Introduction

The BbyB Beacon is an electronic publication to keep the members of Bit by Bit informed about the current affairs of the company. It contains announcements of important events like training programmes, Management Review Meetings, etc.

Contact Information
 Any contributions to the newsletter in the form of technical articles, or items of general interest, are welcome. Please send them to padmabaliga@bbyb.sdc.int or padmabaliga@bbyb.com

Editorial                                                                                                                    (top)

Moving On

It’s a new beginning ahead of us and the excitement in the air is palpable. From being a small single employee, single PC firm, we have grown over the years to a firm of fifty software professionals and over ten support staff. This has been achieved because of the top-quality work that our engineers come up with time and again. Similarly, we started with a small office space of 250 sq.ft. and have today moved into a spacious office area of over 10,000 sq. ft. It’s a beautiful building that is simultaneously inspiring and relaxing and the long drive there in the company of colleagues and friends is bound to increase the sense of camaraderie that exists now to an all-time high. After all, “The distance is nothing; it's only the first step that is difficult.”

This month, we also celebrate our Independence Day and begin the 60th year of nationhood. As a nation, we battle with apathy, corruption, enemy aggression, illiteracy, terrorism, and other problems on an almost daily basis. When one takes the short-term view, this appears depressing, but the long-term view tells us that as a nation, we are definitely stronger today then we were 59 years ago or even last year. Bit by bit, India and Indians have grown to be a formidable presence on the world stage. It’s time to stand up and salute our Motherland!

Padma

From The Management                                                                                       (top)
Dear All,  

This time I am a 100% certain, that by the time you read this we are already in our new offices. We had to re-schedule our move across and incur huge financial costs because a contractor couldn’t meet the deadline he had committed to.

I would like each and every one to remember this when committing deadlines for a project. The client generally has also committed huge resources on their side (for testing, deployment etc.) based on deadlines that we have given them. What may seem like a simple postponement (Just a day! Or just a few days!) can have huge repercussions on the client’s side. Thus all effort needs to be put in to make sure that deadlines which we have committed to are met.

That said, there are times when even after our best efforts, a deadline can’t be met. In that case, we will try and give the client sufficient notice so that they can take the required steps on their side. To come back to our example, we were told only a week before the move that it wouldn’t be fully ready. By this time, we had already signed contracts with the transport company for transporting staff, cancelled our agreement with our landlord etc… If we had been informed earlier about the inability to meet this deadline we could have avoided these extra costs.

Given that it is quite a large task of moving 50 of us across, I am sure that some issues may crop up. I kindly request you to bear with us and we will try to set these right as soon as possible. I would also remind you that I am available at any time in case you need to discuss any of these issues.

Regards,
Raghu

Projects News

StaffBank                                                                                                            (top)

July has been a very busy month for the StaffBank team. The development for the new version of StaffRoster, which is being developed from scratch, is in full swing. While Chaitanya was busy with building the foundation of the System alongwith Arun, I was looking into the UI. Since the decision was made to develop the project using Visual Studio 2005, learning about the options and the new tools offered by it has been very interesting. The entire project is being helmed by Raghu, who has been working in conjunction with all of us, as well as simultaneously overseeing the shift to the new premises.

The regular StaffBank maintenance was generally handled by the others. Usha implemented the Worcester Payrolls for the new Trusts that are live at North, besides handling a few version releases and other day-to-day issues. Arun had OCR and the Medway Pay Rules to keep him occupied this month, but that didn’t deter him from chipping in with Chaitanya for the design of the classes in StaffRoster and handling a few bug fixes. Uma handled external errors and other day-to-day issues in StaffBank as well as a few changes in LinguaBank, while Prathibha was busy with data prepping, preparing scripts for Worcester, UHL and Guys & St. Thomas Trusts.

Sajayan handled issues that arose in StaffBank on the Web, while Sachin worked on a few external change controls and bug fixes in the Client/Server version of StaffBank.

