eWeek articles from August 2002

eWeek archives from August 2002

Let the Longhorn Sideshow Begin.
August 1, 2002... Microsoft is honing the user interfaces of a number of its forthcoming products in a way that the company hopes will help users find and access information. At the heart of the redesign is the so-called task shelf component, code-named...

Belluzzo to Take Reins as Quantum CEO.
August 1, 2002... Quantum Corp. announced Wednesday morning that industry veteran Richard Belluzzo is joining the network storage provider as CEO effective Sept. 3, 2002. Belluzzo, who had spent 20 years in the executive ranks at Hewlett-Packard Co., also...

T-Mobile Device Runs Pocket PC Phone.
August 1, 2002... Building on a strategy to market its wireless technology directly through carriers, Microsoft Corp. on Thursday joined with T-Mobile to announce the immediate availability of the T-Mobile-branded Pocket PC Phone Edition device. This is the...

Microsoft Backs Away From Infiniband.
August 1, 2002... Once-solid industry backing of Infiniband, an emerging high-speed interconnect, is crumbling as Microsoft Corp. confirmed this week that it has canned plans to support the technology in an upcoming release of Windows .Net Server software. ...

Ashcroft to Speak on Corporate Crime.
August 1, 2002... Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller will speak publicly this afternoon on corporate crime, following the arrests this morning of former WorldCom Inc. executives Scott Sullivan and David Myers for their alleged...

Quark Tones Enterprise Offerings.
August 1, 2002... Quark Inc. is readying major upgrades to bolster its publishing software for bigger enterprise customers. In what could prove a decisive moment for professional Mac publishers waiting to adopt Mac OS X, sources said, Version 6.0 of...

Networking is #1 Recruiting Method for CIOs.
August 1, 2002... Although online job boards can be cost-effective, CIOs vastly prefer the low-tech method of relying on employee referrals to recruit IT professionals, according to a recent poll conducted by IT staffing firm RHI Consulting, in Menlo Park,...

Appliance Monitors Network Traffic.(Array Networks' Array SR Secure Web Traffic Analyzer)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2002... Attempting to tackle growing corporate and national security concerns, Array Networks Inc. this week introduced a new network appliance for surveillance of Web traffic. The Array SR (Security Reconnaissance) Secure Web Traffic Analyzer can...

Manufacturers Get New Automation Tool.(Vigilance's SCEM Suite 3.0 to be integrated with Camstar Systems' Virtual Factory Suite)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2002... Camstar Systems Inc. on Monday will announce a partnership with Vigilance Inc. that will combine their respective software suites and result in an integrated, real-time event management solution for manufacturers. Vigilance, of Sunnyvale,...

Apple to Slam Lid on Mac OS 9.
August 2, 2002... Apple Computer Inc. plans to crank up the heat on users and developers slow to move to Mac OS X, sources told eWEEK. A tweak to new models in its Macintosh line of desktop and portable computers will prevent booting into Mac OS 9, sources...

Pocket PC Phone Edition-Based Device is Smart Client.(T-Mobile USA's T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition)(Evaluation)
August 2, 2002... Microsoft Corp. has spent the last couple of years piling enterprise-friendly, network-dependent features into its Pocket PC mobile operating system, but these features do little good when devices lack network connectivity. T-Mobile USA's...

Security Group Nailing Down Name, Goals.(Organization for Internet Safety)
August 2, 2002... LAS VEGAS&#151A group of security experts working on a plan for responsible vulnerability disclosure will meet here Friday to try to nail down the final details of their organization's structure and discuss the status of their plan. The group,...

Microsoft Tight-Lipped on Licensing Numbers.(Licensing 6 and Software Assurance program)
August 2, 2002... Microsoft Corp. is being tight-lipped about how many of its business customers have signed up for its controversial Licensing 6 and Software Assurance program. The cut-off point for customers to ink a deal, which essentially committed them...

W3C Releases Web Services Schemes.(World Wide Web Consortium )
August 2, 2002... The World Wide Web Consortium this week introduced new schemes for Web services usage along with other Web-related technology and guidance. The Cambridge, Mass.-based standards organization released a first draft of its Web Service...

