Communications News articles from April 2005

Communications News archives from April 2005

Who are you?(Editor's Note)
April 1, 2005... Who are you? What are your IT responsibilities? Which work-related publications do you receive? For which IT products are you involved in the purchasing decision? How large is your organization? What are your chief IT concerns? These are...

Wireless interference?(Trends)
April 1, 2005... Around the nation, several major cities are considering funding programs to construct Wi-Fi wireless broadband networks for Internet access. Lincoln, Neb., for one, has installed a fast wireless data network to connect geographically dispersed...

Events.(Trends)(Calendar)
April 1, 2005... BICSI Spring Conference, May 2-5, Las Vegas, offers the latest educational information in the telecommunications and cabling industry. www.bicsi.org Networld+Interop, May 1-6, Las Vegas, includes speakers from major companies, educational...

Storage outlook unsettled.
April 1, 2005... There is an "information gap" for CIOs and other IT decision-makers when it comes to storage. Most are not aware, for example, that thin provisioning technology can help their organizations defer and potentially eliminate storage costs. Many IT...

Slow going on VoIP.(Trends)
April 1, 2005... Voice and data networks continue to be separately managed entities in most organizations, according to a report from Osterman Research. Only one in six organizations has either converged these networks or has mostly completed the convergence...

Cultural differences.(Trends)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... According to security vendor Trend Micro, non-English spam is on the rise. In 2004, 67% of all spam e-mails were written in languages other than English, compared to 26% non-English spare in November 2003. Across these lingual and cultural...

Damaging cells?(Trends)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Radio waves from mobile phones harm body cells and damage DNA in laboratory conditions, according to a new study majority-funded by the European Union. The so-called Reflex study, conducted by 12 research groups in seven European countries, did...

Modular solutions meet storage objectives: proper investment supports data center start-up and staying power.
April 1, 2005... With expanding optical networks, reduced cost of bandwidth, and increased concern for disaster recovery, data centers and storage area networks (SANs) are popping up across the nation. Anyone can tell you that data centers and SANs are a...

Penguin security: to provision more than 1,500 independent brokers, IS Director Joe Dennick of Securities America built an open source authentication system using a database-management approach that could maintain 99.9% uptime.(Cover Story)
April 1, 2005... Joe Dennick, IS director at Omaha-based Securities America, needed an authentication approach using a database-management system-and he needed that system to maintain 99.9% uptime. He did not need it to be expensive-and he had more than 1,500...

The dream network: Networld+Interop's Event Network brings together the latest wired and wireless technologies, including voice over IP, video streaming and network security.(Networld + Interop)
April 1, 2005... At NetWorld+Interop 2005 (N+I), scheduled in Las Vegas, May 1-5, volunteers will construct a state-of-the-art network, in the short span of five days, with a 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10GigE) backbone inside the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Once...

Remote management.(Networld + Interop)
April 1, 2005... Avocent is providing keyboard, video and mouse (KVM) systems to fulfill eNet's console access needs. DSView 3 management software will be responsible for managing devices in the data center. KVM switching manageability and security will provide...

Acceleration, optimization.(Networld + Interop)
April 1, 2005... NetScaler will accelerate and optimize eNet, providing users across the show network with faster application delivery and performance. A high-availability pair of NetScaler systems is being used in portions of the eNet, such as some N+I servers...

Problem solution.(Networld + Interop)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Computer Associates International's (CA) Unicenter software will proactively monitor the eNet infrastructure, detect problems as they arise and, via automated, intelligent and self-healing capabilities, help resolve issues before they can...

Performance analysis.(Networld + Interop)
April 1, 2005... The Network Physics NetSensory Enterprise Architecture will help ensure the integrity and performance of the eNet. An NP-Director global aggregation appliance in the NOC will combine the data from two NP-2000 intelligent edge appliances, one...

Web antivirus.(Networld + Interop)
April 1, 2005... eNet organizers must provide access to the Internet, but must also ensure the network is protected from spyware, malicious code, viruses and other Web-based threats. Virus scanning at the Internet access point of eNet plays a critical role in...

Monitoring and analysis.(Networld + Interop)
April 1, 2005... Fluke Networks is providing the tools to monitor network devices and traffic. In preparation for the convention's interoperability demonstrations, Fluke Networks will assist other sponsors with the installation and configuration of the core...

The backbone network.(Networld + Interop)
April 1, 2005... Extreme Networks is designing and delivering the backbone network and wireless LAN for the eNet. The network will support thousands of attendees and hundreds of vendors, as well as converged applications and wireless connectivity. To best...

