Own Laptop

[~Craig~]

How many contractors have to provide their own equipment ie Laptop?

Is it the norm to provide your own?

[hyperD]

Nope. In my experience in the old contracting days, it was the norm to escort you off site if you were found with a laptop on a client site.

[Xenophon]

Nope. In my experience in the old contracting days, it was the norm to escort you off site if you were found with a laptop on a client site.

...and these days where IT security is paramount due to the risk of virus infection etc I can't see it being easy to get approval to get a personal laptop onto a corporate network. Much easier for the client to give you access to one of their PCs.

[bridder]

I can certainly understand the comments above, however the contract that I have just signed up to states that I am to "use its own equipment as appropriate" and that I should "ensuring it contains anti-virus protection with the latest released upgrades".

I've taken this as I am to use my own laptop, I don't mind if I am given a workhorse desktop when I get there though, my laptop will go with me however, I consider it a tool for me to use to conduct my business, whether it goes on the network is another matter...

brid

[boredsenseless]

Whether or not you use the laptop for the contracted work is immaterial, however if you do anything of your own i.e. write a letter to your bank manager, input expenses onto a spreadsheet by rights you should do this on your own equipment.

A lot depends on the nature of the work. If you are going to be doing some of it at home i.e coding, documentation then a laptop is essential

[DimPrawn]

At Microsoft UK I was expected to provide my own laptop since there are no desktops in the building. Each permie there is given a laptop or tablet PC and so contractors had to provide a newish high spec laptop.

The laptop would then have various MS security tools and anti-virus software installed on connecting to the corp LAN. Infact no LAN access would be granted until all these components were installed.

We could also work from home and used a smart card and PIN number to access the LAN via a VPN.

So it's not unusual in my experience, but then MS were geared up this way.

[vetran]

supply but don't connect

Most large companies I have worked with preferred supplying ther own, that way they have control over the data and software. Smaller companies tend not to be so organised.

I have actually installed a netsheild device on my current lan to allow visitors access to the internet but no access to our network.

Connection of non company owned assets to the LAN is a disciplinary offence.

We don't have virus infections or network outages as frequently as other companies. Zotob only infected 0.01% of our PCs globally, many of our competitors were wiped out.

However you may need a PC for your own purposes and to do off - site work.

[~Craig~]

Ok good answers thanks. I was just thinking that when I do finally make the move from permiedom, having to buy a laptop for the first contract may be quite a problem

[ratewhore]

I haven't had a contract yet where I didn't supply my own laptop. In general, I don't connect to the corporate LAN but plenty of places I have worked have broadband connections so it is still a useful business tool.

At the moment I am pushing back against a corporate laptop as I can't be arsed with it. If I get one of them I will have to do the internal timesheets on top of agency timesheets and I hate doing all that crap!

Stick to your own unless you really have to.

[BoredBloke]

I have had a job where I needed to buy and use my own laptop. I just rolled the cost of it into my daily rate.