Site architects 'essential for website resilience'

Website architects are a business' most important asset when it comes to building a resilient site, an expert has claimed.

Steve King, technical director of Digital Jigsaw, said that good software design, monitoring and hardware infrastructure are the three areas which firms need to consider when launching a website, but claimed having the right people in place is vital.

'A good chief architect is your main weapon in your arsenal as without good design you can have all the hardware in the world and it'll come to nought,' he explained.

Mr King also stressed the importance of thoroughly monitoring all the traffic which flows to the website, as this will allow companies to identify areas where problems could emerge and take steps to avert them.

Recently, Blue Coat Systems found that 54 per cent of IT managers believe firms should ban their employees from watching the World Cup at work, as some fear high-bandwidth video streaming could cause their IT infrastructure to crash.

Preparation 'is vital for a successful interview'

With many firms preparing to end their recruitment freezes, people need to ensure that their interview technique is up to scratch.

Offering a range of tips on how to succeed in interviews, City A.M. recommended that candidates prepare thoroughly for the meeting, especially if it is with a panel, in order to prevent them from feeling intimidated.

Applicants should also carefully consider each word they use in the interview, especially when it comes to explaining why they want to leave their current role. The newspaper advised people to think of positive reasons for this, such as wanting a faster career progression.

People should strive to sell themselves, the publication added, explaining: 'These days, you will have to really demonstrate that you can add value to a potential employer.'

It also said that highlighting achievements, such as how workers introduced efficiency measures at their last firm, can show a potential employer how they can help their organisation.

Recent research by the Confederation of British Industry found that only five per cent of UK employers are currently implementing a recruitment freeze, dropping from 37 per cent six months ago.

Paternity leave 'should be employment right'

The government's plans to extend flexible working but not paternity leave have been criticised by public sector union UNISON.

In this week's Queen's Speech, it was confirmed that barriers to flexible working will be removed in the UK, as well as equal pay being promoted.

UNISON assistant policy officer Michelle Singleton welcomed the move to increase the use of flexible working in the UK, as it can be beneficial to both staff and their employees.

However, she added: 'Unfortunately, it's giving with one and taking with the other; we're not now going to see the extra two weeks that fathers would have got for paternity leave.'

Ms Singleton pointed out that trade unions engaged in a lengthy campaign to secure the right for men to have greater paternity leave and this was eventually included in Labour's election manifesto.

Last month, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development senior public policy advisor Ben Willmott argued that flexible working is good for businesses, as it improves work/life balances and boosts job satisfaction.

Firms 'should consider outplacement services'

Businesses should attempt to offer their employees outplacement services, an expert has claimed, which may help those going on to seek new IT jobs.

Sian Harrington, editor of business magazine HR, said that outplacement - which sees firms offer career, CV or interview advice to departing employees - can be a 'valuable' service to offer as it can improve their corporate brand.

'Employees who leave a company having received such a service tend to think more highly of the company and will still recommend it as a good place to work,' she explained.

Ms Harrington added that outplacement services show people the firm is willing to invest in their career development even when they are due to leave the company.

However, the expert admitted that some firms, such as small businesses or those hit especially hard by the recession, could find it difficult to spare the resources to provide the service.

This month, the Institute for Public Policy Research claimed that more than one million people are working part-time because they are unable to win a full-time role.

Companies 'planning to boost recruitment'

British companies are poised to resume their recruitment activities, an expert has claimed, which may be welcome news for IT job candidates.

Recent research from the Confederation of British Industry showed that just five per cent of firms have a recruitment freeze in place, falling from 37 per cent six months ago and nearly two-thirds a year ago.

Lisette Howlett, managing director and founder of online community HireScores.com, said she would expect businesses to begin taking on more staff as the recession draws to a close.

'Many of these firms will not have taken on new staff for some time. As things start to ease in the economy, more people will also be looking to move on and this creates a knock-on effect,' she commented.

However, Ms Howlett reminded IT job candidates that the employment market in the UK is highly competitive at the moment, as firms can choose from a vast pool of applicants and are likely to be very selective.

Recently, Duncan Brown, director of human resources business development at the Institute for Employment Studies, predicted that pay freezes will start to end in many businesses.

Mobile VoIP 'to hit 100m users by 2012'

The number of mobile VoIP users could reach more than 100 million by 2012, it has been predicted, which could create new IT jobs.