MicroStrategy to Bolster AIX Support.(IBM's AIX operating system)
August 2, 2002... MicroStrategy Inc. is deepening its commitment to Unix by adding more support for IBM's AIX platform, the company announced Friday. The company later this year is expected to deliver Web-based reporting and analytics capability on...

Getting a New Address?
August 2, 2002... It's moving day for part of eWEEK Labs. The packing boxes are literally being carried out while I type these words in my barren cubicle on my laptop. If your office is getting ready to move, either to take advantage of falling real estate...

SonicWall CEO Cosmo Santullo Resigns.(Mike Roach now interim CEO)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2002... Security appliance vendor SonicWall Inc. on Thursday announced the resignation of its CEO, Cosmo Santullo. The company appointed Mike Roach, vice president of partners, alliances and strategic accounts, to fill the position on an interim basis....

Sybase Seeks to Ease Portal Projects.(Sybase's Enterprise Portal 5.0 beta)
August 2, 2002... Sybase Inc. will open its TechWave 2002 conference in San Diego on Monday with announcements on the next release of its portal software and additional application development support in its mobile and embedded database. Sybase during the...

Securing Perimeter.
August 5, 2002... Government officials preparing the federal cyber-security plan due out next month are considering ways of exerting more influence on Internet security that could impact the software and security industries. The biggest change being...

IBM's PwC Deal Rocks Services Landscape.(PricewaterhouseCoopers' PwC Consulting business)
August 5, 2002... IBM dramatically altered the IT services landscape last week with its $3.5 billion buyout of PricewaterhouseCoopers' PwC Consulting business. The deal joins PwC's vertical industry, business application integration and management consulting...

Pocket PC Smart Phone: Smart Client.(T-Mobile Pocket PC)
August 5, 2002... Microsoft Corp. has spent the last couple of years piling enterprise-friendly, network-dependent features into its Pocket PC mobile operating system, but these features do little good when devices lack network connectivity. T-Mobile USA's...

XML: The Talk of the Tech Industry.
August 5, 2002... When Sun's Jon Bosak led the team that developed the first XML spec in 1996, I doubt he envisioned a day when competitors Oracle and Microsoft would become two of the standard's champions. In Redmond, nearly every phrase heard in the hallways...

Smooth E-Biz Operators.(Comergent ships Comergent E-Business System 6.0)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... New software from IDS Scheer AG and Comergent Technologies Inc. could streamline the implementation of optimized business processes. IDS Scheer this week will announce that it is incorporating Intalio Inc.'s n3 business process management...

FCC Might Ask Telcos to Recertify Revenues.
August 5, 2002... As former WorldCom Inc. executives were led to court in handcuffs last week charged with conspiring to commit securities fraud, the Federal Communications Commission was combing through its own records to determine whether it should ask some...

Belluzzo Resurfaces at Quantum as CEO.
August 5, 2002... Richard Belluzzo's affair with the software industry ended in May when he left Microsoft Corp. after less than three years with the company. Last week, Belluzzo announced his return to the hardware arena as the new CEO of storage...

Loudcloud Beefs Up Opsware, Faces Suit.
August 5, 2002... As Loudcloud Inc. works to build momentum behind its operations management software licensing initiative, issues from the company's roots as an MSP may dog the effort. Loudcloud, which is in the midst of changing its name to Opsware Inc.,...

Wireless Move Could Fall Short.(Microsoft and AT&T Wireless to make and market wireless devices)
August 5, 2002... A new deal struck between Microsoft Corp. and AT&T Wireless last week could make it easier for companies to buy wireless equipment in the future. However, it is not likely to produce the enterprise application nirvana the two companies are...

The Buzz: August 5, 2002.
August 5, 2002... States, Feds Target Scams State and federal law enforcement agencies last week took aim at cyber-scams by filing 19 civil and criminal actions against groups and individuals that used the Internet to allegedly bilk tens of thousands of...

IBM Backs AMD's Opteron Processor.
August 5, 2002... IBM is lending advanced Micro Devices Inc. support--and much-needed credibility--for its upcoming 64-bit Opteron processor, announcing last week that its popular DB2 database will be designed to work with the chip. While Opteron's release...

