Own Laptop

[BoredBloke]

I am having to use mine today because the one the client wanted me to use had a duff battery and the power cable doesn't fit!

[omen666]

Go with your own, you are a business remember.

Would Accenture, Capita, Microsoft or Oracle send in consultants in and expect laptops? (well only if they negiotated it in as part of the deal )

Seriously, you should act as a business and expect them to treat you that way. Any of the above companies would bring their own kit. It is normal for the clients IT dept to have security requirements, meet them and use your own kit.

For those of us using ltd and outside IR35 it is another indicator to fight the case if needed.

[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.

[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.

[~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

[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.

[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.

[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

[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

[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.

[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.

[~Craig~]

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

Is it the norm to provide your own?