A new report by Juniper Research also claimed that the majority of these consumers will live in Europe and the US, as the rollout of mobile VoIP services is likely to be quicker in developed markets.

However, the study additionally suggested that developing markets could see a greater amount of mobile VoIP traffic than their developed counterparts, driven by the calling patterns of migrant workers.

Anthony Cox, senior analyst at Juniper Research, said: 'By 2012 we expect significant uptake of mobile VoIP in its various different flavours. By that date mobile VoIP will be available over both 3G and Wi-Fi networks.'

The report added that the market could see traditional telephony operators and new mobile VoIP providers establish alliances to capitalise on rising user demand.

Earlier this month, industry analyst Frost & Sullivan predicted that mobile VoIP revenues will grow from $605.8 million (£421.6 million) in 2008 to more than $29.5 billion by 2015.

Networks 'could suffer during World Cup'

IT managers think that the World Cup could lead to problems on their companies' networks, new research has found.

A poll carried out by Blue Coat Systems showed that 54 per cent of IT professionals believe employees should be banned from watching the action in South Africa as it could eat up bandwidth and place strain on their networks.

In addition, 65 per cent of respondents said their firms have not established any policies for ensuring video streaming does not affect vital business applications, while 59 per cent lack the technology to do this.

Nigel Hawthorn, vice president of European, Middle Eastern and African marketing at Blue Coat, commented: 'Many employees are unaware of the effect of running video streaming on a network. It's important that IT and HR managers clearly communicate their corporate rules to employees.'

Earlier this month, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said that allowing employees to watch World Cup matches in the office or permitting them to work flexible hours around games could increase morale.

Growth reported in worldwide server market

There was an increase in worldwide server shipments in the first quarter of the year, new figures have shown.

A report by industry analyst Gartner revealed that shipments in the global server market rose by 23 per cent in the opening three months of 2010 when compared to the previous year, which may be good news for IT jobs.

The research also discovered that not all segments of the market fared equally well, with shipments of x86-based servers growing by 25.3 per cent, but falls of 28.5 per cent seen in the RISC/Itanium Unix sector.

Jeffrey Hewitt, research vice president at Gartner, commented: 'We've seen a return to growth on a worldwide level, but the market has not yet returned to the historical quarterly highs that were posted in 2008, and there were some interesting variations in that growth.'

In addition, the report showed HP was the vendor that achieved the most success in terms of revenue with sales of $3.4 billion (£2.4 billion) - which accounted for 31.5 per cent of the market.

Last month, research by IDC claimed that blade servers are increasingly being considered a mainstream technology.

Recruitment freezes 'set to end'

More companies in the UK appear to be willing to end their recruitment freezes, new research has shown, which may lead to an increase in IT jobs.

The Picking up the Pace report, published by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), revealed that just five per cent of UK employers are currently implementing a hiring freeze.

This contrasts to almost two-thirds of firms which reported doing so 12 months ago and the 37 per cent pausing recruitment six months ago.

John Cridland, deputy director general of the CBI, commented: 'Although there are some signs that job prospects are improving, a good number of businesses are still operating a pay freeze.'

The report found that 16 per cent of businesses are sill running a pay freeze, while just three per cent intend to increase wages above inflation in the coming months.

Earlier this week, Institute for Employment Studies director of human resources business development Duncan Brown predicted that many companies will start to increase wages in a bid to improve employee motivation and retention.

REC: Govt should limit IT project scraps

The government should not be too eager to cut investment in essential technology projects, it has been suggested, which may interest those seeking new IT jobs.

Earlier this week, the Treasury announced how £6.2 billion-worth of savings will be made in the public sector budget and revealed that £95 million will be reduced by cutting IT spending.

Jeff Brooks, chair of Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) Technology, said it was known well before the election that the public sector budget would have to be cut to reduce the UK's deficit.

'We would advise government not to sever critical IT investment projects which will generate even greater costs for the country in the long run,' he added.

Mr Brooks also claimed that a major worry is local authorities will start to scrap key IT improvement projects when they have to look at how to reduce their own budgets.

Last week, the REC claimed that the coalition government programme contains good news for the UK's recruitment sector, such as pledges to review business taxation and employment regulation.

Companies 'to end pay freezes'

Firms are likely to start rolling back the pay freezes that they implemented to survive the recession, an expert has predicted.