Work also restarted on the BHP Helpdesk System, which is being handled by Arun, Sajayan and Sachin. Besides a few changes, a decision was also taken to overhaul the UI of the entire system to follow a more user-friendly and intuitive design.

All in all, it has been another activity-filled month for us. Shifting to the new office next month coupled with working on the new version of StaffRoster is all set to make August that much more exciting!

Sreedhar for StaffBank

MESaLS                                                                                                                  (top)

The new version 4.00.21 was released according to schedule with a lot of enhancements in the month of July. Craigavon went live on 17th of July.

We are planning to release Ver 4.00.22 with major enhancements somewhere around the second week of August. Northumbarland is expected to go for a Dry run in the same week.

That's all for this month. Catch you with the latest updates next month.

Datta for MESaLS

pFACT                                                                                                                   (top)

Last month was a busy one for the pFACT team. While I missed the action during the first 10 days as I was on leave, the rest of the team worked hard to release a beta version for 2.01.
We had two other releases, 2.00.g for SQL users and 2.00.f for oracle users, which fixed some of the bugs reported in earlier versions. We are now gearing up for the general release of pFACT 2.01 during first week of August which covers the bulk of enhancements requested by various users.

We warmly welcome Srikanth to the pFACT testing team. John Hart will be in Bangalore during the second week of August.

Krishnaprasad for pFACT

Sepia                                                                                                                   (top)

July has been quite a busy and productive month as far as Sepia is concerned. The major milestone being the Dorset PCT moving from their existing CPA system to the Sepia system.
The seven month exercise of migrating CPA system's data to Sepia finally came to an end on 3rd July 2006. Finally, after several verifications, testing and training by Dorset, they decided to Go Live with Sepia. On July 3rd, GPs, Careworkers and other health care workers started using the system. So far there haven’t been any issues raised (barring few minor report changes) either with the data migration or the usability of Sepia, which is very encouraging. Hope that they carry on in the same vein. Thank you all, Devaki, Hema, Manoj, Sai Ramesh and Jayaraj for working during the weekend and making it happen.

Work on other enhancements and change controls have already started and it promises to keep all the Sepians busy in August.

Shashidhar for Sepia

Other News                                                                                                        (top)

The newsletter has been uploaded from the new office, also known as the BByB Development Centre. Our Koramangala Office will henceforth be known as our Registered Office.

The shift was effected over the last weekend of August. Three cheers to Jayaraj, who has overseen the project from the time it was conceived of, and involved himself with every aspect of it, including design, construction, getting licenses and permissions, and various other aspects of a project this size. Shashi has also stood behind it like a bulwark and lent his considerable experience and managerial skills to get the project moving. A lot of people have worked hard to move the machines and furniture and a special thanks goes to Vijay, our System Admin, and Raju for their untiring efforts and the long hours they put in. Everything was in place when we moved in, and work could resume immediately.

Thanks to the move, the Trainees also enjoyed an unexpected holiday on July 28th.

Here are some quick first day reactions to the new office premises:

Felicitations from John Hart and Chris Lee, our partners in U.K.:
Dear Raghu,

Congratulations on this momentous day!
Moving in to your new offices today is truly the mark of great success and dedication.
It has been the result of great team spirit at BbyB and a wonderful business relationship and harmony between our two enterprises. May it continue for generations to come.

I want to wish you and your staff all the best for the future and great success and happiness in your posh new offices. Watch out HP, Wipro, etc.!
Best wishes.
John

Dear Raghu,
Hope all goes well in the new offices.

Chris

And words of praise from Team BByB

Aruna: “Pleasing and excellent place to work from…. Free of pollution, nice and clean”

Devaki: “It’s a wonderful place to work in – one cannot imagine a better environment, water on one side and a nice view on the other; it’s also nice to see the whole BByB team around.
Everything is in place on the first day of work, thanks to our System Admin, our management, and all others who have worked so hard over the weekend to get things ready for us to start work.”

Krishnaprasad: “It’s excellent”

Manu Gupta: “It’s really very good.”

Nisha: “I feel like I am in a five star resort and working from there.”

