Alan Mathison Turing, OBE, FRS  23 June 1912 – 7 June 1954), was an English mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, and computer scientist. He was highly influential in the development of computer science, providing a formalisation of the concepts of “algorithm” and “computation” with the Turing machine, which played a significant role in the creation of the modern computer.^[1][2] Turing is widely considered to be the father of computer science and artificial intelligence.^[3] He was stockily built, had a high-pitched voice, and was talkative, witty, and somewhat donnish.^[4]

 During the Second World War, Turing worked for the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, Britain’s codebreaking centre. For a time he was head of Hut 8, the section responsible for German naval cryptanalysis. He devised a number of techniques for breaking German ciphers, including the method of the bombe, an electromechanical machine that could find settings for the Enigma machine. After the war he worked at the National Physical Laboratory, where he created one of the first designs for a stored-program computer, the ACE.

 Towards the end of his life Turing became interested in mathematical biology. He wrote a paper on the chemical basis of morphogenesis,^[5] and he predicted oscillating chemical reactions such as the Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction, which were first observed in the 1960s.

Turing’s homosexuality resulted in a criminal prosecution in 1952, when homosexual acts were still illegal in the United Kingdom. He accepted treatment with female hormones (chemical castration) as an alternative to prison. He died in 1954, just over two weeks before his 42nd birthday, from cyanide poisoning. An inquest determined it was suicide; his mother and some others believed his death was accidental. On 10 September 2009, following an Internet campaign, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an official public apology on behalf of the British government for the way in which Turing was treated after the war.^[6]

Alan Turing is one of the greatest minds of the 20th century.  Computer companies have a lot to thank him for. 

For more information about the topic Alan Turing, read the full article at Wikipedia.org 

The Cisco Sales Associates Program is one of the most highly coveted early-in-career development programs designed specifically for top university graduates who aspire to become our next generation of sales leaders at Cisco.

This year long program provides world class, hands-on educational and experiential training that will prepare our Associate Sales Representatives (ASR) and Associate Systems Engineers (ASE) to become successful Account Managers and System Engineers in the Cisco Sales Organization.

We are now looking for graduates across Europe who are passionate about technology, who have strong interpersonal skills, who thrive on solving problems and who want to collaborate with colleagues  around the globe.

Interested?

Cisco Sales Associate Program Description

CSAP_Job Description_University_ASE (2) (2)

You are eligible if you are:

• Undergraduate or graduate degree (minimum BS/BA)
• Graduated from an accredited university prior to program start date and within 27 months of program start date
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher or equivalent in your academic program
• Electrical/Computer/Networking Engineering, Information Technology, MIS, Computer Science, Mathematics or Physics degree preferred
• Technical support, pre-sales support, installation or sales experience in the technology industry preferred
• Fluent in English, written and verbal
• Must be able to legally live and work in Europe, without visa support or sponsorship (student visas or visas obtained on your own are not applicable for the program)
• Willing to relocate to a training hub, within the candidate’s country or region, for the duration of the program
• Must be willing to relocate upon completion of the program within your country/region or stay at the hub location, depending on the business need (we cannot confirm final placement destination at time of offer.

Successful candidates will benefit from: 

• The opportunity to work in one of the most successful sales organizations in the world
• Highly competitive salary, accelerated career opportunities and excellent benefits
• Virtual collaboration with classmates from around the world using TelePresence and WebEx
• Access to next generation technologies
• Training, coaching and mentoring by experienced Systems Engineers and Account Managers
• Ability to earn industry-leading certifications (CCNA, CCNP, and CCIE)
• Opportunity to work in a uniquely diverse and socially responsible environment
• The chance to work in multi-million dollar territories with high earning potential
• A significant investment by Cisco to your ongoing career development and success

To apply for an Associate Systems Engineer position on our Cisco Sales Associate Program: 

• Please apply online: http://www.universityconnection.ciscoeos.com/
• Go to Search & Apply
• Then click FULL TIME SALES
• The Offer is: Europe – Associate Sales Representative – Sales
• You will need to fill in a form
• Use our Facebook Group if you want to ask direct questions to the recruiting team

Use the Search and Apply tab at the top of the page

Note: All candidates must speak English and if applying for a role in Amsterdam English plus 1 other language is ideally required (ideally European language).

• Application Deadline: 7^th October 2011
• Start date: Applicants must be available to start full time in February 2012

Please be aware that positions are available in the Netherlands, the UK, Germany and France. During the selection procedure you will be contacted by Cisco should your application progress through the three rounds of selection.

Shortlisted candidates will be required to attend an assessment centre in one of the four countries mentioned above in person. Travel costs will be reimbursed to those candidates called to the final in-person assessment.

Please visit the official CSAP Facebook page for more detailed information.