ClearCube Readies Suite Update, Seeks HP Deal.
August 5, 2002... An Austin, Texas, company that makes products to replace PCs plans to launch updates to its distributed computing suite later this month and is working to get a resale deal with Hewlett-Packard Co. ClearCube Technology Inc., which replaces...

XPress Moving to Mac OS X.(QuarkXPress 6.0 DPT software)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... Quark Inc. is readying big upgrades to bolster its publishing software for bigger enterprise customers. Version 6.0 of the Denver-based company's flagship XPress page layout software will provide native support for Apple Computer Inc.'s...

UDDI Spec Now Under OASIS.(organization for the advancement of Structured Information Standards absorbsUniversal Description, Discovery and Integration specification)
August 5, 2002... The organization for the advancement of Structured Information Standards last week solidified its standing as a top Web services standards body when it moved to absorb the Universal Description, Discovery and Integration specification. The...

Microsoft Touts Antitrust Compliance.
August 5, 2002... A federal court is still weighing the efficacy of a proposed antitrust settlement signed between Microsoft Corp. and the Department of Justice in November, but the Redmond, Wash., software maker nonetheless must meet several deadlines under the...

Tools Hedge Barona Casino's Bet.(Barona Casino expands network infrastructure)
August 5, 2002... It's a gamble worthy of any of the Barona Casino's highest high rollers. What started as a simple bingo hall in San Diego 13 years ago is poised to expand into a new Las Vegas-style casino complete with a 396-room resort hotel by year's...

Security Hole Found in Symantec's Firewall.(Symantec Raptor)
August 5, 2002... A vulnerability in numerous versions of Symantec Corp.'s Raptor firewall enables an attacker to hijack any session going through the firewall. The problem lies in the algorithm the firewalls use for generating initial sequence numbers...

Sierra Opens Oracle to Business Process Integration.(Sierra Atlantic Inc.)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... Users of Oracle Corp. enterprise software now have an option for business process integration using an Oracle partner's software. Sierra Atlantic Inc. announced last week that its Application Network products are available on the Oracle9i...

Metadata on B2B Radar.(MetaMatrix 3.0 metadata integration software; business to business)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... While technologies that enable metadata integration within databases have been available for several years, MetaMatrix Inc., IBM and others are rolling out products to make metadata more useful in business-to-business transactions via Web...

RJ Technology, Greenwich Team With Management Tools Vendors.(data storage services for storage area networks)
August 5, 2002... A pair of it consultancies last week aligned themselves with vendors in the promising SAN- and service-level-management spaces. RJ Technology Solutions Inc. officials said the company has joined InfoVista Corp.'s new partner program to...

Sun Initiative Tests Java App Compatibility.(Java Verification Program)
August 5, 2002... Striking a blow in the battle for the enterprise developer, Sun Microsystems Inc. last week announced the Java Verification Program for the enterprise. Glen Martin, a senior manager in Sun's Java software division, said the program...

Compliance Tool Ready for Financial Services.
August 5, 2002... Sybase Inc. has bundled its integration software with TightLink Corp.'s business-to-business collaboration software to create a package designed to enable financial institutions to comply with new reporting regulations. The Sybase...

E-Learning Scales Up.
August 5, 2002... Corporate training has come a long way from the one-room schoolhouse where a single teacher lectured to a handful of students. Federal agencies, in particular, face daunting challenges keeping vast numbers of employees spread across many time...

Microsoft Must Show Licensing Flexibility.(Select and Software Assurance volume purchase and upgrade programs)
August 5, 2002... When Microsoft in May 2001 announced plans to revamp its volume software licensing and upgrade programs, it became apparent that the company was out of tune with many of its enterprise customers. While Microsoft officials said Version 6 of its...

Enterprises Will Walk, Not Run, to 9i.(Release 2 of Oracle9i DBMS)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... In this period of shrinking IT budgets and slow enterprise software upgrade cycles, Oracle Corp. could use more customers like Rick Fletcher, director of database technology at automobile research site Edmunds.com Inc., in Santa Monica, Calif....