Poornima: “Passing through Bannerghatta forest and driving past a couple of lakes made me feel like I’m going on a picnic. I am going to enjoy working in this office where it is calm.”

SaiRamesh: “A happy drive from Koramangala, and at the office, there’s beautiful green water and open space to look around – soothing silence with no traffic sounds and voices of passers-by. There’s enough place to walk around in the office.
On the other hand, am a bit concerned about people falling into the pool; the staircase requires a railing – and my system is slow.”

Sreedhar: “A very welcome change... was getting a little cramped in the old office. This one is nice and open and it's great to have everyone back together. Looking forward to the food!!”

Holidays                                                                                                                 (top)

August 15, celebrated as Independence Day, will be a holiday. August 15 falls on a Tuesday.


Training and Education                                                                                         (top)

An in-house training course on how to write emails was conducted for all the new recruits on July 12. The course was conducted by Padma.

New Recruits                                                                                                        (top)

This month, we have a long line-up of new recruits at BbyB. For the first time, we have also taken on trainees – 6 trainee programmers and 2 trainee testers. The Beacon welcomes all of them and wishes them a long and productive stay here.

Vijaya Sankar V. Vijay, our new System Administrator, completed his Diploma in Computer Science in 2003, from the Board of Technical Education, Kerala. He also possesses RHCE, CCNA and MCSA certifications. When not working, Vijay loves to catch up on his sleep and the latest movies.

Vasudev Shenoy Vasudev is from the West Coast and did his B.E. (Electronics & Communication) from Rural Engineering College, Bidar, VTU, in 2003. He is a movie buff and a fan of classical music. Vasudev is Domain Member, Testing and is with the StaffBank project.

M.R. Kumar Raju Vysyaraju He says he prefers the short and simple ‘Raju’ to being called by his full name. Raju completed his M.C.A from DLR College, G.Mamidada, Andhra University. His hobbies, he says, are making friends and browsing the internet, but is categorical that the two don’t go together. Raju married his long-time sweetheart (of nine years standing), Sarita, in November last year. Raju is Domain Member, Testing, and is with the MESaLS project.

Srikanth Chowdary S. Srikanth completed his B.E. (Mech) from Jayam College of Engineering and Technology, Dharmapuri, in 2004. Srikanth enjoys playing a game of chess and hopes to meet up with a chess partner at BByB. He claims to love Bangalore City and its people, which is a nice thing to hear after all the Bangalore bashing that goes on in the newspaper columns. Srikanth is Domain Member, Testing, and is with the pFACT project.

Poornima N. Poornima did her B.E. in Telecommunications in 2004 from Dr. Ambedkar Institute of Technology, Bangalore. She loves gardening and painting and think they are great ways in which to unwind and relax. Poornima is Domain Member, Testing, and is with the StaffBank project.

Our new Trainees are:

Deepak S. Kini Deepak completed his B.E. (Computer Science) from B.V.B College of Engineering, Hubli in 2005. His hobbies include philately, numismatics, and making friends. Deepak says he finds that auto drivers in Bangalore are very helpful in telling you the route as long as you are not travelling in the auto! Deepak is a Trainee Programmer.

Lakshmanan K.R. Lakshman completed his M.Sc. (Software Systems) from Angappa College, Bharthiar University in 2006. He has an identical twin brother called, what else, but Ram. He is all praise for Bangalore’s climate. Lakshmanan is a Trainee Programmer.

Yogita C. Bherde Yogita completed her B.E. in Computer Science from SSVPS’s College, Dhule, Maharashtra, in 2004. She moved to Bangalore after her marriage to Chaitanya. Yogita says she loves to chat and cook, especially Maharashtrian cuisine, and we are sure she makes the yummiest sabudana khichdi ever. Yogita is a Trainee Programmer.

Sanuj Krishnan Sanuj completed his B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering from College of Engineering, Perumon, Cochin University. His hometown is beautiful Kollam in Kerala but he is all praise for the climate here. Sanuj is a Trainee Programmer.

