Communications News articles from December 2004

Communications News archives from December 2004

MSPs on stage.(managed service providers)(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... So what's all the fuss about these managed service providers (MSP)? Aren't they just the reincarnation of the mostly failed application service provider (ASP) model? Do you really want to outsource your network functions-or your network itself?...

Voice over IP on a roll.(Trends)
December 1, 2004... A large majority of enterprises will have deployed voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) by' the end of 2005, according to a recent study by Deloitte Research, suggesting most now feel VoIP delivers acceptable levels of stability and performance....

The real-world network troubleshooting manual.(Publication)
December 1, 2004... The Real-World Network Troubleshooting Manual: Tools, Techniques and Scenarios, by Alan Sugano, is a guide that teaches the methodology and process of network troubleshooting. It provides an overview of tools and techniques in real-world...

Making business integration work.(Trends)
December 1, 2004... How do you integrate the invoicing procedures for a large network of global sites, all with different legacy systems and procedures? This was the challenge facing Bruce Morris, manager of trading partner integration for Rohm and Haas, a...

Events.(Trends)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
December 1, 2004... BICSI Winter Conference, Jan. 24-27, Orlando, offers educational seminars on LAN, outside plant, cabling installation and wireless, as well as main technical presentations, www.bicsi.org RSA Conference, Feb. 14-18, San Francisco, delivers...

Web conferencing: the next evolution: Valerie Taylor, manager of national cooperative's distance programs, decided that a video, voice and data conferencing solution could address the logistical issues of physical meetings and provide the means for instantaneous feedback.(Cover Story)
December 1, 2004... When Valerie Taylor of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) in Washington sought to organize a training program for more than 900 organization members dispersed across 47 states, single-location gatherings presented...

Conferencing service.(Conferencing solutions)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The IBM Lotus Web Conferencing Service enables organizations to quickly and easily deploy Web conferencing without an investment in new IT resources or skills. An internet connection, Web browser and telephone are all that is needed to access...

Point-and-click conferencing.(Conferencing solutions)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Genesys Meeting Center is a third-generation, integrated Web, voice, and desktop videoconferencing service. New features make online meetings quick and simple to start, whether they are scheduled in advance or held on an ad hoc basis....

One-on-one collaboration.(Conferencing solutions)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... MeetNow is a simple and affordable service for interactive online presentations and application sharing. It provides 24/7 access to an individualized online meeting center where a company can create an unlimited number of one-on-one online...

Scalable online meetings.(Conferencing solutions)
December 1, 2004... System Solution V1 is on IP multimedia collaboration system that offers full-motion video, audio, chat, Web, application sharing and collaboration tools. The product has no monthly usage and maintenance fees, unlimited scalability with each...

Outsourcing keeps content king: service provider frees company from everyday tasks of Web-site management.(Special Focus: MSPs/Integrators)
December 1, 2004... Boston-based TWI Interactive is the digital media arm of the worldwide sports and entertainment marketing firm IMG. In early 2003, the company recognized that management of the 24x7 networks that are the foundation of its business was becoming...

Reduce the risks.(Special Focus: MSPs/Integrators)(program management)
December 1, 2004... Outsourcing efforts can he segmented into three distinct components: planning the effort, to include identifying the activities that can be performed more productively elsewhere; selecting the best partner; and managing the risks along the way...

Selecting an integrator.(Special Focus: MSPs/Integrators)
December 1, 2004... Bringing in outside resources, such as systems integrators, can provide multiple benefits, such as knowledge of the most recent technology developments, teams experienced with the design, implementation and maintenance of new technologies, and...

Buyers guide: the first portion of this Managed Services Providers/Integrators Buyers Guide, the Services Guide, lists the various services in this category, and the companies that deliver them. The second section, the Company Guide, provides phone and fax numbers, and Web addresses of those companies. For quick access to the companies and to view their services, check out the Communications News Web site at www.comnews.com.(Special Focus: MSPs/Integrators)(Directory)
December 1, 2004... PRODUCT GUIDE Application Integration Accenture Agilysys American Systems Corp. Applied Global Technologies CommPartners CompuCom Systems Convergys Dell Services EDS Fiserv FusionStorm...

Service eases transition.(Special Focus: MSPs/Integrators)
December 1, 2004... Marie Palladino was worried. Palladino, the vice president of IT for Evolutions, a medical billing company, had just agreed with two partners to buy the company from its parent. While she was excited about the opportunities this presented, she...

Choose the right partner.(Special Focus: MSPs/Integrators)
December 1, 2004... Choosing the right outsourcing partner is a critical step, and may be achieved by looking at a few key criteria, including bandwidth requirements, service-level agreements (SLA), customer support, value-added services offerings, stability of...

Surveillance on call.(surveillance software)
December 1, 2004... Since Sept. 11, 2001, the need for eyewitness verification to protect assets has increased and the proliferation of false security alarms has limited law enforcement responsiveness. As a result, visual verification is becoming a mandatory...

Wireless network links counties: law enforcement agencies build statewide microwave backhaul communications network.(Wireless)
December 1, 2004... At roughly 145,000 square miles, Montana is slightly larger than Germany. Now imagine trying to protect that much real estate-along with nearly a million people--without a statewide emergency communications network. That was the challenge...

Wi-Fi mapping.(New products)
December 1, 2004... Hive is mapping software that works with the company's Yellowjacket 802.11 (b, a or b/g) Wi-Fi receiver system. The software runs on an iPAQ Pocket PC, allowing site surveys to be hand-held and performed completely indoors. No GPS reception is...

AP wall outlet.(New products)
December 1, 2004... The Wi-Jack Wi-Fi wall outlet integrates Aruba Wireless Networks's next generation enterprise WLAN technology directly into an office network wall outlet* Each unit comes equipped with a single radio that provides either 802.11 a (54 Mbps) or...