DB2 8.1 Beta Polishes Database.(DB2 Universal Database 8.1 from IBM)(Evaluation)
August 5, 2002... The first open beta of the next version of DB2 provides an early look at what IBM DB2 Universal Database Version 8.1 will include when it ships this fall. eWeek Labs evaluated Beta 3 of Version 8.1 and found that the update fine-tunes DB2...

XP Desktops Get a Brand-New Look.(Stardock's $30 Skin Studio XP graphics utility)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... When Microsoft launched Windows XP, a theming system for controlling Windows' look and feel was a line item in XP's What's New summaries. However, with a mere three themes, the feature left much to be desired compared with interface style...

Excelon's XML Editor Growing Up.(Stylus Studio 4.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... Excelon's $399 Stylus Studio XML editor is growing into a decent competitor to the king of the hill, Altova's XML Spy. I found XML Spy still a notably better XML and schema file editor, but Stylus Studio has stronger XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet...

ASaP Swiftly Deploys Protection.(McAfee's VirusScan ASaP anti-virus software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... Targeted at small to midsize businesses, McAfee's VirusScan ASaP managed-desktop, anti-virus service automatically delivers updates to customers using a peer-to-peer approach. VirusScan ASaP, which debuted in June, protects networks from...

Geekspeak: August 5, 2002.(SanDisk Cruzer)(Brief Article)
August 5, 2002... During the past few years, flash memory has begun appearing in more and more places. Thumb-drive-type devices, for example, pair a chunk of flash memory with a USB interface, generally for ferrying personal data or large files among computers....

Tool Manages Traffic Volume on High-Demand Servers.(FalconStor Software Inc's NIC Express 4.0 Professional Edition)
August 5, 2002... FalconStor Software Inc.'s NIC Express 4.0 Professional Edition is a handy tool for getting the most performance out of high-traffic servers that are limited by network bandwidth. During eWeek Labs' tests, we significantly improved access to...

The Problems With Identities.(security standards)
August 5, 2002... The popularity of the Liberty Alliance and Microsoft's Passport has as much to do with IT demand as it does with vendor neediness. Vendors need Web and enterprise identity management to succeed in creating the market and driving demand for a...

Apollo 11, the 747 and .Net? No Way.(error-free software?)
August 5, 2002... If software reliability were to be the weakest link in tomorrow's IT systems, we could live with that. Recognizing software's limitations, we could compensate with parallel computations using different algorithms and hardware to provide reality...

Stealth Patents Put Innovation at Risk.(keep Web standards and Web services patent-free)
August 5, 2002... At the recent Open Source Group Conference, Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web, spoke out on the need to keep Web standards and Web services patent-free. He knows what he's talking about--not only do patents threaten the...

IT Called to Account?(Web services)
August 5, 2002... You report to work the same as always, check for voice mail and open your e-mail. Then the receptionist rings. There are federal agents in the lobby. They're looking for you. The next thing you know, you're being paraded out the front door of...

Scammers Make Bid for Ubid Passwords.(scheme gathers Ubid online auction users' passwords)(Column)
August 5, 2002... A frequent user of the Ubid online auction site contacted El Gato last week to tell him about an e-mail scam to trick Ubid members into coughing up passwords. Apparently, someone had been sending fake e-mail to members under the subject line...

Beyond the Buzz: Putting Web Services Theory Into Practice.(Column)
August 5, 2002... A mid-july google search on the phrase "Web services" returned almost 2 million hits. A follow-up search, however, on the singular "Web service" returned one-fourth that number. In short, the idea enjoys enormous buzz, but concrete description...

Concentrate on the Core Technologies.(Web services)
August 5, 2002... For anyone who fondly remembers the good old days of the Cold War, the geopolitics of Web services platforms offer a grimly entertaining substitute. All the antagonists espouse the ideals of standards-based interaction among loosely coupled...

Sybase Retools PowerBuilder for Web Services.(PowerBuilder 9.0)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... Sybase Inc. is ramping up the support for XML and Web services in the beta versions of its PowerBuilder rapid application development tool. The beta version of PowerBuilder 9.0, announced Monday at Sybase's TechWave 2002 user and developer...

