be retained in-house, in part because we have excellent permanent staff in these teams. We are beginning to develop a client relationship function, and this will also be kept in-house. The value of any contracts could exceed €200,000 over 5 years, so an OJEU Notice has been published (submitted 17th August 2005). Primarily, Eastbourne is looking to procure flexibility, cooperation and partnership in the delivery of future IT services. To this end, we are inviting “Expressions of Interest” from providers who operate in appropriate specialist areas (described as ‘lots’ in the OJEU Notice) as well as from organisations who might expect to provide all the services the Council needs. Using the “Negotiated Tender” process, we will negotiate with a range of providers, starting in November 2005. We are aiming to select a mix that best fits our needs and aspirations by the end of March 2006. If you and your organisation would like to receive further details of the service elements, selection criteria, and the Pre-Tender Questionnaire, please write to:it.review@eastbourne.gov.uk Eastbourne Borough Council, IT & eGovernment, 68 Grove Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4UH Suitably qualified and experienced persons or companies are invited to express an interest in tendering, in open competition, for: • the provision of a training course management tool to assist the Advisory Service in its effective delivery of training services to schools and the public • the provision of a resource management tool to assist in the management of staff diaries, both individually and as a team • the provision of an administration tool to support the work of the Governor Support Service • implementation support during the initial setup of the software • annual support and maintenance for an initial 3 year period Interested parties should apply in writing or by email by the 23rd September 2005 to: Ms R Neave, Technical Support Officer, Education Department County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich NR1 2DL. Email : rachel.neave@norfolk.gov.uk Tel: 01603 222021. Invitations to tender will be issued in late September 2005 with a view to implementation of the contract in January 2006, leading to full rollout in April 2006. 1 September 2005 Computing 31 computing bcs diary events ‘Businesss Process Management: The Third Wave.’ The Davidson Building, 5 Southampton Street, London. Visit: www.londoncentral.bcs.org BCS Manchester Branch 19 September. 6.45pm. ‘Viruses, Worms, Trojans, Spam and Cookies: The legal controls.’ Renold Building, University of Manchester (UMIST). Visit: www.bcsmanchester.org.uk Software Testing Specialist Group 20 September. ‘Whose test is it anyway?’ RCOG, London. Visit: www.sigist.org.uk BCS Berkshire Branch 21 September. 7.30pm for 8pm. ‘Home-built flight simulator.’ Venue to be announced. Visit: http://berkshire.bcs.org.uk Formal Aspects of Computing Science Specialist Group Evening Seminar 21 September. 5.45pm. ‘Formal Methods Meets Biochemical Pathways.’ Davidson Building, 5 Southampton Street, London. Visit: www.bcs-facs.org/ events/EveningSeminars/ Elite Group 22 September. 11am. ‘Embedding Innovation in the Business.’ Royal Mail Group Innovation Laboratory, Rugby. Email: mbauer@hq.bcs.org.uk BCS Lecture 26 September. 6.15pm. ‘A pragmatic guide to business process modelling.’ BCS London. Visit: www.bcs.org/bcs/ products/publications/books/byseries/ other/businessprocessmodelling/ process+modelling+lecture.htm Project Management Specialist Group Autumn School 1 27 September. 7pm. ‘Business continuity and crisis management.’ Barclays, Canary Wharf. Visit: www.bcs.org/proms-g Agile Business Conference 2005 27-28 September. BCS-supported event. London. Visit: www.agileconference.org Computer Conservation Society 29 September. 1pm. ‘The French Computer History Scene.’ Science Museum Library. Visit: www.tech.port.ac.uk/staffweb/ andersod/CCS/CCS.php BCS Glasgow Branch 3 October. ‘BCS Careerbuilder.’ Visit: www.bcs.org.uk/branches/glasgow/ venue.htm Project Management Specialist Group Autumn School 2 4 October. 7pm. ‘Business continuity and crisis management.’ Barclays, Canary Wharf. Visit: www.bcs.org/proms-g Advanced Programming Specialist Group 4 October. 7pm for 7.30pm. Annual dinner with BCS President. Central London. Visit: www.bcs.org.uk/siggroup/advprog/ SPA Specialist Group 5 October. 6pm for 6.30pm. ‘SPA-193: Agile Businesses Learn Lessons of Software Development with xProcess.’ Davidson Building, London. Visit: www.bcs-spa.org Quality Specialist Group 6 October. 9.30am. Agile Development and Quality Management. Bredbury Hall, Stockport. Email: qsg@improveqpi.com Project Management Specialist Group Autumn School 3 11 October. 7pm. ‘Business continuity and crisis management.’ Barclays, Canary Wharf. Visit: www.bcs.org/proms-g Project Management Specialist Group Autumn School 4 18 October. 7pm. ‘Business continuity and crisis management.’ Barclays, Canary Wharf. Visit: www.bcs.org/proms-g Sociotechnical Group 19 October. 7th Annual Lecture Series. Social Computing. Visit: www.witsg.org/ BCS North London Branch 19 October. ‘IT’s China.’ Visit: www.nlondon.bcs.org BCS Berkshire Branch 19 October. 7.30pm for 8pm. ‘Computer Arts.’ Venue to be announced. Visit: http://berkshire.bcs.org.uk BCS South Yorkshire Branch 20 October. 6pm for 6.30pm. ‘Longhorn why do we need it?’ Hallam University, Sheffield. Visit: http://bcs.shef.ac.uk Specialist Groups’ Assembly 25 October. Venue and further details to be announced. Email: jstephens@hq.bcs.org.uk BCS Annual Meeting 26 October. 5.30pm. BCS, Davidson Building, 5 Southampton Street, London. Visit: www.bcs.org/bcs/awards/ events/bcsagm BCS Manchester Branch 27 October. 6.45pm. ‘Modelling and Simulation of Tsunami in Relation to Possible Protection and Defences in Thailand.’ Renold Building, University of Manchester (UMIST). Visit: www.bcsmanchester.org.uk BCS London (Central) Branch 27 October. 6pm for 6.30pm. ‘Computer Amination – Dr Who and the Advance of the Software.’ The Davidson Building, London. Visit: www.computing.co.uk www.londoncentral.bcs.org Open Source Specialist Group 27 October. 6pm. ‘Open Source Software Quality in Practice.’ Southampton Institute. Visit: http://ossg.bcs.org BCS Glasgow Branch 7 November. ‘Digital Diamonds.’ Visit: www.bcs.org.uk/branches/glasgow/ venue.htm BCS Manchester Branch 10 November. 6pm. ‘Advances in computer magnetic storage.’ Renold Building, University of Manchester. Visit: www.bcsmanchester.org.uk Sociotechnical Group 16 November. Seventh annual lecture series. ‘Ebusiness and higher education.’ Visit: www.witsg.org/ BCS Berkshire Branch 16 November. 7.30pm for 8pm. ‘Anti-virus.’ Venue to be announced. Visit: http://berkshire.bcs.org.uk BCS South Yorkshire Branch 17 November. 6pm for 6.30pm. ‘Network Convergence & VoIP.’ Affiniti (Kingston), Stoddart Building, Hallam University, Sheffield. Visit: http://bcs.shef.ac.uk BCS London (Central) Branch 17 November. 6pm for 6.30pm. ‘How secure are your systems? Understanding internet threats.’ The Davidson Building, London. Visit: www.londoncentral.bcs.org Visit the full BCS diary at www.bcs.org/BCS/Awards/Events/ BCSEventsCalendar/. It is advisable to confirm venue and date with the organisers before attending an event. Diary Editor: Helen Boddy (01793) 417577, helen.boddy@hq.bcs.org.uk BCS Human-computer Interaction Specialist Group 5-9 September. 9am. ‘HCI 2005: The Bigger Picture.’ Napier University, Edinburgh. Visit: www.hci2005.org SPA Specialist Group 7 September. 6pm for 6.30pm. ‘SPA-192: Extreme Programming Evolution (XP version 2).’ Davidson Building, London. Visit: www.bcs-spa.org BCS Manchester Branch 8 September. 6.30pm. ‘Meet the President.’ Harwood Room of the Barnes Wallace Building on the University of Manchester North Campus (formerly UMIST). Free, but booking essential. Contact: D Balmer (0161)) 437 5759 mancr-sec@bcs.org.uk or visit: www.bcsmanchester.org.uk Primary Health Care Specialist Group 9-10 September. 9am. Annual Conference, Downing College, Cambridge. Visit: www.phcsg.org/ Agile North (part of BCS/SPA Group) 13 September. 9.30am. ‘Sharing experience in agile software development.’ Harris Park Conference Centre, Preston. Visit: www.agilenorth.org.uk BCS Swindon Branch 13 September. 7pm. ‘Trust and Crime in the Internet Age’ - Professor Brian Collins. Swindon New College. Visit: www.swindonbcs.co.uk BCS North London Branch 14 September. ‘Internet use and abuse.’ Joint event with the Internet Specialist Group. 5 Southampton Street, London. Visit: www.nlondon.bcs.org BCS London (Central) Branch 15 September. 