Stephen Elliott, Network Consulting Engineer, Cisco, UK

Another plus for the course, according to Stephen, was his instructor. “Steve Deards is without any doubt the best teacher I have ever come across,” he insists, adding: “lessons were fun, exciting, entertaining and always extremely productive. I gained so much from his influence and the level and materials we covered far exceeded the standard required for the course.”

In addition, Stephen found that his Cisco course had a clear industry focus that was to be of immense practical and career value. “I had easy access to current technology and we used real case studies to simulate complete projects from beginning to end,” he elaborates.

His hard work paid off, with a First Class university degree and Cisco CCNA from the Networking Academy program which Stephen later topped up with CCDA, CCNP and CCDP certifications. Once qualified, Stephen focused his attention on finding employment. He had been busy researching potential employers and concluded that: “As I wanted a career in this industry, I felt Cisco would be the perfect company to work for. I found out about the graduate scheme, applied, went through the various stages of the interview process and, ultimately, I was offered a position.” Here again, he found the support of his Networking Academy – and Steve Deards – invaluable. “He was the biggest driving force. His advice and guidance was, in my opinion, instrumental in me being successful on the Cisco assessment day,” he says.

This short description of how Stephen became a Network Consulting Engineer omits one key factor – that, as one of the 20 or so successful candidates, he beat the 2000 who were not chosen. And his advice to those seeking a career in networking? “Search for jobs while you are still learning and beat down every door to get your CV on the table. Sell yourself!”

Future plans

Having now worked as a Network Consulting Engineer for four years, Stephen plans to develop his career within Cisco, aiming to take on more management responsibilities in addition to his technical role, while working towards more certifications.

Granted, we may not be able to lift a spaceship out of a swamp like Yoda does in The Empire Strikes Back, but it is possible to steer a model car, drive a wheelchair and control a robotic exoskeleton with just your thoughts.

We are standing in a testing room at IBM’s Emerging Technologies lab in Winchester, England.

On my head is a strange headset that looks like a black plastic squid. Its 14 tendrils, each capped with a moistened electrode, are supposed to detect specific brain signals.

In front of us is a computer screen, displaying an image of a floating cube.  As I think about pushing it, the cube responds by drifting into the distance.

Admittedly, the system needed a fair bit of pre-training to achieve this single task. But it has, nonetheless, learned to associate a specific thought pattern with a particular movement.

The headset, which was developed by Australian company Emotiv for the games industry, has been around for some time. But it is only now that companies such as IBM are beginning to harness the wealth of data that it can provide.

Using software developed in-house, researchers have linked the Emotiv to devices such as a model car, a light switch and a television.

Control signals come from two main sources; electroencephalography (EEG) measurements of brain activity, and readings of nerve impulses as they travel outwards to the muscles.

Restoring movement

New techniques for processing such information are enabling sophisticated real world applications.

Already the team has used the system to help a patient with locked-in syndrome, whose healthy, active mind became trapped in a motionless body following a stroke.

“We linked the headset to the IBM middleware, and when he pushed the cube on the screen, that behaved like a click of the mouse – so he was able to use the computer,” explained IBM’s Kevin Brown.

Many commercial mind control technologies are designed to restore physical ability to those who have lost it.

At Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), researchers have applied brain-computer interface technology to create thought-controlled wheelchairs and telepresence robots.

“A disabled patient who can’t move can instead navigate such a robot around his house to participate in the social life of the family,” explains the team leader, Professor Jose del Millan.

“To do that, a helmet detects the intention of some physical movement and translates it into action.”

Japanese company Cyberdyne is helping people who cannot walk to regain mobility by dressing them in a full-body robotic suit called Hal.

Just as some of IBM’s readings come from nerve impulses, rather than brain waves, Cyberdyne uses tiny sensors on the limbs to measure the subject’s intention to move, even if the physical act is impossible.

The robot body responds by moving its arms or legs. Webcams and computer screens enabling the user to pilot their machine and communicate with friends and family through their proxy body.

Outside the healthcare field, another implementation, being developed by EPFL in partnership with car maker Nissan, is an intelligent vehicle that can use brainwave data.

Supported by numerous external sensors and cameras, brain wave sensors read what the driver is planning to do next.

Having anticipated their intentions, the car takes over, eliminating the need for tedious and time consuming physical movement.

For those who prefer pedal power, Toyota is working with Saatchi & Saatchi, Parlee Cycles and DeepLocal to develop a bicycle which can shift gear based on its rider’s thoughts.

Suits and microchips

Headsets and helmets offer cheap, easy-to-use ways of tapping into the mind. But there are other, more invasive techniques being developed.

The technology, dubbed BrainGate, sends mental commands directly to a PC.

Subjects still have to be physically “plugged” into a computer via cables coming out of their heads, in a setup reminiscent of the film The Matrix. However, the team is now working on miniaturising the chips and making them wireless.