NEC Unveils 'Green' PC.(NEC PowerMate eco)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... Taking a different tack in computer marketing, the U.S. subsidiary of NEC Corp. on Monday unveiled what it says is the first "ecological" PC, an all-in-one flat-panel system powered by 900MHz Crusoe processor by Transmeta Corp. The...

LiveVault to Expand Online Backup Service.(Web services)
August 5, 2002... LiveVault Corp. this quarter will expand its online backup service to high-end customers, officials said. A new, as-yet unnamed version of its MyLiveVault service, which performs automatic backups of workstations and servers to an off-site...

MicroStrategy Wins Legal Round vs. Actuate.(Web services)
August 5, 2002... In the lawsuit-plagued world of reporting and analytics software, the Circuit Court for Fairfax County, Va., ruled on Monday that MicroStrategy Inc.'s trade secrets lawsuit against Actuate Corp. could proceed. MicroStrategy had filed the...

Sun Integrates 64-Bit Chip Into Servers.(Sun Microsystems' UltraSPARC III 1.05GHz used in Sun Microsystems Sun Fire 3800, Sun Fire 4800, Sun Fire 6800, Sun Fire 12K, Sun Fire 15K)
August 6, 2002... Sun Microsystems Inc. today boosted the performance of its mid- to high-range servers with the integration of its fastest 64-bit processor yet, a 1.05GHz UltraSparc III. The 64-bit chip, which delivers about 15 percent more performance...

Flaw Affects Windows 2000, Linux, Mac OS X.
August 6, 2002... Researchers have identified a security flaw in a code library included in numerous popular applications that could enable an attacker to execute code on remote servers. The problem affects the External Data Representation (XDR) libraries...

When Developers Get What They Ask For.(Editorial)
August 6, 2002... Programmer training, user support, and the famous "Eliza" psychologist simulation all entered into your many replies to my letter of last week. When I asked how we should address the problem of using IT to answer people's "real" questions, or...

Watchfire Buys Web Site Accessibility Tool.(Center for Applied Special Technology's Bobby Web site management software)
August 6, 2002... Web site management software and services provider Watchfire Corp. announced Tuesday that it has acquired the Bobby Web site accessibility software from the Center for Applied Special Technology. Bobby is used to analyze Web sites to...

PeopleSoft Backs Sybase.
August 6, 2002... SAN DIEGO--Sybase Inc. unveiled a partnership with PeopleSoft Inc. today at its TechWave conference here aimed at helping increase its share of the enterprise database market. As part of the agreement, PeopleSoft becomes Sybase's preferred...

Cisco Profits as Sales Slip.(Statistical Data Included)
August 6, 2002... Revenues at computer networking giant Cisco Systems Inc. continued their slide in the last 12 months, but the company remains profitable. Cisco late this afternoon reported that sales for its 2002 fiscal year, which ended July 27, were...

Despite Hype, No Sign of Hiptop.(Danger's Hiptop smart phone/PDA)
August 6, 2002... Danger Inc. on Tuesday announced several partnerships with application developers, but also said that its long-awaited Hiptop wireless device will be delayed once again. The Palo Alto, Calif., startup has delayed the launch several times....

Microsoft and Open Source: If You Can't Beat 'Em...(Microsoft at LinuxWorld Exposition 2002)
August 6, 2002... Microsoft won't be waving the white flag when it camps out in Booth 1390 at LinuxWorld Expo next week. But its execs won't be adorned in pith helmets, either. Word of Microsoft's decision to staff a booth at the show first hit in July....

Borland Developer Tools Upgraded.(Borland Delphi 7.0 Studio)(Product Announcement)
August 6, 2002... Borland Software Corp. Tuesday announced Borland Delphi 7 Studio, a new version of its Delphi cross-platform rapid application development environment that integrates modeling, development, and deployment of e-commerce solutions and Web...

Tatung Launches Blade Server.(Tatung TUD-2016 Ultra Dense Blade Server)(Product Announcement)
August 6, 2002... Tatung Co., the Taiwanese firm known for its SPARC-compatible computers, launched a new blade server this week. The new product, called the TUD-2016 Ultra Dense Blade Server, is unique because it has a built-in Gigabit Ethernet port, said...