6pm for 6.30pm. Ensure your training programme reaches key IT professionals CELTIS Advertise in Computing’s Training section • Reach 115,641 IT professionals • Dedicated training section • Appear weekly for rapid response • Tailor-made, flexible advertising packages to suit all budgets Why Computing? Computing (BPA Total Average Qualified Circulation 115,641) is read each week by IT professionals across all industry sectors. Which industry? Whichever industry your training package is suited to, the Computing Training section can help you reach the people you need. Who will I reach? The Computing Training section is a well-used area of the magazine, which attracts a high number of readers. 26,051 readers are personally responsible for the purchase of training courses for their company; the Training section ensures you can reach these important potential clients. For further information on the type of IT professionals you can reach through the Computing Training section, or to discuss your advertising needs, contact: John O’Grady (020) 7316 9373 or email John_O’Grady@vnu.co.uk Delivery Focused Solutions Business Intelligence Your most valuable corporate asset ! It does not appear on the balance sheet but today’s most competitive companies are experiencing its worth in increasing their market share, reducing costs and mitigating risks. ETL Specification With our Business Intelligence Solutions, we package our know-how from project experiences with industry best practice to equip you with the skills to capitalize on Business Intelligence. Our consultants and partners are leading experts in data warehousing and relational database technologies. They work hands-on in large projects while staying abreast of new technologies. They will train your team and work alongside them to deliver your Business Intelligence solutions. Invest with us and release the power of your most valuable asset. Find out more and book our training courses on-line at www.celtis.ch Source Data Analysis Dimensional Data Modelling Business Intelligence Requirements Analysis Data Warehouse Data Modelling www.computing.co.uk 32 Computing 1 September 2005 UK & Ireland: Edinburgh Tel: + 44 131 247 67 77 Europe: Zug, Switzerland Tel: + 41 41 710 34 04 Email: info@celtis.ch Website: www.celtis.ch www.computing.co.uk Information for the courses page should follow our usual format – course category, title of course, venue, date, price, organising company/body, telephone number. Unless the information is presented in this way, we regret that it cannot be included. For details on how your courses can be included, contact John O’Grady on (020) 7316 9373 training. Various dates available, price £4,495 (special offer £3,495), organised by C2U Solutions (08456) 442266 pr@c2usolutions.co.uk Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MOC2261/2262) in Leeds on 12-16 September and 7-11 November, price £565, organised by Leeds College of Technology (0113) 297 6459 www.lct.ac.uk/networkingacademy Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows XP Professional (MS2272), various dates and locations available, price £1,395 (special offer £995), organised by C2U Solutions (08456) 442266 pr@c2usolutions.co.uk Implementing, Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure (MS2277), various dates and locations available, price £1,399 (special offer £995), organised by C2U Solutions (08456) 442266 pr@c2usolutions.co.uk Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment (MS2273), various dates and locations available, price £1,395 (special offer £995), organised by C2U Solutions (08456) 442266 pr@c2usolutions.co.uk Cisco PIX Firewall Configuration (Intensive) in Leeds on 21-22 November, price £195, organised by Leeds College of Technology (0113) 297 6459 business@lct.ac.uk. Visit: www.lct.ac.uk/networkingacademy computing organised by Karyfi Consulting (01252) 870844 www.karyfi.com ITIL for Storage Managers, price £99 + VAT. Elearning or CD-based, organised by Karyfi Consulting, (01252) 870844 www.karyfi.com training – listings Solutions (0845) 166 2161 www.BusinessAnalystSolutions.com XML and Web Technologies XML Summer School at Wadham College, University of Oxford, price £995 for five days, £395 for two days, £195 for one day, programme tailored to suit your needs, plus optional seminars www.xmlsummerschool.com Security Fundamentals of Cryptography and Key Management Trust in Gloucestershire, various dates available, price from £600, organised by Kryptosec (01453) 860537 Fundamentals of Data Security and Electronic Trust in Gloucestershire, various dates available, price from £600, organised by Kryptosec (01453) 860537 Physical Security, Terrorism, BS7799, BCM, PAS56, Risk, M_o_R, DPA, FoI and IT Courses at your office, you choose the date. Fees from £600 per course/team for 10 staff. To book contact Assetz Training training@assetz.com (0845) 230 0313. Visit: www.assetz.neth (01702) 290558 www.qbit.co.uk ISEB Foundation Certificate in SoftwareTesting, various dates and venues available, discounted price £760, organised by e-testing (020) 8387 1701 www.etesting.com Audit/Asset Management iInventory (previously LANauditor) in Hampshire. One-day course for iInventory, various dates available, price £200 + VAT. Course covers upgrade, deployment, report generation, licence reconciliation and configuration. Contact: training@ensignuk.com (01264) 336336 or visit: www.ensignuk.com Business Intelligence Monarch training in Edinburgh on 20-21 September, London on 19-20 October and Bristol on 9-10 November, price £395 + VAT, organised by Datawatch Europe (01752) 241460 www.datawatcheurope.com/ training.shtml Networking Cisco CCNA Weekend Bootcamp in Milton Keynes on 24-25 September. Hands-on experience configuring Cisco routers and switches, price £297 + VAT, including all materials and post-course support, organised by Networks Incorporated (01908) 263335. Visit: www.networksinc.co.uk to access your free 'How to Pass Your CCNA' ebook. WiFi Technologies & Wireless Networking, in Leeds on 31 October-4 November, price £495, organised by Leeds College of Technology (0113) 297 6459 business@lct.ac.uk or visit: www.lct.ac.uk/networkingacademy Planning for Java Quality and Performance in Berkshire, one-day workshop, organised by Borland www.borland.co.uk/news/events/ Cisco CCNA Exam Preparation Bootcamp in Leeds on 12-16 September and 5-9 December, price £520, organised by Leeds College of Technology (0113) 297 6459 www.lct.ac.uk/networkingacademy Linux Linux System Administration delivered at client’s site anywhere in the UK, price from £94 a day, organised by Tuxaco (01844) 351162 www.tuxaco.co.uk Introduction to Linux in Leeds on 24-28 October, price £495, organised by Leeds College of Technology (0113) 297 6459 www.lct.ac.uk/networkingacademy Software Planning a Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Organisation [MOC 2008]. Live, instructor-led online training, in multiple three-hour sessions over two weeks, organised by HP. For price and information visit: www.win2003 training.net/hp/exchange.htm Upgrading from Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 to Microsoft Exchange 2003 [MOC 2009]. Live, instructor-led online training, in multiple three-hour sessions over two weeks, organised by HP. For price and information visit: www.win2003training.net/hp/ exchange.htm Software Testing ISEB Foundation Certificate in Software Testing in Birmingham on 5-7 September, price £800, organised by QBIT (01702) 290558 www.qbit.co.uk ISEB Foundation Certificate in Software Testing in Manchester on 19-21 September, price £800, organised by QBIT (01702) 290558 www.qbit.co.uk ISEB Foundation Certificate in Software Testing in Bristol on 17-19 October, price £800, organised by QBIT (01702) 290558 www.qbit.co.uk ISEB Foundation Certificate in Software Testing in Edinburgh on 21-23 November, price £800, organised by QBIT Elearning MCSE/MCSA Online Course, including full Microsoft catalogue, £599 reduced to £399. Log in from any PC, 12 months’ access. Developed by MindLeaders (08456) 442266 www.c2usolutions.co.uk Business Analysis ISEB Business Analysis Diploma in London: Business Analysis Essentials, 19-21 September, £850; Business Organisation, 22-23 September, £550; Requirements Engineering, 14-16 November, £850; Analysis and Design Techniques, 17-18 November, £550; organised by Business Analyst Project management PRINCE2 Practitioner, in London on 10-13/14 October Four-day course, optional exam on fifth day. Price £995 + exam fees + VAT, organised by Inspirandum (01305 822799) info@inspirandum.com Support Microsoft MCSA, four-week course covering any Microsoft + CompTIA Storage Management Implementing Tivoli Disaster Recovery Manager for Tivoli Storage Manager, price £99 + VAT. E-learning or CD-based, Business Analysis Diploma - ISEB accredited 4 modules leading to the diploma will run in London as follows: • • • • Business Analysis Essentials Business Organisation Requirements Engineering Analysis & Design Techniques 19-21 September 2005 22-23 September 2005 14-16 November 2005 17-18 November 2005 £850 £550 £850 £550 Modules can be taken separately book all 4 for £2,500 saving £300. Optional open book exam on completion of each module. to book call or email 0845 166 2161 Sales@BusinessAnalystSolutions.com www.BusinessAnalystSolutions.com Smart trainers Selling an IT or management skills training package? Advertise in the Computing Training Section. Tailor-made, flexible advertising packages to suit all budgets. For more details call John O’Grady on (020) 7316 9373 or email john_o’grady@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk 1 September 2005 Computing 33 computing appointments Appointments Computing is published every Thursday. Total Qualified Circulation 115,049 (BPA for the six-month period ended December 2004) To place a recruitment advertisement call Recruitment Sales on (020) 7316 9793 or write to: Louise Johnson, Computing, VNU Business Publications, 32-34 Broadwick Street, London W1A 2HG. email: louise_johnson@vnu.co.uk Fax: (020) 7316 9350 www.computingcareers.co.uk is the online jobs service from Computing. For help in creating your multi-channel recruitment solution call: Louise Johnson on (020) 7316 9793 Rates All rates and series/volume discounts available on request. Recruitment Customer Services (020) 7316 9309 Circulation Enquiries (01858) 435344 IT Manager Required Minimum 3 years experience in IT team development, network operations inc. helpdesk support, configuration, running systems, web application development lifecycle & systems analysis. Salary £25,000 pa Ability to speak Mandarin & use Chinese software preferred. DB ZWIRN (UK) LTD, an investment company in Central London, invites applications for the full-time post of Systems Engineer (£35,000 - £45,000 per annum). Candidates should possess a thorough working knowledge of all core Microsoft and RedHat Linux infrastructure, Cisco Networking, Bloomberg, Reuters, and other trading related software. The successful candidate must possess a minimum of 3-5 years experience in both support and systems engineering and a degree in higher education or comparable training. The ability to travel to support all of our European offices is a prerequisite for the role. The candidate must have a working understanding of both English and German. Interested parties should submit a cover letter and their CV to ops-recruiting@dbzco.com. All applications must be received by 21st September 2005. Apply with CV to: Colin Wong, Aroma Restaurants, 10 Fulton Close, Stevenage SG1 2AF Information about the EPSRC is available on our website www.epsrc.ac.uk Please note that this appointment will be made by way of a Professorial Fellowship. Candidates who are not currently employed by an organisation capable of receiving funding from the EPSRC are encouraged to apply and will be helped to locate a suitable employing organisation if successful. Director – EPSRC Large Scale Complex IT Systems Institute The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) seeks to appoint a Director with the vision and skills to bring together a multidisciplinary team of researchers drawn from academic, industrial and industry and Government institutions to address research and training challenges in Large Scale Complex IT Systems. The EPSRC plans to make a considerable strategic investment of £9 million in this area in the form of an Institute which will be funded for an initial period of 5 years. The Director will also be responsible for generating matching funding in cash or in-kind from collaborating companies, etc. An initial group of interested companies, who have agreed, in principle, to joint fund has already been brought together by the EPSRC. Key to the Institute’s success will be a Director eager to implement a creative approach combined with a clear vision and able leadership skills. A full job specification is available at www.epsrc.ac.uk/lscits Informal discussions are welcomed. Please contact Dr Lesley Thompson, ICT Programme Manager, on 01793 444394 or lesley.thompson@epsrc.ac.uk To apply please send your CV, salary details, a document (1 side maximum) entitled:“Vision for how large scale complex IT systems research should develop in the UK and how the institute fits into this vision” with a covering letter outlining your match to the selection criteria to Dr Rebecca Steliaros, Research and Innovation Directorate, EPSRC, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1ET by 21st September 2005. Applications will be assessed by a panel who will select candidates. Interviews will be held on 13th October 2005. It is intended that the appointment should take effect as soon as possible. The Engineering and Physical Science Research Council is the main UK government agency for funding research and training in engineering and the physical sciences, investing around £500 million a year in a broad range of subjects – from mathematics to materials science, and from information technology to structural engineering. We operate to meet the needs of industry and society by working in partnership with universities to invest in people and scientific discovery and innovation. The knowledge and expertise gained maintains a technological leading edge, builds a strong economy and improves people's quality of life. 34 Computing 1 September 2005 For more jobs, go to www.computingcareers.co.uk (020) 7316 9793 computing appointments STRENGTH. CHALLENGE. GROWTH. YOU’LL FIND THEM WITH US. IT SPECIALISTS PACKAGES TO ATTRACT THE BEST, LONDON As one of the world’s leading financial institutions, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group has enjoyed remarkable success over the last few years. With an ambitious expansion plan of organic growth, mergers and acquisitions, we now have one of the world’s largest IT infrastructures. And it’s getting bigger. With these changes come huge challenges for experienced professionals. It’s down to you to harness our technology and to ensure we’re ready for more growth, more success and more challenges. MAINFRAME DEVELOPERS You will participate in the full development lifecycle (including development, testing, and support) of mainframe systems. You will have 5 years’ commercial experience in IBM mainframe development including the following core technologies – COBOL, CICS, and DB2. SENIOR JAVA DEVELOPERS You will play a leading role in the design and development of web and distributed systems. You will have at least three years’ commercial experience in J2EE development (including EJBs and Struts) and IBM WebSphere Application Server. These roles offer the opportunity to join a major institution with an excellent future, but more than that, they offer the chance to be an integral part of that future. Working on an impressive range of projects with an immense scope, these roles are as challenging as they are rewarding. Make it happen for us and we’ll make it happen for you. We reward excellence with competitive salaries and truly flexible benefits including bonus opportunities, profit share and free final salary pension. Email your CV to gtpermrecruitment@rbs.co.uk or contact a member of our recruitment team on 0207 480 3696 As part of our referencing procedures, criminal record checks may be required. TEST MANAGERS You will set up systems and procedures to monitor and control all stages of the development lifecycle including systems testing, user acceptance testing and release testing. You will typically manage medium-sized Testing Teams (15+ staff). You will have ten years’ commercial testing experience, with at least two years at management level. You must have, or be studying toward, the ISEB Practitioner in Software Testing. TEST ANALYST You will guide projects through the full testing lifecycle – writing test plans, producing test conditions and cases, executing test scripts, defect management, and providing full project documentation. You will have 5 years’ commercial systems testing experience (Web or Unix or Mainframe) and have the ISEB Foundation in Software Testing. SYSTEMS ANALYST You will play a key role in the analysis and design stages of the project lifecycle. You will have 5 years’ commercial experience as a Systems Analyst with experience in the full software development lifecycle. You will have specific technical understanding of IBM mainframe systems – COBOL, CICS, and DB2. www.rbs.com/joinus Make it happen For more jobs, go to www.computingcareers.co.uk 1 September 2005 Computing 35 computing appointments (020) 7316 9793 36 Computing 1 September 2005 For more jobs, go to www.computingcareers.co.uk (020) 7316 9793 computing appointments Technical Support Consultants and Senior Consultants Back to school. £26,000 – £37,000 • Abingdon (Oxfordshire) and Bellshill (Glasgow) If