Recent research by the Bank of England showed fewer contracts are stipulating frozen pay in 2010 than they were last year, suggesting that companies may soon be willing to increase wages.

Duncan Brown, director of human resources business development at the Institute for Employment Studies, said some firms will start to increase salaries to improve recruitment and employee loyalty.

'Recovery [is] picking up in some sectors and fears in others that two years of freezes and no bonuses will mean better people will leave,' he commented.

In addition, Mr Brown claimed that some companies will be aiming to offer their staff total reward packages in order to keep them motivated in light of frozen pay and the tough business climate.

A study by Incomes Data Services recently showed that 31 per cent of contracts in the first quarter of the year included pay freezes, falling from 34 per cent in the three months up to February.

IDC: IT spending to grow 3.8%

Worldwide IT spending is expected to rebound from the economic downturn over the rest of the year, which may be good news for those seeking IT jobs.

A report by industry analyst IDC revealed that businesses' spending on PCs, servers, storage, and network equipment has increased over the past two quarters, resulting in strong growth from the lows recorded in the recession.

In addition, the research predicted that worldwide IT spending will grow by 3.8 per cent in 2010 to reach $1.47 trillion (£1 trillion).

Stephen Minton, vice president of worldwide IT markets and strategies at IDC, commented: 'Just as capital spending on hardware is the first thing to fall in a recession, it's also the first thing to come back up for air when IT budgets are surfacing above water.'

However, Mr Minton added that some firms will be cautious about increasing their investment in IT due to the current economic climate and could hold back on their project-based spending and large contracts.

Earlier this month, technology market analyst Gartner claimed that global enterprise IT spending will increase by 4.1 per cent during the course of 2010.

REC: Govt should not cut flexible workers

The government should avoid reducing spending on temporary workers to safeguard the economic recovery, it has been claimed.

Kevin Green, chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, said the government could see cutting the number of flexible staff as an easy way to reduce public spending.

However, he claimed that the delivery of some frontline services relies on temporary workers and their long-term success could be damaged if workers are cut in short-term savings drives.

'Agency staff are a cost effective solution for public sector employers because they do not carry the same on-costs, such as pensions, that full time employees do,' he commented.

Mr Green also noted that flexible workers allow the public sector to use labour as and when they require, reducing the need for them to incur additional costs during periods of low activity.

Last week, the REC welcomed the programme laid out by the coalition government, claiming it has positive news for recruiters in terms of business taxation and employment regulation.

Small firms 'need fast broadband to survive'

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has called on the government to increase basic broadband speeds in the UK, which may interest those seeking IT jobs.

According to the research by the group, one-third of small companies were offered speeds of two to four Mbps by their broadband provider, but 94 per cent think their current services do not meet this.

FSB national chairman John Walker commented: 'The lack of broadband is unacceptable in the 21st century. The UK is lagging behind and as a result small businesses - especially in rural areas - cannot develop their business online.'

Mr Walker also recommended that Ed Vaizey, the UK's new broadband minister, makes internet providers follow a universal service commitment to ensure they deliver their advertised speeds.

The FSB claims that introducing superfast broadband into Britain will add more than £18 billion to its gross domestic product and create 60,000 new jobs.

Last week, industry analyst Gartner predicted that global enterprise IT spending will increase by 4.1 per cent in 2010 to reach $2.4 trillion (£1.7 trillion).

Firms 'need to boost communications investment'

Companies should increase their investment in communications technologies to succeed in the economic recovery, according to an expert, which may be good news for IT jobs.

Writing on managementtoday.co.uk, Avaya managing director for UK and Ireland Lee Shorten revealed that research by his firm found British companies let communications standards fall during the recession.

The poll found that two-fifths of firms saw internal communications suffer over the past two years, while the same proportion believe contact with customers deteriorate. In addition, 30 per cent noticed communication from their suppliers weaken.

'Organisations can no longer expect customers and employees to accommodate the limited communication methods they offer. Rather, the reverse must be true or customers will simply take their business elsewhere,' Mr Shorten wrote.

The expert added that companies should start to invest in platforms such as unified communications and social media, as this will allow them to boost their relationships with customers.

Earlier this month, Jon Neville, general manager at the Enterprise Virtual Private Network Users Association, told the UC Expo that larger firms can find it hard to adapt their old networks to use unified communications.