Network identity services.(Networld + Interop)
April 1, 2005... Infoblox is providing the network identity infrastructure (NII) for eNet--the systems that store and deliver information about users, devices and policies to network devices and applications. NII services include the domain name system (DNS),...

Network testing.(Networld + Interop)
April 1, 2005... Spirent Communications is the "performance assurance" supplier to eNet. This year, the network will incorporate the latest wireless switching and metro Ethernet technologies, a fully integrated VolP network, high-bandwidth multicast video, and...

Reduce network complexity: application front-end appliance processes rather than switches traffic demands of Web applications.(Special Focus: Testing & Monitoring)
April 1, 2005... Enterprise networking managers are facing a rising tide of complexity, as more types of applications and content converge via the Web. As online retailers re-invent their e-brands and swarms of new Web-enabled tools and services come to market,...

Firm designs dual network: network-monitoring solution ensures that all components of the physical infrastructure are working properly.(Special Focus: Testing & Monitoring)
April 1, 2005... When Protein Design Labs (PDL), a company that discovers and develops humanized monoclonal antibodies, built a new commercial-scale manufacturing facility in Brooklyn Park, Minn., the IT department knew that the networking system would have to...

Charting a Web course.(Advertisement)
April 1, 2005... No IT executive looks forward to asking upper management to spend $200,000 on a major system upgrade. But Henry Svendblad, vice president of IT at ChartOne, felt he had little choice. To better serve its customers and to ease the burden on its...

Buyers guide.(Special Focus: Testing & Monitoring)(Buyers Guide)
April 1, 2005... The testing and monitoring of enterprise data and voice networks is a 24/7/365 responsibility for IT managers. To complicate today's task, organizations also must comply with regulatory compliance and accountability requirements, and are faced...

Hand-held fiber testing.(New products)
April 1, 2005... Suited for the premise market, the uOR-100 series multimode OTDR features a dynamic range of 26 dB. The unit operates with a USB interface, which eliminates the need for batteries. Designed for field installation and service, the lightweight,...

Certify cable runs.(New products)
April 1, 2005... The NT950 Validator is a full-featured performance certifier for cables in the small-business installation market. Software that comes with the unit allows a user to lay out a floor plan, denote where each cable drop will be installed, test and...

Check for PoE.(New products)
April 1, 2005... The PoE Tester is designed for IT administrators, system integrators and installers who want to check if electrical operating power is being carried over the Ethernet network. When connected to an RJ-45 outlet, the tester checks for the...

Active network testing.(New products)
April 1, 2005... NAVITEK is a hand-held network diagnostic tool optimized for passive and active structured data cable network testing. It allows the verification of the integrity of the physical installation through wiremap (T568A/B), length measurement,...

The need for remote management: the time required to identify, isolate and resolve a problem at remote sites can be five times longer.(Remote Management)
April 1, 2005... No longer are organizations utilizing pure hub-and-spoke network architectures. The days of a network manager just worrying about bandwidth and connectivity to and from a headquarters location are numbered. Owing to the growing distributed...

Optimize first, upgrade later.(Remote Management)
April 1, 2005... With the increasing reliance of business processes en TCP/IP-based applications, performance and service quality issues over wide area networks (WANs) are beginning to keep IT managers up at night. In many cases, the conventional approach of...

Remote monitoring reduces costs.(Remote Management)
April 1, 2005... Cary, N.C.-based [A.sup.4] Health Systems, a provider of electronic medical records (EMR) solutions to more than 1,400 healthcare organizations, found it was spending an increasing amount of time and money managing and supporting its customers....

PoE: midspans vs. endspans: delivering power to end devices over existing data cabling provides added flexibility.(Cabling Infrastructure)
April 1, 2005... Power over Ethernet (PoE) has become a major factor in the push toward convergence. Originally developed to power voice-over-IP (VoIP) phones and wireless access points (APs), PoE's potential goes beyond IP telephony. PoE's low-voltage power...

10-Gigabit Ethernet.(New products)
April 1, 2005... The IBDN System 10GX is an end-to-end UTP cabling solution for 10-Gigabit Ethernet services. The solution is engineered to provide an economic solution for high-speed networks today and in the future. The 10G system reduces alien crosstalk to a...

Complete 10GigE cabling system.(New products)
April 1, 2005... The GigaSPEED X10D solution supports both the bandwidth needs of today's enterprises and the needs of more demanding applications, such as high-resolution video, grid computing and storage area network/network-attached storage. The solution is...