it’s been a while since you’ve been back in the classroom, you might be surprised at the level of stimulating IT being used – and the way it’s transforming the way children learn. As one of the leading suppliers of ICT to education, we’re at the very forefront of these exciting developments and are now looking for consultants at all levels to lend us their technical skills as part of our Technical Support Group. A graduate with at least two years’ technical experience in a customerfacing role, you will manage the resolution of a range of production issues as well as contributing your experience to our project management team. Proactive and enthusiastic, with a track record of developing complex technical solutions and communicating them to people at all levels. More specifically, you will have an in-depth knowledge of Windows 2000/03 operating systems, preferably with an MCSE, and be comfortable troubleshooting Active Directory, GPOs, DHCP, TCP/IP and DNS configurations. In addition to the above, for the more senior roles, we’re looking for around 5-10 years’ experience – including two years spent in a 3rd line technical support role. Assisting with large project bids and delivering advanced technical training, you will need a comprehensive understanding of at least two of the following: MS Exchange 2000/03, wireless or CISCO networking, IT security, Apple OSX, Enterprise Active Directory, Web Technologies and application software integration. At RM you will find well-defined career paths and support for career development. In these challenging office-based roles we’ll give you both opportunities and encouragement to develop your technical skills and progress within the organisation. You will enjoy working in a stimulating environment with like-minded individuals, 82% of whom said they were proud to work for RM in our 2005 Company Survey. The package on offer is both comprehensive and competitive. It includes personal performance and company bonuses and benefits ranging from BUPA cover to childcare voucher and staff share schemes. There are opportunities within both locations and relocation assistance will be offered where appropriate. To apply, please send your CV and covering letter, including information on your current salary and preferred location, to iwanttowork@rm.com – Interviews will take place in early September. RM is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes w w w. r m . c o m applications irrespective of race, sex or disability. ARE YOU AN IT PROFESSIONAL WITH 6+MONTHS UK EXPERIENCE? FEEL THAT YOU ARE UNDERPAID OR UNDERVALUED? Our client, a growing IT consultancy, operates an equal opportunities policy and is looking to recruit good IT professionals irrespective of their nationality. They are looking for graduates (ideally with MBA / MSc / MCA, but strong candidates with good Bachelors degrees in IT will also be considered). As these are client-facing consultancy roles, our client is looking for 2+ years experience of work either as a client-site-based consultant, or in a remote project team for an outsourcer. The client welcomes non-European applicants, and is happy to support a permit/visa where appropriate, but they do require 6+ months of your experience to have been in the UK, Ireland, or USA. Applications are welcome whatever your skill set, but particularly if you have any of the following skills: * SAP * Oracle applications (including Peoplesoft) * Oracle tools (Designer / Developer / TOAD / Forms / Reports etc) * JAVA + websphere, EJB, J2EE, JDBC, JADE, Junit, IntelliJ Idea, etc ££ Neg. Packages to attract the best. For an application form, e-mail your CV referencing ‘500’ in the subject and with address and contact details to applications@oxfordpeople.com For more jobs, go to www.computingcareers.co.uk 1 September 2005 Computing 37 computing appointments (020) 7316 9793 Research Analysts/Senior Research Analysts Leading IT Analyst Group To £40,000 + Benefits * Flexible Locations Quality research, world-class delivery and first-class products and services are the fundamental business principles which have guaranteed European market leadership to this IT analyst company. Butler Group, part of Datamonitor plc, is unique in its ability to provide highly perceptive, business focused analysis of information technologies and through this, to contribute tangibly to the IT strategy of its clients. The Group is successful and ambitious and is growing rapidly. To facilitate the delivery of the next phase of expansion, there is now a requirement for a number of Research and Senior Research Analysts to join the business. Reporting at a senior level within the group, and working in alliance with senior IT decision makers and industry executives, your responsibilities will include: ● ● ● Working within a research practice, undertaking significant research projects involving the detailed analysis of current and emerging technologies. The formulation and delivery of commercially focused opinion and comment and the communication of meaningful ideas/concepts which focus on the commercial value of IT within business. The preparation and delivery of research material for high profile Butler Group publications together with detailed reports for clients of the Group. With up to 10 years relevant experience, gained either within a progressive systems/software environment, or operating within a business/technical management role, you must be able to demonstrate a genuine interest and appreciation of the commercial value and exploitation of IT within a business context. Strong experience in any of the following disciplines would be advantageous: Business Intelligence, Enterprise Applications, Information Management, Application Development, Integration, Security, and Infrastructure Management. Additionally, candidates must have excellent verbal and written communication skills, together with the ability to work closely and influence at all levels both internally and externally. Please apply in writing, enclosing a full CV, to Maxine Holt, Research Team Manager, Butler Group, Europa House, 184 Ferensway, Hull, HU1 3UT, or by e-mail to maxine.holt@butlergroup.com. Closing date for receipt of applications: Tuesday 6 September 2005. APPLICATIONDEVELOPER Us: Winning Moves is a dynamic and innovative business improvement consultancy. We work with national and regional government bodies creating and implementing high profile projects in the area of business improvement through performance management, innovation and strategic delivery. Role: To work within the software development team responsible for the development of web based applications built around an Oracle technology. Must be educated to degree level in IT and have 1-2 years experience in a software development role. You: Must be experienced in N-tier architecture, Java and J2EE exposure including struts and JDBC, middleware experience including Oracle Application Server and Tomcat web application integration and knowledge of web technologies, Oracle databases, SQL and preferably PL/SQL. You must be a team player and proactive in your approach to your work, setting yourself high standards at all times. This role is based initially on a 12 month fixed term contract with the possibility of leading to a permanent role. For application form and full description of position please email: lisad@winningmoves.com Closing date: Friday 9th September 2005 Candidates need to be eligible to work in the UK No agencies please field house | mount road | stone | ST15 8LJ 01785 827600 | www.winningmoves.com Business Development Manager Newbury (Berks) or home-based if preferred Permanent, GBP 40000-50000 + bonus Pondergrove, founded more than 13 years ago, is a leader in the design, development and implementation of management systems. Traditionally we have enabled organisations to succeed by helping them apply effective quality management systems. Over the past five years we have applied the same principles to information security. And through our infosec management division, ISM, we have delivered consultancy together with our proprietary training courses and software tools to many organisations in both the private and public sectors enabling them to manage information security effectively and obtain certification to BS7799. We now need an experienced sales professional to gain new business and exploit our growth in this market. You must have a track record of winning consultancy services business, preferably in both the private and public sectors. Initiative and self-reliance, an ability to succeed with the minimum of senior management support, and excellent communication skills are also essential. This is a senior role with potential to join the Board. It is likely to appeal to someone who has already succeeded in a similar company