Own your own notebook computer

All engineers employed in Merce are expected to have their own notebook computers. This is recommended for all engineers in the software development profession; in some positions and roles, it is mandatory. We believe notebooks have reached the point where they are as common as smartphones, and engineers in our industry will find it difficult to handle their careers unless they have their personal notebooks or smartphones.

For the purposes of this policy, terms like (i) notebook computers, (ii) Ultrabooks (some types of light and slim notebooks), (iii) netbooks, (iv) laptop computers, are all treated as equivalent. Anything which meets the hardware specs given below is acceptable.

Assistance for purchase

The company will reimburse the price of your notebook computer to a certain limit. This reimbursement will be paid in monthly instalments.

Any officer (engineer or otherwise) may avail of this reimbursement. The following points apply:

• You will have to inform your reporting officer by email, with a cc to accounts@merceworld.com, of your decision to claim reimbursement for your notebook purchase.

  You do not need anyone's permission to avail of this facility, but you need to inform your reporting officer, and Accounts, before the company will begin reimbursing you the expense.

• You will need to submit the original invoice as proof of purchase, plus a photocopy, physically to your reporting officer. Your reporting officer will examine it to ensure that it meets requirements, and will then pass on the photocopy to Accounts with his signature, and will return the original to you.

  You will have to produce your notebook computer to your reporting officer or to Accounts if asked to do so. They will compare the description given on your invoice with the physical object and will ascertain that the computer is new.

• Only an invoice which includes a serial number of the product, not just a model number, will be accepted for reimbursement. This will always be verified by the reporting officer and/or Accounts before reimbursement plan is activated.

  In some cases, for pre-existing purchases, the invoice may not have a serial number, in which case it may be accepted on a case-by-case basis for reimbursement. For purchases made after this policy is in force, invoices will need to have serial numbers.

• The date on the invoice must be no more than six months (180 days) prior to the date on which reimbursement request is made. (This means that if you've bought a suitable notebook in July 2011, when this policy was not in force, you may submit papers and start claiming reimbursement right away.)

• You should not file a request in CLAIMS for this notebook purchase reimbursement -- this is handled in a separate channel by Accounts.

• Your notebook must have hardware specifications matching or exceeding what is given in the hardware-specs section below.

• You may purchase, and request reimbursement for, a new notebook computer every 36 months.

• The notebook computer will always remain your property and your responsibility. Nothing in this policy indicates that the company has a lien/bond on your notebook, or owns the notebook, or is responsible for its health and maintenance.

Reimbursement schedule

The reimbursement will be paid out as monthly instalments.

• The instalments will be paid every month to each officer who has activated this reimbursement scheme and satisfied all paperwork.

• This payment will continue till the reimbursible limit or the price of the notebook is reached, whichever is lower.

• If the officer resigns before the full reimbursible limit has been reimbursed, then he will not be reimbursed the balance amount. Basically, this reimbursement only works as long as you continue to work with Merce.

Reimbursement limits

• For engineers in STG/PSG (for hardware config A): Rs.72,000 (seventy-two thousand rupees), in instalments of Rs.3,000/month over 24 months.
• For engineers in STG/PSG (for hardware config B): Rs.48,000 (forty-eight thousand rupees), in instalments of Rs.2,000/month over 24 months.
• For all officers: Rs.36,000 (thirty-six thousand rupees), in instalments of Rs.2,000/month over 18 months.

Engineers on probation

Engineers whose employment status has not been confirmed will not receive notebook purchase reimbursement.

System specifications

For STG and PSG members: Hardware Config A:

• Brand: Lenovo Thinkpad only
• CPU: at least Intel i5 (64-bit mandatory)
• RAM: at least 4GB
• OS: must run modern versions of Linux and Windows
• Warranty: comprehensive parts+labour, three years

For STG and PSG members: Hardware Config B:

• CPU: at least Intel i5 (64-bit mandatory)
• RAM: at least 4GB
• OS: must run modern versions of Linux and Windows

For all officers, Hardware Config C:

• CPU: any industry standard Intel-compatible processor
• RAM: at least 2GB
• OS: Windows Vista or later pre-installed (needed on one partition even if the owner sets up other OS on other partitions)

Intel-compatible processors are required. For instance, a touchscreen tablet running Android (a flavour of Linux) on an ARM processor is not covered.

If an STG/PSG member procures a notebook which meets the lower specs applicable to other officers, then the reimbursement limit applicable will be that reimbursed for other officers.

If an officer who is not an STG/PSG member procures a notebook matching the higher specs given for STG/PSG members, he may request the higher reimbursement limit which is normally given only to them. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and may be granted in some cases if the officer has spent less than 12 months in Merce. If the officer has spent more than 12 months, his request will always be granted.