Cyberattacks Fail To Materialize.(FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center warns against wide-scale hacker attacks)
August 6, 2002... A dire warning from the FBI's Internet security unit about potential large-scale attacks on U.S. Web sites and ISPs caused a stir in the security community Tuesday, but so far there has been little attack activity of note. The FBI's...

Critical Path Adding EMC Replication.(Brief Article)
August 6, 2002... Messaging software maker Critical Path Inc. announced a partnership with storage giant EMC Corp. today, for the companies to jointly target service providers. For the initial deliverable, Critical Path has optimized its CP Messaging...

AMD Device Boosts 2.5G, 3G Cell Phones.(AMD's new product, the Am29BDS640G flash memory chip)(Product Announcement)
August 7, 2002... Advanced Micro Devices on Wednesday announced the availability of a 64Mb flash memory device designed for use in 2.5G and 3G cellular phones that features enhanced power-saving capabilities to extend battery life, a key concern for handheld...

Career Coach.
August 7, 2002... Career Coach is a column that gives IT professionals a chance to pose questions about training, certification, salaries or any other career-related issues to eWEEK's panel of IT managers, hiring and training experts. Dear Career Coach: My...

Why I Made the Switch ... to Linux.(Apple marketing plan)
August 7, 2002... Apple's made a lot of waves in the press with its "Make the Switch" advertising campaign, but when it comes to my own personal computing choices, those efforts have registered as little more than a ripple. Users and reviewers of the...

AT&T: WorldCom's Not All That.
August 7, 2002... Disputing the Internet traffic share figures that WorldCom Inc. has been trumpeting since its troubles erupted earlier this summer, AT&T Corp. is claiming that it handles just as much Internet traffic in the United States as its beleaguered...

EMC to Roll Out Sixth-Generation Clarion.(CX600 data storage device)(Product Announcement)
August 7, 2002... EMC Corp. will announce the first of three versions of its sixth-generation Clarion midrange storage system next week, sources said. Known as the CX600, the product will have four Intel Corp. 2GHz processors, up to 8GB cache, 2G-bit/second...

Lucent Offers Novel Authentication Tool.
August 7, 2002... Researchers at Lucent Technologies Inc.'s Bell Labs have developed a new authentication technology that experts say could greatly improve the security of enterprise networks. The software comprises two pieces, known as Secure Store and...

Digex to Cut Jobs.(will cut about 200 workers)
August 7, 2002... Managed services provider Digex Inc. will cut about 200 workers -- 20 percent of its workforce -- in an effort to improve the company's bottom line, according to officials. The cuts, despite coming as majority owner WorldCom Inc. prepares...

HP Applies Inkjet Technology To Cooling Chips.
August 7, 2002... There's nothing more refreshing on a hot summer's day than a cool stream of water--and that goes for chips, too. On a balmy day at the company's headquarters in Palo Alto, Hewlett-Packard research engineers disclosed new methods of keeping...

Sun Blasts Intel's Itanium.
August 8, 2002... Sun Microsystems Inc. delivered a scorching attack on Intel Corp.'s 64-bit Itanium processor to an audience of analysts and reporters Wednesday, deriding the chip's design and lambasting it as the "most expensive disaster in the history of high...

HP, IBM Notch New Linux Customer Wins.
August 8, 2002... Hewlett-Packard Co. and IBM on Thursday will both announce a slew of new Linux customer wins. HP also will announce updated Linux software releases, services and community developments. The Cupertino, Calif., company's announcements come...

Microsoft Patch Fixes Critical MCMS Flaws.(Microsoft Content Management Server 2001 )
August 8, 2002... Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday issued a patch for three critical vulnerabilities in one of its .Net servers, the Microsoft Content Management Server 2001 (MCMS). All three flaws give an attacker the ability to execute code on a vulnerable...

Feds Chide Microsoft's Passport.
August 8, 2002... The Federal Trade Commission Thursday issued a proposed consent order with Microsoft Corp. over complaints that the company falsely represented the security and privacy provisions in its Passport family of services. As part of the order,...