and is looking for a fresh challenge or to someone who wants to move from a large organisation to a smaller company to enjoy the freedom, flexibility and opportunities which that brings. It is a unique chance to join a fast-moving, successful company in a growing niche market area. To apply for the above position please contact Chris Cameron Tel 07850 760967 Fax 01635 817555 personnel@pondergrove.co.uk No Agencies Please ISM is a division of Pondergrove Ltd www.pondergrove.co.uk tel: 01635 817309 M 38 V E S O WINNING Computing 1 September 2005 For more jobs, go to www.computingcareers.co.uk (020) 7316 9793 computing appointments For more jobs, go to www.computingcareers.co.uk 1 September 2005 Computing 39 computing appointments (020) 7316 9793 Project / Systems Development Managers £30 – 50+k & Business / Senior Systems Analysts: £28k - £45+k Our Client is looking for confident, highly-motivated client-facing individuals who can relate technology to underlying business requirements. The Client has Project sites are throughout Europe and work across a wide range of technical environments. Current and forthcoming projects require graduate Business Analysts and Project / Systems Development Managers with 24+ months experience. Generally candidates should have a technical background, but exceptional non-technical Analysts/Project managers will be considered. We are particularly keen to hear from you if you have any of the following skill sets: Prince II, SAP/ABAP, Siebel, Cognos, OLAP, Oracle (esp apps), Delta V, Visio, MS Project, Tivoli, Tibco, Weblogic Verticals exposure in the Financial, Health, Utility, Public, or Energy sectors an asset Non-graduates with 48+ months experience will also be considered. For an application form, e-mail your CV stating ref 490 (with address and contact details) to applications@oxfordpeople.com Overworked? Underpaid? Worried what the future holds? The world over, employees are realising that financial security often cannot be achieved through corporate employment. Why not develop a plan B to secure your family? Why not take some positive steps to gain control over your life plan today before your company changes its plans for you tomorrow. Don't get caught daydreaming and retire broke. Start your own foolproof 60Minute Money Home Business and begin earning up to £500-£1,500 part-time per month around your existing schedule with the potential to develop a full-time income. The system works 24/7 even while you are asleep! • Step by step proven success system • State of the art on-line marketing and training systems • Suitable for second income • Work own hours at home • Full training and mentoring • No experience required • Use your home phone and pc Finance Division SAP BASIS Administrator Principal Officer 3 £29,128 - £31,544 pa – Ref DN372 You will be highly self-motivated with a minimum of three years’ BASIS Administration experience and familiar with patching, upgrade, install, system copy and excellent Oracle knowledge – Restoring Database, Install, Upgrade, Patching in both AIX and Windows. You will be responsible for the daily systems administration, monitoring, TMS transports, authorisations, user administration, printer administration, performance monitoring and tuning, client copies etc. Ideally, you will have experience of working within a mixed discipline team in a very busy environment. The University is currently in the process of upgrading from SAP 4.6c to SAP 4.7x2. A strong advantage for the role will be having knowledge of SAP sub modules such as SAP AP, CA, MM, PS, FI/CO and the technologies of both 4.6c and 4.7x2. Oracle Database Administrator Principal Officer 3 £29,128 - £31,544 pa – Ref DN373 You will be highly self-motivated to work on Oracle databases within the SAP environment, with a minimum of three years’ SAPDBA experience. The University is currently in the process of upgrading its systems to Oracle 9i. Knowledge and experience of Oracle 8 and Oracle 9 would be very desirable. It is essential that you also have experience of both AIX and Windows. You will be responsible for ensuring the availability, performance and security of production databases for all the University’s finance systems and for the daily systems administration, performance monitoring and tuning along with table and index reorganisations. Ideally, you will have experience of working within a mixed discipline team in a very busy environment. For an application form and further particulars, returnable by 15 September 2005, please contact Personnel on 0161 247 6464 quoting the relevant reference or email n.ashtiany@mmu.ac.uk Alternatively download these documents from our website http://www.mmu.ac.uk/jobs MMU values diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Log in today for a FREE tour @ www.freedom-4-u.com 40 Computing 1 September 2005 For more jobs, go to www.computingcareers.co.uk www.computingcareers.co.uk computing public sector appointments Recent events have highlighted the importance of foreign affairs and the United Kingdom's role on the world stage. British diplomats are working harder in more countries than ever before and front-line diplomacy demands first class support. Hence, FCO Services has evolved as an efficient and co-ordinated multi-service organisation, delivering around 200 specialist products and services to colleagues in the UK and overseas. Our continued investment in new technology and operations has created opportune positions for commercially aware Project Managers to join our ICT Project Management Department. Our IT forum is an intrinsic part of our service, acting either on a consultant or support basis to the FCO's Strategy Unit and ICT Programmes, as well as other government departments. The team oversees projects from concept to completion, qualifying the relevant risk and management outcomes in accordance with our service levels around the world. Project Managers - £23,256 - £33,671 REF: RRN276 In this pivotal role, you'll be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operation of Project Management services in accordance with SLA's, project plans and customer requirements. You will be a Prince 2 Practitioner with 3 years' experience in managing projects, ideally in a computer systems environment. Salaries stated indicate a whole grade range, and starting salaries will generally be towards the lower end of the scale. Every member of our professional team will need to be results and customer focussed, analytical, resilient and innovative in their approach. At managerial level the flexibility to work overseas for short periods is essential to ensure the success of the projects. You must also be a British Citizen and have been a resident in the UK for at least two of the previous ten years. Seeing the world and influencing our status on the global stage is just one of the perks. We are renowned for providing long term career development opportunities, whilst generous holiday allowance and a final salary pension are amongst the benefits. You'll also be on a fabulous site in Hanslope Park with facilities ranging from a shop, to a gym and nursery. For further details and an application form please write to FCO Services: HR Recruitment, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Hanslope Park, Hanslope, Milton Keynes MK19 7BH, or e-mail: fcoservices.recruitment@fco.gov.uk Please quote the relevant reference and your home address in all communications. Senior Project Managers - £30,717 - £46,520 REF: RRN275 As part of the senior management team for Project Management Branch, your remit will be to develop customer contacts and lead on projects at a senior level. You will be responsible for the provision of high quality Project Management services, ensuring correct interpretations of customer needs to meet technical, operational and quality performance indicators as measured against project and business KPI's. You will have 5 years' experience of modern IT/IS systems, experience of managing projects following a structured project management methodology (preferably Prince 2) and have an ISEB Certificate in Project Management. Play your part Closing date for the receipt of completed applications: 22 September 2005. on the world stage Video Conferencing (Access Grid) Support and Development (1 post fixed term for 2 years) (VN2753/C) The e-Science Centre is charged with the exploitation of e Science technologies throughout CCLRC’s programmes and the research communities they support. The CCLRC e-Science centre is looking to recruit a staff member to provided Access Grid (http://www.accessgrid. org) support and development to enable the adoption of Access Grid nodes as a standard videoconferencing and collaborative tool within CCLRC. The centre is engaged with a wide range of projects, focused on