Rooftop supports.(New products)
April 1, 2005... The Rooftop Pipe Support from CADDY is a cost-effective alternative to wood blocks, straps, clips and other labor-intensive methods for supporting pipes and cable conduits on roofs. The UV-rated sled design support for low pipe-count runs has a...

Track and document.(New products)
April 1, 2005... Designed to improve efficiency in identifying, locating and fixing problems within the physical network, NetDoc network-documentation and cable-management software provides enterprises with complete ANSI/TIA/EIA 606A documentation compliance....

Cable conduit system.(New products)
April 1, 2005... Keeping both present and future communication cabling needs in mind, the Kwikpath cable-management system is designed to arrange and organize cables into a logical series of reusable pathways behind walls and ceilings, making cable installation...

Beyond the cordless phone: adoption of voice on wireless LANs is the next logical step.(Voice Networks)
April 1, 2005... Combining the benefits of wireless LANs (WLAN)--namely, the potential to access the network from any device anywhere--with the benefits of voice over IP (VoIP)--free or reduced rate calling--seems to be a match made in heaven. With WLANs, users...

Rapid notification service.(New products)
April 1, 2005... Hosted Notify is a flexible, scalable, turn-key notification system; no boxes to integrate, no software to load, no phone lines to install, no e-mail servers to configure, no Internet access to provision, no equipment to manage and maintain....

Site event buffer.(New products)
April 1, 2005... The SEB NET-PATH site event buffer monitoring device monitors legacy telecom systems and IP-based datacom elements. The device serves as an SNMP proxy agent or a network segment manager, providing ASCII datastream analysis, and monitoring...

IP-centric communications.(New products)
April 1, 2005... The CS 5400 network communication solution platform delivers robust and reliable communications along with VoIP-enabled applications. Featuring support for up to 110 IP endpoints, the system can also support up to 96 digital endpoints via an...

Hosted VoIP functionality.(New products)
April 1, 2005... Using the BroadWorks platform, businesses can access a full slate of enhanced VoIP features while keeping their PBX or IP PBX equipment. The platform provides a range of VoIP applications, including hosted PBX, business trunking, residential...

Protect every port.(New Products)
April 1, 2005... Protect high-speed digital interfaces from transients caused by direct or indirect lightning strikes with the ZoneBarrier 91292. The device is a three-stage series hybrid that uses silicon avalanche diodes: ultra-fast diodes and gas tubes...

DHCP security.(New Products)
April 1, 2005... An IP services technology that protects against network access by unknown systems, SAFE DHCP quarantines all unknown systems until they can be confirmed and deemed safe to access the corporate network. Its architecture is designed to prevent...

IPMI server management.(New Products)
April 1, 2005... The DSI5100 Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) proxy appliance provides secure monitoring and management of IPMI-enabled servers. The solution allows out-of-band access to embedded sensors on servers and target devices without the...

Web performance solution.(New Products)
April 1, 2005... WebRider is a Web performance acceleration solution. Built on the Linux OS and taking advantage of 64-bit processing, the appliance operates seamlessly with leading enterprise applications, including Peoplesoft, Plumtree, WebSphere Portal...

Labeling software.(New Products)
April 1, 2005... TagPrint Pro label-creation software, version 2.0, provides a fast label creation and printing solution. Enhancements include new import capabilities, design options and faster printing, while it retains its WYSIWYG label design functionality....

Server monitoring.(New Products)
April 1, 2005... WebWatchBot version 3.0 is a Web site availability- and performance-monitoring solution that alerts designated personnel of errors, poor response time and other customizable conditions via e-mail, on-screen display, cell phone or pager. New...

Security scanning tool.(New Products)
April 1, 2005... Pre> View is a security scanning tool that provides a rating similar to a consumer credit report. The security application allows administrators to see the relative security of Windows computers against known threats in the wild. Based on four...

Entry-level solid-state disk.(New Products)
April 1, 2005... Fully SNMP compatible, the RamSan-120 implements RAID (redundant array of independent DIMMs)--protected dual inline memory modules-for the highest levels of reliability. The solid-state disk delivers more than 70,000 random I/Os per second and...

Manage your network security: differences between poor security and technical vulnerabilities are monumental.(Guest Column)
April 1, 2005... Vulnerability management is not the most important component of a security management program. Poor security is at least as large a problem as technical vulnerabilities in gaining unauthorized access to an enterprise's network. The differences...