ha ha .. Its valid for a year .. until October end of next year. After that, it can be extended. But I doubt if I can ask them to make it ' open '

Well if your permit is not limited in time - i.e. Lacking the "befristet auf xx Monate" annotation in the Anmerkungen field - i'd be checking my facts again if I were you.

All non-EU B permits are "valid" i.e. Must be renewed after a year, but that doesn't tell you anything about the limitations. I really wonder why you ask questions when you're evidently not listening to the answers. It gets really frustrating.

I have almost the similar situation: I own a non-EU limited B till November 2012. Probably, it will be more or less easily prolonged with my current company (I still have an aim to get "C" and relax after 5 years ).
Now I've got an offer with MUCH better conditions for almost the same work... The problem is that I'm working in Zurich and the offer came from Bern. Moreover, this new employer has experience only in getting 1 work permit for US-citizen.
Question: Is it possible to make a kind of a transfer of work permit upon mutual agreement of companies or I should notify my current employer and hope for success with the new one? Considering my wish to stay here in Switzerland and not to go back home it looks quite risky.

Does anybody have such experience or perhaps recommend the other way to act?

I recommend reading the relevant sticky thread first?

Sorry missed writing the end-date - Let me rewrite whats on the reverse of the B permit exactly as it is -

It has my birth date, birth location, citizenship, gender

ANMERKUNGEN
ZEMIS Code
Einreisedatum: mm.dd.yyyy ( start date of my L permit )

Selbst: Erwerbstaetigkeit ist bewilligungspflichtig
befr. mm.dd.yyyy / Einsatz company name, Basel
( date of renewal / valid until )

Please refer to the Post above.

what does the law say wrt to non-EU, employer tied - B permit holder:

i) Different canton + Same employer -> no problem

ii) Same canton + Different employer -> ?

iii) Different Canton + Different Employer -> requires 13 months before the new employer can apply for a new B permit. ( did this criteria apply for 2011 too ? )

Thanks for clarifying