developing, deploying and supporting advanced IT solutions and services for the UK science and engineering base. Almost all of the centre’s projects are collaborative developments, involving other CCLRC departments, UK University research groups, research groups from Europe and the US, or a combination of these. Applicants should have experience in Access Grid or general video conferencing tools, PC systems and training, support and documentation skills. Good communication skills, self-motivation and the ability to work within a team would be an advantage. The post requires a flexible person with a wide range of skills. Training will be provided where necessary to enhance the skills of the successful applicant. Salary is in the range £22,605 to £26,911 (pay award pending) dependent on experience. In addition we offer an excellent index-linked final salary pension scheme and generous annual leave allowance. For more detailed information contact Nick Hill on (01235) 445423 or email n.m.hill@rl.ac.uk To apply, please obtain an application form from: HR Operations Group, CCLRC, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX. Telephone (01235) 445435 (answer phone) or email recruit@rl.ac.uk quoting reference number VN2753/C. Closing date for applications is 15 September 2005. Interviews will be held on 4 October 2005. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is an equal opportunities employer and aims to reflect the diversity of British society. We welcome applications from suitably qualified individuals, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or disability. All applications are treated on merit. Resource Centre Manager (ITC) Salary £30,932 to £34,281 Camberwell College of Arts is a leading college offering a range of distinctive subject areas at further education, undergraduate and postgraduate levels. We are looking for an IT Manager with experience of working in Higher Education to run the computing side of our busy Resource Centre.You will line-manage our technical support staff and oversee our computing resources to meet all the specialist IT requirements of staff and students in an arts teaching environment. As well as managing the resources budget and producing schedules for work, inductions and training, this will include assisting students and staff in practical work and supporting practical learning environments with open access provision. Educated to at least HND or degree level, or equivalent, you will have a minimum of two years’ experience in managing a similar resource area, with demonstrable IT and project management skills and proven problem-solving abilities.This is an exciting opportunity to influence how information technology is developed in Higher Education over the next ten years.You will also need to be customer-focused with a helpful ‘can do’ approach. In return, the University offers generous leave, a final salary pension and investment in your development and training – all in a unique environment that encourages excellence, creativity and diversity, and which offers an exciting career move in higher education. Closing date: 13th September 2005. For further details and an application form (CVs alone will not be accepted), please contact: Rachel Barnet Camberwell College of Arts 45-65 Peckham Road London SE5 Tel: 020 7514 6387 Email: r.barnet@camberwell.arts.ac.uk For a full range of vacancies visit www.arts.ac.uk/jobs University of the Arts London aims to be an equal opportunities employer embracing diversity in all areas of activity. COUNCIL FOR THE CENTRAL LABORATORY OF THE RESEARCH COUNCILS For more jobs, go to www.computingcareers.co.uk 1 September 2005 Computing 41 computing www.surrey.police.uk public sector appointments www.computingcareers.co.uk Head of Service Delivery (18 month contract) Guildford HQ • £41,529 - £51,069 (depending on experience) We are currently seeking a Head of Service Delivery to join the senior management team and effectively manage the four Service Delivery teams within ICT. You will be responsible for the overall management and control of those ICT resources required to provide an efficient and cost-effective information systems delivery service to customers, ensuring a continuous response to changing business and user requirements. You must have a thorough understanding of ICT performance to ensure that products and services are managed, monitored and maintained to high levels of quality and delivered within agreed service level agreements. Working within a budgetary framework you will also take responsibility for ensuring all products and services are provided within a best value framework. To succeed in this role you must be educated to degree level and have eight years’ experience, including managerial experience, within an ICT environment. You will have extensive knowledge of an ICT function and be able to participate in the management team and communicate effectively with the highest levels of management within the organisation. You should also be able to demonstrate effective leadership qualities with the ability to motivate staff. Sound commercial, organisational, time management and staff management skills are essential, as is a strategic perspective. To download an application form and request a job profile please visit the careers page on our website: www.surrey.police.uk quoting reference CSD/05/85. The closing date for receipt of applications is 16th September 2005. To apply for this position you will normally need to have resided in the UK continuously for the last three years and hold a permanent National Insurance number. We offer a wide range of benefits. Surrey Police will not tolerate any form of discrimination. If you cannot promote dignity, respect and equality, don’t apply. Application support can be provided by: Remploy tel: 0845 8452211, Jobcentre Plus tel: 01483 442488 or www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk or RNIB tel: 0845 7669999. Due to a number of corporate initiatives Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council I.T. Services must meet a challenging development schedule. Over the next few years Wirral is looking to implement Oracle Financials, a new content/document management application, a Customer Relationship Management application, plus replacement of the authorities Council Tax application. To assist in the implementation and support of these applications additional experienced staff are required at various grades within the Application Support Section. Principal IT Officer Wirral IT Services – Applications Support Finance Department £27,411 - £31,557 Ref No: FN/04/029 A Principal I.T. Officer is required to perform a co-ordinating role on one of the above applications. It is essential that the person appointed has taken a lead role in the implementation of a major I.T. application and have staff supervisory experience Senior IT Officer (3 posts) Wirral IT Services – Applications Support Finance Department £22,512 - £29,004 Ref No: FN/04/123 Three Senior I.T. Officers who are experienced analyst/programmers who have taken a lead role in developing major computer systems and have detailed knowledge of some of the following areas:Oracle SQL, PLSQL, Discoverer, Unix scripting, SQL server, XSLT, Application server pages, html. Senior IT Officer (Data Administrator) Wirral IT Services Finance Department £22,512 - £29,004 Ref No: FN/04/071 Wirral MBC’s database team require a new member to join them supporting a wide range of RDBMs from Sequel Server to Oracle 9i on a large number of different platforms. The successful candidate would be expected to work closely within the team while taking individual responsibility when required. Experience of Microsoft Sequel Server is a particular advantage though not essential. A flexible approach to gaining new skills and passing those skills on would also be an advantage. Essential requirements are experience in supporting an Enterprise sized RDMS and basic SQL skills. Data Analyst Addlestone, Surrey An excellent opportunity has arisen for a full-time 3 year Fixed Term Appointment (with the possibility of extension or permanency) for a Data Analyst. You will be assisting the Information Technology Unit in delivering the Data Standards component of the Agency’s Data Sciences Project. This is a critical role, requiring the applicant to gain an in-depth understanding of the VLA’s veterinary disease surveillance data holdings, and it involves developing data quality standards to identify and improve the quality of data assets whilst providing a point of contact for their security, release and use. You will be working with other departments to ensure datasets are catalogued and documented, co-ordinating a network of data stewards, and introducing and enforcing a set of data administration processes