BrainGate is developing ways of using the output to control a computer cursor, on-screen keyboard, and even manipulate robotic arms.

After testing it on monkeys, the scientists have now started human trials. Lead researcher Prof John Donoghue hopes that one day, his groundbreaking research will help people with spinal cord injuries or locked-in syndrome to walk again just by thinking of moving their limbs.

Robot warriors?

But extracting information from the brain, be it by internal or external sensors, is only part of the story.

Much of the current research effort is looking at how to efficiently process and utilise the vast streams of data that the brain produces.

Turning analogue thoughts into digital information links human beings directly to electronic information networks, such as the internet. The brain becomes becomes yet another sensor to be analysed and interrogated.

And as techniques for crunching that output get more sophisticated, the technology it drives will move beyond simple device control.

“People like data,” said IBM’s Ed Jellard. “So if you can see patterns of data, the geekier people will be very interested to see what is going on in their brain and how it is changing over time.

“I would be interest to know if my brain is getting stronger and if I have more intense thoughts. Things like that could be useful.”

They are not the same as lasers in a fibre optic cable or electrons in a microprocessor, and tapping the mind will raise philosophical and ethical questions, according to Prof Noel Sharkey.

“Once the military get a hold of it, they will push it very hard,” he explains.

“At the moment they are filling the airspace in Afghanistan with drones that only one person can control – but if they get the helmets well enough developed, they’ll be able to control a number of planes or robot warriors directly with their thoughts.”

There are also questions about what form cyber crime would take in the age of the wired mind?

“Imagine some kind of a wireless computer device in your head that you’ll use for mind control – what if people hacked into that, what could they do to you and your property?,” continues Prof Sharkey.

“And what if you are forced to wear a device and someone controls you with his thoughts, making you do things?…”

The possibilities, both positive and negative, are literally mind boggling.

This article was written by Katia Moskvitch Technology reporter, BBC News, www.bbcnews.com

Whether it be a new boss, a new job, a corporate buy-out, a downsizing, or some other change that is about to occur in your workplace, you are now uneasy. Will you have to prove yourself all over again? Will your job be in jeopardy? Can you perform in the new situation as well as you did in the old one?

If you are like most people, you will go through three stages when you experience a change at work. Initially, you have an emotional reaction. You may be surprised; you may be shocked; you may be disappointed; you may feel guilty; you may be excited; or you may be uncomfortable. All of these feelings are normal, but it is how you channel your emotions that counts. Take a deep breath and focus on moving forward.

The second phase is analysis. You will ask yourself, “What does this change mean for me?” Your attitude during this phase is crucial.

 Instead of resisting the change or wishing for the good old days, focus on the positive aspects of the new situation. Maybe you can turn the reorganization into an opportunity. Maybe you can start off with no baggage with a new boss. Maybe, already being a go-to person, you can become a star to the new management. Maybe you will have an opportunity to learn a new skill. Continue to do your work, communicate your accomplishments and get the job done. Stay in touch with your network and support groups while looking for ways to make the change easier for everyone. Take it one day at a time and focus on solutions rather than problems. Your flexibility will be appreciated.

The final phase is acceptance. How fast this occurs depends on you and on how deeply the change affected you. Eventually you will reach a point where you have found your place in the new situation and once again start to feel comfortable and competent. At least until the next change!

The more you accept change and learn to move on, the easier the next change will be. In fact, you may find that its the changes that keep you and your job from becoming stale. My mother used to tell me, If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies. Give the change a chance. It might be the best thing that ever happened to you.

This article was written by Renee Weisman, a business and life coach.

We are now looking to recruit Network Support Engineers to work variable shift patterns within our Global Network Operations Facility in Brno, Czech Republic. Relocate to Brno and work for a Cisco Multinational Partner!

Brno is 2^nd largest city in the Czech Republic. It is a commercially important hub, with many national and international companies located there.  As it is home for some of the top ranking universities in Czech Republic, you can sense the youthful and vibrant atmosphere.  There is plenty to do.