Sanath Shenoy Sanath completed his B.E. in Computer Science and Engineering from APS College of Engineering, Bangalore in 2006. He says he chills out with technical literature. Sanath is a Trainee Programmer.

Manu Gupta Manu did her B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering from CSJM University, Kanpur, in 2005. She is into sports and loves skating, playing badminton and chess. Manu is a Trainee Programmer.

Sunita Sunita is a B.E. (Electronics and Communication) from SDM College of Engineering, Dharwad. Her hobbies include travelling and surfing. Sunita is a Trainee Tester.

Rejith T. Rejith did his B.E. (Mech.) from Nehru College of Aeronautics and Applied Sciences, Coimbatore, in 2003. He chills out with music and a good game of table tennis. He also loves to travel. Rejith is a Trainee Tester.

News From Abroad                                                                                              (top)

I was in Dorchester, England for migrating Dorset PCT data from the existing CPA system to Sepia. Dorset PCT, the sole customer of the system, finally decided to migrate to Sepia having used the CPA system for nearly 6 years. The features and functionalities present in Sepia were becoming more and more necessary for them to operate in more efficient manner (and in certain cases mandatory, like audits for example) and it was finally time to bid farewell to CPA. The data migration took place over the weekend of 1st and 2nd. After having a round of testing they decided to Go Live on 3rd July. The final meeting of all the decision makers took place at 8:30 AM on 3rd July and at 9:00 AM the system was live. I was present by their side till 7th of July for handling any unexpected issues. Luckily none surfaced. Just before leaving, the Director's office presented us, the Sepia team, with a certificate as a token of their appreciation for a successful migration. Congratulations to the whole Sepia Development and Testing team.

Shashidhar

Colleagues Cognizant                                                                                           (top)

The spotlight this month is on Jayashree and Vamsy who fill two different roles in two different projects.

Jayashree K.A.

Jayashree joined BByB in May 2004 and is largely identified with StaffBank, (for which she is the Testing Engineer) although she has also worked with other projects. She describes herself as an easy going and simple person while the rest of us admire her for her unruffled and tranquil air. In our chat with her, she came across as one who is modest about her abilities but committed to her work.

Can you describe your work to us?
I work mostly on StaffBank. My work as a software tester involves using the application in the various possible ways it will be used at the client’s in order to ensure that it meets all the client’s requirements. Basically, I have to take the application apart to make sure it works as it should.

You travel 25 kms. to work every morning and from August, you’ll travel an additional 20 kms. What is it about BbyB that motivates you to this Herculean effort?
In addition to the other advantages you have already heard of from the others - like colleagues, good working atmosphere etc., I can say that I feel comfortable working at BByB.

We know you to be a perfectionist in your work. Can you share your secret with us?
It is nice to know that you are perceived as one.

You come across as an extremely calm and cool person. Yet I am sure, you face irritants and stresses just as we do. How do you manage it?
I don’t lose my cool easily because most often it makes me feel very miserable afterwards. So I tell myself that I will not let things ruffle me often.

You vibe well with ?
Everybody. I can get along with most people.

What are your strengths and weaknesses, your likes and dislikes?
Ok, in that order -
My weakness is that I am short tempered and prone to procrastination;
My strength is adaptability;
I like Books and I have no strong dislikes.

If you hadn’t become a Testing Engineer, you would have been?
I don’t know what I would have been but I always wanted to be a Doctor.

Name the man you admire the most.
Abdul Kalam - for his intelligence and childlike candour.

Your ideal holiday would be…
(smiles) Any place where I can just sit and gaze at nothing for hours and read to my heart’s content.

How do you and your family spend your free time together?
Most often we go out or watch movies.

Vamsy Krishna Pasumarthy

Can you describe yourself in a few lines?
I am a very simple and fun loving guy with a casual life. I want to give my best to everything that I do.

Your cabin enjoys the greatest number of footfalls, thanks to the phone being there. Yet we notice that you are always absorbed in your work. What is the secret?
(Smiles) There is no secret behind it. I like to complete an assigned task in the given time.