Mobile VoIP tipped for strong growth

Mobile VoIP is set to become an increasingly important communications tool, which could create new IT jobs.

The Impact of Mobile VoIP on Next Generation Cellular Networks report from industry analyst Frost & Sullivan claimed that revenues in the sector will grow from $605.8 million (£421.6 million) in 2008 to more than $29.5 billion by 2015.

In addition, the research suggested that mobile VoIP will become a threat to the revenue of traditional voice communications, as the technology increasingly becomes the principal transport for several access technologies.

Saverio Romeo, senior industry analyst with Frost & Sullivan, commented: 'The emergence of flat rate mobile data pricing, positive growth of smartphone shipments and high-speed mobile broadband availability has spurred the adoption rate of mobile VoIP.'

He also predicted that conventional mobile firms will have to include VoIP technologies and applications in their products to benefit from this development.

A recent report from IT industry analyst IDC revealed that 54.7 million smartphones were shipped in the first quarter of 2010, increasing by 56.7 per cent on the same period in the previous year.

Media tablet market 'set to grow'

More than seven million media tablets will be shipped this year, it has been predicted, which could be good news for those in IT jobs.

Research by sector specialist IDC suggested that the launch of Apple's iPad will spur a jump in demand in the media tablet market and lead to annual worldwide shipments reaching 7.6 million units by the end of the year.

In addition, the study forecast that the sector will experience a compound annual growth rate of 57.4 per cent and will see more than 46 million units tablets shipped in 2014.

Susan Kevorkian, programme director of digital marketplace for mobile media and entertainment at IDC, commented: 'These are early days for media tablets, an altogether new device category that takes its place between smartphones and portable PCs.'

She added that as more applications are developed for use on media tablets, they will increasingly become seen as essential devices for many consumers.

This week, IT analyst Garner claimed that the western Europe PC market saw 18.1 million units shipped in the first quarter of 2010, growing by 19.4 per cent on the opening three months of 2009.

Coalition programme 'good for recruitment'

Experts have highlighted which of the coalition government's policies will affect the recruitment industry.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) said the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition programme includes a number of 'positive messages' with regards to business taxation and employment regulation.

Measures to reduce red tape, promote small business procurement, review IR35 and make regulatory inspections more targeted were highlighted by the organisation.

Tom Hadley, director of external relations of the REC, said that the government's commitment to reducing regulatory burdens and cutting bureaucracy is one of the most impressive elements of the programme.

He added: 'The coalition programme provides a broad outline of what lies ahead, the next few months will be about joining up the dots and ensuring that our collective voice is at the forefront of these major debates.'

Mr Hadley also said that he is concerned that public sector spending cuts will have an impact on the government's use of agency staff but pointed out that the REC will continue to champion the merits of using temporary workers.

Freelancing organisation PCG also welcomed the coalition programme, claiming that the review of IR35 will help the UK's smaller companies.

Technology skills 'are valued in jobs market'

People skilled in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) will always be in demand from employers, it has been claimed.

This week, a report by the Confederation of British Industry revealed that 45 per cent of employers are finding it difficult to take on workers with high STEM skills, while 51 per cent predict recruitment problems will get worse in the future.

Dan Hawes, co-founder of the Graduate Recruitment Bureau, said that the current job market is full of opportunities for people proficient in STEM disciplines.

'They are a very attractive audience for recruiters because they can bring a lot of skills and are highly intelligent and they will be in demand with companies who want managers of the future,' he commented.

Mr Hawes also suggested that IT job applicants should strive to differentiate themselves from other candidates by taking any available internships and completing relevant training courses.

Earlier this week, Investec chief economist Philip Shaw predicted that the jobs market will start to improve significantly at the end of 2010 or the start of 2011.

REC identifies recruiters' main concerns

Consultation workshops into industry qualifications for the recruitment sector have shown the main concerns of companies.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has been seeking feedback from industry members on how it should reform the qualifications offered through its Academy for Business.

In the workshops, recruiters admitted they are concerned about the increasingly complex regulatory requirements being applied to the sector, changing procurement procedures from clients and new ways of building relationships with customers and clients.

Judith Armatage, director of professional development at the REC, said: 'The practical input of recruiters has already proved invaluable in helping us build a world-class qualifications programme for the future.'

She added that the review has shown the skills and competencies required by recruiters are evolving to include issues such as compliance with employment legislation and how to deal with firms' in-house recruitment processes.