 The positions available offer:

• Opportunity to work for an international, independent and rapidly growing private company  in the heart of Europe
• Enjoy good quality work-life balance with plenty of cultural and sports opportunities
• Employee benefits are fully subsidized lunch vouchers, 25 days paid annual leave, relocation assistance in the form of  guidance about the town and financial help if you live more than 300km outside of Brno
• Up to 3 months induction training with experienced team mentors. Includes classroom training as well as practice in a live environment and guided self-study. State of the art lab available for training.
• Base salaries above the range of local market and dependant on working knowledge of EU languages, experience & Cisco accreditations

 We are looking for:

• Experience of customer service ideally gained in a customer facing environment
• Fully CCNA qualified or relevant experience
• English proficiency in both verbal & written form
• Good working knowledge of languages such as French, Dutch, German, Spanish, Italian (subject to an assessment)
• Flexibility to work either 12 hr shifts (weekends, nights, and national holidays) or day 8 hr shifts (Mon – Fri). This depends on business requirements.
• Must be EU passport holder, willing to relocate, culturally sensitive,  appreciate cultural differences

 Job Specification          

 Purpose of Role

This role is a mix of tier 1& 2 network support for our major telecommunications customer. That means the engineer determines the issue, actions by engaging relevant party and keeps the client updated until a solution is provided.  The engineer will also be expected to build knowledge on Cisco switches, will have an access to EMEA & US devices and will learns nscglobal procedures and those of their global customers.  Once fully confident then further, 2^nd level responsibilities are added; fixing faults, handling global clients of various technical expertise.

Working hours

To provide a multilingual support you will be required to work various shifts in order to cover 24/7 operation.  Shifts will be assigned to you by your manager. It will be either 8hr (Mon – Fri) or 12 hr shifts (Mon – Sun), allowing for continuous periods of rest.

 Principle Duties and Responsibilities in tier 1 and 2:

• Multi platform Cisco support, HP & proprietary solutions (i.e. netgates)
• Direct customer and account team interface providing day to day network support
• Manage trouble investigation, isolation and steady state recovery
• Assists users to identify and solve complex connection/communication problems
• Workload breakdown: premium customers (eVPN) where minimal verbal engagement is required as well as all other low cost end user services (RAS, BIS, AVTS, Anira) where regular communication with customers is required.

 Technical Skills Profile

• A Background in Maintenance and/or Managed Service Sales within the Network arena
• Helpdesk experience
• Cisco CCNA Qualified or relevant NOC experience of at least 1 year
• Background knowledge of frame relay, ATM, DSL
• Problem resolution will require knowledge of the back-up methods such as ISDN, iBGP, HSRP, VRRP), troubleshooting, routing protocols such as OSPF, BGP and EIGRP
• Basic knowledge of Windows, Unix, ticketing systems such as Remedy

Soft Skills Profile

• Must be able to communicate effectively with the team, corporate customers of different technical expertize and all levels of management
• Ability to efficiently resolve customer’s problems and escalate further to tier 3 as per agreed service level agreements or to other 3^rd party as necessary
• Professionalism at all times, assertiveness and accountability, good timekeeping, flexibility
• Ability to work well under pressure, set priorities and be comfortable making decisions
• Drive enthusiasm, initiative, commitment and self motivation, respect for colleagues, desire to learn

 To apply, please send your CV to:

Andrew  Harvey
Internal Recruiter
Main: + 44 (0) 20 7808 6327, Mobile: + 44 (0) 79 3121 9381
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7808 6301
Email: andrew.harvey@nscglobal.com;  Web: www.nscglobal.com 

Launched in 2011, the everywoman in Technology Awards demonstrate this profession holds a wealth of career opportunities for women and they shine the spotlight on women who are enjoying successful careers.  These women will become role models – inspiring more women to excel or choose technology as a career option.

Sisters are doing IT for themselves. Get involved and fly the flag for women in technology.

Key Dates

1 September 2011: Nominations Launch

25 November 2011 (5pm): Nominations close

25 January 2012: Judging day

29 March 2012: Awards ceremony

Benefits

Winning or indeed being a finalist is a major motivator for both the individual and their colleagues – people love working with a winner.  It also carries enormous prestige the acknowledgement from leading figures in industry brings with it the attention and support from the industry and the press.

 In addition, by showcasing successful female employees, companies position themselves as a place with serious career options for women and one that supports them through their career – helping them retain and attract the best female talent. 

Top Tips for Completing a Nomination

One sure-fire way of getting noticed for the everywoman in Technology Awards is a really good, well completed nomination form. Make sure you take your time over your nomination, so that you tell us absolutely everything that displays the nominee’s brilliance and doublecheck that all the contact details are correct.

Keep within the limits! Word limits aren’t a recommendation. Nominations that include answers that are below the word limit are very unlikely to be considered.

Give us enough detail so we can fully grasp the nominee’s achievements.

Stick to the point and avoid waffle.

This is your opportunity to really sell the nominee – why does the nominee deserve to win an award? How has the nominee inspired others through their work activity?

Support your nomination

Remember, you can submit supporting evidence to your nomination in the form of video links, press releases, news articles, photographs, testimonials or other items which you think will help the judges make informed decisions about the nominee. Any supporting evidence must be submitted in one document, no longer than four A4 sides and must be clearly labelled and emailed to awards@everywoman.com before the deadline.

So if you think you what what IT takes, why not go for it. And be sure to let us know how you get on.