that ensure data quality. You must have in-depth relevant experience working at an appropriate level, a strong interest in computer science and/or computer information systems, and be able to identify, understand, document and resolve data consistency and data management problems. Knowledge or previous experience of Business Object and/or Crystal Reports would be an advantage. The post is in Pay Band D £22,300 - £32,100 per annum. The Civil Service offers a choice of final salary and stakeholder pensions, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best. Other benefits include 30 days annual leave, an on-site nursery, flexible working, and annual pay reviews. Applications are welcome from all sections of the community irrespective of race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. An Executive Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. IT Officer (3 posts) Wirral IT Services – Applications Support Finance Department Further details and an application form can be obtained from the VLA website www.vla.gov.uk or by writing to: Personnel (CH), Veterinary Laboratories Agency, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB quoting reference ADP 3478. The closing date for receiving completed application forms is 13th September 2005. £10,872 - £21,654 Ref No: FN/04/125 Three I.T. Officers who are I.T. experienced with some of the above skills to assist fellow team members. For an informal discussion contact John Haggett on 0151-666 3086 or John Macmillan on 0151-666 3074 Applications returnable by Friday, 16 September 2005. Please quote reference numbers. Application packs for the above posts are available from Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Corporate Services, Recruitment Admin Team, Town Hall, Brighton Street, Wallasey, Wirral CH44 8ED (0151-691 8050; e-mail jobs@wirral.gov.uk or minicom number for the hearing impaired only 0151-691 8480). Alternatively, for full details on the above vacancies, visit www.wirral.gov.uk. Details can also be downloaded free of charge from Wirral Libraries and One Stop Shops. An Equal Opportunities and Workstep employer www.wirral.gov.uk 620AUG05JH 42 Computing 1 September 2005 For more jobs, go to www.computingcareers.co.uk www.computingcareers.co.uk PROMOTING EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION computing public sector appointments Network Manager Oxfordshire Community Network ICT Services Up to £47,000 pa Ref: ICT5233C An opening currently exists for one of the top LAN/WAN networking jobs in Oxfordshire and the South East of England. The broadband OCN comprises 160 County Council buildings, 50 libraries and 284 schools, 18,000 Council users, links with public access terminals, district councils and external public authority networks. It was one of the first and still one of the premier local authority networks in the UK. Based on high-performance CISCO equipment and monitored jointly by our networking partners SYNETRIX and ourselves, the OCN guarantees top-quality services to Oxfordshire’s largest public authority employers. We are looking for a technically proficient, hands-on network manager capable of getting the best results from their in house team of six professionals and our external contractors. Your networking credentials and management skills must be second to none. For further information apply online or contact Jane on (01865) 816090 or e-mail Jane.Foley@oxfordshire.gov.uk Closing date: noon on Thursday, 8 September 2005. We offer generous holidays, development opportunities, a final salary pension scheme and a range of family-friendly policies. Further details about this job are on our website and you can apply online at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/jobs Make sure it’s all systems Systems Developer (Applications) £25,400 per annum 2 year fixed term contract Our ICT department is responsible for maintaining PITO’s internal IT systems. As part of the Applications Team, you will divide your time between providing second and third level support and fix for queries and problems relating to applications, maintaining PITO’s application infrastructure and providing project support to major technical development projects. No two days will ever be the same and you can look forward to plenty of client contact - you will manage a number of small-to-medium sized technical projects, including the management of budgets and resources and supervise internal and external technical staff. You will also carry out regular proactive maintenance, develop and maintain a resilient business continuity plan and develop and implement policies and guidelines for the ICT Group and PITONet users. Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline, you will have two years’ experience in an ICT environment, in both an application development and support role, along with experience of managing small projects and supervising others. Good communication and organisational skills are essential coupled with the ability to act independently, prioritise between competing demands and be an effective problem solver. go The pace of change in policing has never been faster than it is today. Here at PITO (Police IT Organisation), we enable forces to keep up-to-date with the latest developments - providing leading edge IT solutions, we help them to operate more efficiently and ultimately reduce crime. You’ll have every opportunity to build on your skills but as a starting point you must have knowledge of a programming language such as C++, Visual Basic or Java and familiarity with the development and support of applications in a Windows NT4/2000/2003 server environment. In return, you can expect a comprehensive package of benefits including flexible hours, pension scheme, discounted healthcare scheme, heavily subsidised childcare, interest free season ticket loan and the commitment to invest in your personal and professional development. If you’re ready to shape the future of policing in Britain and share in the rewards of our success, please log on to our website www.pito.org.uk to obtain further details and an application pack. Alternatively, you can call 0870 1420995 or email: pito@mbo.co.uk quoting ref: CS/18/05. Closing date: 16th September 2005. We are fully committed to equality of opportunity and value our diverse workforce. www.oxfordshire.gov.uk An award winning council Systems for Policing MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL Corporate Services Directorate, Corporate Technology Unit Applications Manager Circa £50k or more for an exceptional candidate Temporary post to be reviewed after 12 months Ref: 05/7085 Defence Estates - Improving Performance ... ...Implementing new processes Defence Estates is the MOD Agency responsible for the management of the defence estates. We support the operational, training and accommodation needs of the Armed Services. UNIX Administrator/ Technical Support Salary £16,672 - £24,146 Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire Your primary role will be to provide Unix administration & technical support for two high profile Unix based corporate applications and implementing an intelligent customer role to existing and new applications. To apply for this post you will need 5 GCSE’s at grade C or above or equivalent. two A Levels at grade C or above or equivalent. five years experience in Unix administration both SCO Unix and DRS/NX. Experience in team working and remote support user base. Ability to liaise with people at all levels. A degree of flexibility in terms of travelling. Previous experience in service delivery, particularly with the MOD or another government department and knowledge and experience of Microsoft EPM is desirable. DE offers excellent prospects and generous benefits that include a choice of final salary and stakeholder pensions giving you the flexibility to choose the pensions that suits you best. Conditioned hours are 37 hours per week net (42 hours gross) with flexible working arrangements available,public and privilege holidays which total 10.5 days and 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after five years service.These are non-reserve posts and therefore open to UK, British Commonwealth, Irish and European Area Nationals. Candidates should normally be resident in the UK for the last five years. Manchester City Council requires an influential, articulate and highly motivated ICT professional to lead its applications management service and control the implementation of SAP at corporate level. Reporting to the Head of Strategic Information & Technology, the successful candidate will be a key member of the Corporate Technology Management Team with significant input to the Council’s strategic plan for ICT development, and responsibility for developing, managing and monitoring