The REC's Academy for Business currently offers professionals the opportunity to earn certificate, diploma, bachelor and masters degrees in recruitment practice.

IT firms 'improved delivery in recession'

The technology industry has become more willing to investigate new ways of delivering IT because of the recession, an expert has claimed.

In news which may interest those looking for new IT jobs, silicon.com editor Steve Ranger pointed out that many firms reduced their investment in technology during the economic downturn, in a bid to save money.

He explained that many companies have been tempted to make do with their older IT systems rather than invest in expensive projects to upgrade them, but this has spurred technology firms to look at new ways of offering their services.

'[The recession] has made companies more willing to experiment with new ways of delivering IT - whether that is through outsourcing or offshoring or adopting cutting edge technologies such as cloud computing,' the expert commented.

Last week, a report by technology association Intellect claimed that the UK IT industry has an opportunity to capitalise on the economic recovery, as companies boost their investment in technology to survive increased competition and unstable markets.

Work/life balance 'affects health'

Getting a good work/life balance can help to improve health, an expert has suggested, which may be good news for IT contractors.

Recent research published in the European Health Journal claimed that putting in large amounts of overtime on a regular basis can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

Gill Trevelyan, head of good practice services at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, agreed that the amount of work a person does can be linked to their physical and psychological health.

'It really is important to get your work-life balance right - in other words being fully engaged and doing your job properly but also making sure you take time for the other aspects of your life,' she commented.

Ms Trevelyan added that people should attempt to make full use of their lunch break, in addition to taking time to exercise and get some fresh air.

The expert also recommended that companies train their line managers to recognise the signs of work-related stress in those below them, so the issue can be dealt with before it becomes a problem.

CVs 'are an advertisement for the candidate'

IT job applicants should remember that their CV is a self-marketing tool and use it to best effect, it has been suggested.

Writing on punchng.com, Ime Umoren pointed out that many people do not consider crafting a resume to be a difficult task, but making a mistake can reduce the chances of them securing a job.

He recommended that jobseekers tailor their CV to each vacancy they are interested in, as this will paint them in the best possible light for recruiters.

'The sole function of the well-written resume is to convince potential employers that the person is the perfect candidate for the job you seek,' the commentator wrote.

Mr Umoren added that IT job applicants should include information on their CV which will introduce their qualifications and skills to the recruiter and demonstrate that they are able to fill the position.

Last week, an article in the Guardian recommended that candidates invest in good quality materials to make sure their CV is presented well, but advised them against using too many bright colours or distracting pictures.

Cybercriminals 'focusing on social networks'

Hackers are increasingly relying on social networking media to spread malware, IT security consultants have been warned.

According to a recent report by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1,000-strong batches of hacked or compromised Twitter accounts are currently being sold between cybercriminals for as little as $100 (£68).

Commenting on the findings, Sophos senior technology consultant Graham Cluley said hackers have started to regard social networks as a 'more and more important way' of launching attacks.

'Criminal gangs can deliver attacks via social networks just as easily as they can via traditional email, but unlike corporate email systems this vector is typically not being scanned for spam and malicious content,' he explained.

Mr Cluley also cited research by his company which found that there has been a 70 per cent increase in the number of social network-based spam and malware attacks reported over the past 12 months.

In addition, he claimed that 72 per cent of companies are worried about the risk social networking creates for their corporate infrastructure and its stored data. He recommended firms adopt real-time protection to guard against spam or malicious applications.

UK 'may be short of highly-skilled workers'

New research has predicted that the economic recovery will lead to increased demand for highly-skilled workers in the UK, which may interest those considering new IT jobs.

The Ready To Grow: Business Priorities for Education and Skills report, published by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), revealed that 51 per cent of employers are worried they will not be able to fill vacancies requiring candidates holding degrees or above.

In addition, 32 per cent expect to experience difficulties when seeking applicants for intermediate-skilled jobs, which need qualifications or skills equivalent to A level.

The poll also found that 45 per cent of firms are currently finding it hard to recruit workers with skills in technology, science, engineering and mathematics, despite the recession leading to high unemployment rates.

Richard Lambert, director general of the CBI, commented: 'As we move further into recovery and businesses plan for growth, the demand for people with high-quality skills and qualifications will intensify.'

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation recently claimed that the UK's firms appear to be planning to make use of agency workers in their post-recession business strategies.