Your friends tell me that you are an optimist. What makes you one?
I think to be in the software industry you have to be optimist, otherwise there is no way one can write quality code and make quality products.

You vibe well with……?
My college friends and schoolmates.

What are your strengths and weaknesses, your likes and dislikes?
My family gives me great support in all aspects of my life, that is my strength. Lack of patience at times is my weakness.

If you hadn’t become a Software Engineer, you would have been……?
Obviously a businessman. My father owns a medical store in my hometown. Definitely I would have been working with him.

Name the woman you admire the most.
My mother. I admire the way she manages the family. Whenever there is a problem simmering in the background, she notices it immediately, asks us about it and gives us her opinion on how to face the problem.

Your ideal holiday would be…
In my native place.

You have been with the MESaLS team from the beginning. What do you like most about the team?
All my colleagues are very friendly and have a helpful nature (especially the Testing team). I have observed that the team is very energetic and committed to the work.
Unfortunately we will miss Muthu from our team.

During our last stress-buster, we observed that you sing beautifully. Have you studied music and who is your inspiration?
(laughs) I think you are the first and last person to tell me this. I don’t have a good voice to sing. During the stress-buster I just hummed along, that’s it. My friends tell me that I am a good dancer, rather than a singer.

Weekend Jaunts                                                                                                  (top)
  
Manu, our man from Mandya, has drawn up a very exciting plan for people to explore the beauties of Mandya district over a weekend. For those pressed for time, he has suggested a day’s programme; for people with time to spare, he suggests an overnight stay at Srirangapatna and spending the following day exploring Mysore and the KRS Gardens. Before you get going, Manu reminds you that you are all welcome to visit him at his place in Mandya (he goes home most weekends) and says that if you have any queries/problems, you can always contact him for help, any day, any time.

Manu suggests that you start early, at 6 a.m., and hit the recently completed, smooth-as-silk Bangalore Mysore Road. At Maddur (80 kms. from Bangalore), stop for breakfast at any of the eateries which serve pretty good food and pack a light lunch, if you like. Now, take a diversion to the left and proceed (60 kms.) towards Shivanasamudra, also known as Shimsha. Feast your eyes on the Gaganachukki, Barachukki waterfalls which are sure to be full and a visual delight. Manu reiterates that this is the best time to visit the place. The roar of the falls can be heard from a distance and the spray can be felt even from the hilltop.

After a refreshing 30-40 minutes, hit the road again. You can visit Bluff, if you wish, and see Asia's first hydro electric project set up in 1905. Or else, proceed to Talakad along the Maddur-Kollegal Road. It’ll take you an hour and one needs to cross at least 10-15 small bridges over cool, clear and swiftly flowing streams. You have to pay toll tax to enter this village. Talakad is situated on the banks of the river Kapila Cauvery and its temples buried beneath sand dunes. You can check out both mythology and geography to find an explanation for the strange phenomenon of sand here. Its temples are opened for worship on special occasions once in 12 years. Talkad village has lovely, old houses with low doors and pillars and small windows, rather like an ancient Indian village.You see stretches of green fields and suddenly out of nowhere, a lump of sand dunes like it's fallen from the sky, with the Cauvery flowing behind it. You can eat your packed lunch on the banks of the river after exploring the temples.

Manu suggests that you proceed next to Somnathpura (about 25 to 30 kms) where a beautiful temple built in the Hoysala style awaits you. Hire a guide to learn more about the rather intricate sculpture here and look out for the beautifully carved ceilings.

From Somnathpura, travel to Srirangapatna which is about 50-60 kms. away. This island fortress was once the capital of the warrior king Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan. There are beautiful monuments that are well worth a visit, including the temple and the Dariya Daulat. You can stay on here for the night and take in Mysore the next day, or return to Bangalore and catch up with your sleep the next day.

Have a great weekend!!

Srirangapatna temple	Sangama
Talakadu	Somnathapura
Shivanasamudra

Chaithanya's Birthday Snaps

Padma's and Sunita's Birthday Snaps

Rajkumar's Birthday Snaps