the performance of a suitably skilled and highly focused Applications Management team. Applicants will have a detailed understanding of SAP and (including all aspects of implementation); experience of Applications Management within a large SAP support environment; and an extensive track record of successful direct management within a relevant field. Highly developed project management skills and a proven ability to control budgets and deliver continual service improvements are essential, as is a keen awareness of the role of new technologies within a customer-focused local authority. Closing date: 19 September 2005 The Information Business Services (IBS) department is responsible for IT security policy, for Corporate Applications and provision of IT services for DE. We have an intelligent customer role in converting business needs into IT System requirements; management of technical design; change and approval of new business applications; technical implementation for new applications and stand alone equipment; responsibility for web development and content. Assistant Project Managers Salary £16,672 - £24,146 Sutton Coldfield,West Midlands You will assist Project Managers in the full life cycle of delivery of corporate IT applications, management of project stages and bespoke applications for DE To apply for this post you will need: 5 GCSE’s at grade C or above, or equivalent and two A Levels at grade C, or above, or equivalent. Ideally you will have minimum of two years relevant experience working in IT. The ability to assimilate information and take actions based on sound judgement. Good communication and interpersonal skills are essential. PRINCE2 experience and good presentation skills are desired. Applications and further information from: Azhar Ali at Bartlett Scott Edgar on 07734 384 602 or 0207 406 5846 Email: manchester@bartlett.co.uk To view and apply for all our vacancies visit: www.manchester.gov.uk Manchester City Council is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For further details and a application pack please contact Claire Winwood, Defence Estates, DE Agency HRD SD Ops, Kingston Road, Sutton Coldfield,West Midlands, B75 7RL.Tel: 0121 311 3757 E-Mail claire.winwood@de.mod.uk. Completed application should be returned by 23 September 2005. The MOD is an Equal Opportunities employer and seeks to reflect the diverse community it serves. Applications are welcome from anyone who meets the stated requirements. For more jobs, go to www.computingcareers.co.uk 1 September 2005 Computing 43 computing careers Job of the week Technical support consultants, Glasgow and Oxfordshire, £26,000 to £37,000 p37 Public sector drives demand for IT skills Large projects and bigger budgets prompt a sellers’ market Miya Knights LARGE IT projects in the public sector and in financial services are creating a sellers’ market for IT skills, according to specialist recruitment consultancy Hays Information Technology. Compliance, large-scale reengineering projects and bigger IT budgets are fuelling the UK IT jobs market, says Hays IT director Mike Beresford. ‘Increased demand has caused the market to become very much candidate-led, exposing the recruitment industry to demand and supply challenges,’ he said. Beresford says central and local government projects, such as the NHS IT programme, are driving demand. ‘Following the large government-awarded contracts in recent years, the sector has required higher numbers of highly skilled or experienced project managers and business analysts for larger outsourcing services companies,’ said Beresford. The trend for these large-scale projects being awarded to major system integrators, such as EDS, Capgemini and Accenture, has increased the market’s reliance on a small number of recruitment suppliers for large numbers of specialist candidates. Another factor driving demand is the number of financial services companies preparing for Skills 1 Management backbytes Golly, a spot of trolley folly back_bytes@vnu.co.uk Skills in most demand Proportion of adverts 39.4% Rates Rates per hour per annum £24 £43,800 2 Support 32.0% £18 £36,600 3 Finance 25.3% £28 £51,000 A few years ago we ran a successful competition to find the dullest web site in the UK, leading us to publicise sites dedicated to such exciting concepts as ‘Pylon of the month’ and unexplained steps by the side of motorways. Now we find that these sites weren’t the work of strange obsessives, but very probably of talented artists. Simon Delamare, at Gulf International Bank (UK), points us to www.trolleyspotting.co.uk, a site dedicated to mapping abandoned shopping trolleys spotted by artist Adele Prince, who ‘examines everyday life, looking at the things we do without thinking, inviting people to take a step back’. She’s busy spotting trolleys wherever her current exhibition goes, so if you live in Nottingham, you can see a city map with little trolley icons on it already. If you can bear to wait, then Portsmouth comes soon, and London next year. ‘Trolley spotting will change and grow,’ she promises. ‘So keep visiting.’ 4 Analyst 24.9% £23 £39,900 Monday morning brews Another excellent tale of vending machines finds its way to our inbox. Tony Lang used to work at Thorn EMI’s Central Research Laboratories at Hayes in Middlesex. ‘The tea from the vending machine was never particularly good, but first thing on a Monday morning it tasted absolutely disgusting,’ he remembers. ‘I discovered why when I bumped into the guy refilling the machine.’ Evidently the tea in question was made from a liquid concentrate which went off quickly. ‘Over the weekend nobody was drinking tea, so the liquid sat there undisturbed. By Monday morning there was a thick layer of mould on the surface of the tea concentrate,’ he says. 5 Design 22.5% £32 £44,100 6 SQL 20.6% £30 £37,600 7 Unix 15.9% £31 £41,500 8 Testing 14.8% £30 £38,900 9 Programming 14.2% £31 £41,900 10 Microsoft 13.9% £16 £35,400 Hey good lookin’, what you got printing? Stupid users or quite understandable confusion? You decide. ‘I was helping a friend of mine with her internet connection a few years ago,’ says Dave Wilson, at Huntsman Performance Products. ‘I started with her modem and asked if it was connecting properly or if it was hanging up. She said: “No, it is on the desk beside the PC”.’ Didn’t we see that on the Two Ronnies once? Meanwhile Eddy Nisbet, at John Dewar & Sons, has a different kind of user altogether. ‘We had a user who called and insisted she wanted to be connected to the new colour laser printer which had appeared in their department. Unaware of any new printers in the area, I wandered down and had a look. “I’m afraid I can’t connect you”, I said. “Why not?” she asked. “Because it’s a microwave oven“, I said.’ Matt Buck legislative regulation such as Basel II and Sarbanes-Oxley. And an increase in large human resources and customer relationship management application re-engineering projects is fuelling the release of larger budgets for the first time since the high spending levels in preparation for Y2K compliance. ‘Highly skilled or experienced people such as project managers and business analysts are needed to ensure the correct solutions for these contracts are created and delivered on time, hence the increased exposure of the sector to the usual supply-and-demand challenges,’ said Beresford. Further reading www.computing.co.uk/2140472 mghk miya_knights@vnu.co.uk www.computing.co.uk Y S and N are used in Spain Remember the ‘neat trick of programming’ in which there was a ‘Y’, an ‘N’ and an ‘S’, and we said that if you didn’t get it, ask your neighbour? Paul Malone, at Trafford Primary Care Trusts, doesn’t have a neighbour to ask. ‘I felt a bit thick as I didn’t understand,’ he admits. ‘I don’t feel as thick now as I have asked everyone in IT and none of them has a clue either. Now they have given me the job of contacting you and finding out the answer before they get very angry.’ Well, imagine if you spoke Spanish, what buttons would you have instead of ‘Y’ and ‘N’? We hope that hasn’t made you more angry. Inside today’s Careers: Check out the top IT vacancies, starting on page 34 Dilbert® Ewe have to be kidding We consult The Sun for all the news we want to know about the UK’s space programme. For example, last week we read that plans for the UK’s first spaceport, due to be built in Thurso in the north of Scotland to launch satellites over the North Pole, have been shelved. While the European Space Agency and AEA Technology held talks on the plan, the problem was what might happen if a rocket crashed soon after launch. It would, they decided, be a danger to the local sheep. Is it true? If you’re a sheep in the north of Scotland, please let us know. For more news, features, analysis and jobs, visit: www.computing.co.uk