Point-to-point wireless.(New products)
December 1, 2004... The Tsunami QuickBridge II Wireless Outdoor Bridge is a user-installable wireless point-to-point bridge designed specifically for reliable long-distance and low-latency voice and data connectivity. The solution combines two radios, integrated...

A winning wireless bet.(Wireless)
December 1, 2004... While New York may be "the city that never sleeps," the pace on the Las Vegas strip is second to none. Perhaps no hotel-and-casino properties best capture the aura of Vegas than the jewels in the MGM crown--the MGM Grand, Bellagio, Mirage, New...

Solid-state drive.(Storage solutions)
December 1, 2004... The Ace-Disk 2.5" IDE/ATA flash drive enables high-performance, solid-state storage functionality in a plug-and-play form factor. The device is a drop-in replacement for IDE/ATA hard drives that supports PIO modes 0-2, allowing burst read/write...

SATA RAID solution.(Storage solutions)
December 1, 2004... ExaStore is an automated, hardware-independent, information-access storage system that supports low-cost, high-capacity SATA RAID arrays. The system features unlimited scalability through its grid architecture, allowing customers to build an...

RAID monitoring.(Storage solutions)
December 1, 2004... The ARAID Network Management System monitors the ARAID family of RAID storage devices across LANs and the Internet. The integrated software system is comprised of the ARAID SNMP agent and the AdventNet OpManager 5 system for use on networked...

Intelligent storage networking.(Storage solutions)
December 1, 2004... The MXV500 is an intelligent SAN switch scalable to 256 ports in a single chassis and up to 512 ports in a dual-chassis configuration as a single fabric. The product eliminates the need to deploy storage applications on host servers,...

Storage-management platform.(Storage solutions)
December 1, 2004... The Autonomic Data Management Platform, release 4.2, supports the creation of applications that are self-configuring, self-healing, self-optimizing and self-protecting. The latest version adds a 1-Safe hot standby option to its existing 2-Safe...

Physical layer gets smarter: an intelligent physical-layer management solution provides network visibility.(communications protocols)
December 1, 2004... Technology has advanced to such an extent that IT managers are required to relate to the physical layer (i.e., where the devices are connected to one another to actually create the network). The more dynamic the enterprise layers become, the...

Seismic cabinets.(Cabling and enclosures)
December 1, 2004... Comprised of a rugged, cold-roll steel frame with reinforced structural steel corner angles, the Technorack Series is designed for heavy-duty indoor applications. The customizable seismic zone 4 cabinets provide protection against shock and...

Rugged cable.(Cabling and enclosures)
December 1, 2004... Industrial Ethernet DataTuff cable products now include the 7930A Category 5e cable-a four-pair, 24 AWG, unshielded cable that is CMR FT4 and CMX-outdoor rated, is stranded for added flexibility and features polyolefin insulation, and...

Enhanced CAT 6 for video.(Cabling and enclosures)
December 1, 2004... GigaLAN Video over Twisted Pair (VoTP) is an enhanced Category 6 cable for broadband video applications. Utilizing misted-pair technology, high-quality signals can be delivered with proven signal fidelity for current and evolving applications,...

Legacy-to-gigabit conversion.(Cabling and enclosures)
December 1, 2004... Interconnect new gigabit device interfaces and network segments with existing 10-Mbps and 100-Mbps equipment with the Gigabit MediaLinX. The device converts all Ethernet twisted-pair data rates to gigabit fiber with a single unit, extending...

Sealed protection.(Cabling and enclosures)
December 1, 2004... The LightGuard CE 1000 environmental enclosure features a sealed design that protects electronic equipment from corrosion, vandalism and the effects of weather and fire. Designed with aluminum, the one-bay cabinet is corrosion-resistant and has...

Cool enclosure.(Cabling and enclosures)
December 1, 2004... The SRME 4U Series line of horizontal rackmount enclosures features an advanced cooling design. Patented CoolSlot air-deflecting card guides optimize airflow. Thermal simulation of the enclosure shows an average airflow of 10.4 CFM (600 LFM)...

Gigabit Ethernet bridge.(Cabling and enclosures)
December 1, 2004... The Gigabit Ethernet Bridge offers speed adaptation for Ethernet, Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet copper networks (10/100/1000Base-T), and simultaneous conversion to optical fiber. The transmission rate can be set via remote management, and...

UL-listed enclosures.(Cabling and enclosures)
December 1, 2004... A new line of Telecommunications Enclosures are designed to house telecommunications equipment for zone cabling applications and wireless access points. The enclosures are available in ceiling-mounted options for active and passive devices,...

Rugged chassis.(Cabling and enclosures)
December 1, 2004... The RHP 11-slot, high-power VXI chassis features rugged construction, high-power cooling modules and RS-485 monitoring. Laminate-welded construction combines lightweight materials to provide a rigid and shock-resistant structure. The unit's...

Fiber multiplexer.(Cabling and enclosures)
December 1, 2004... The TC8510 Ethernet and T-1/E-1 Fiber Multiplexer can multiplex one to four T-1/E-1 channels and a 10/100-Mbps Ethernet over single-mode or multimode fiber. Serial data channels are optional. The product supports distances to more than 100 km...

DIN-mounted enclosures.(Cabling and enclosures)
December 1, 2004... The DB Series of DIN railmount boxes are suitable for a wide variety of industrial control and other applications. The product includes eight different sizes with 10 to 30 contacts, in widths from .87" to 5.91 ". All of the boxes snap onto a...

Videoconferencing improves performance: international firm selects service for daily conferences between employees and customers.(Conferencing)
December 1, 2004... In the race to develop the next generation of power train technologies, which hold the prospect of reducing fuel consumption and exhaust emission levels for new vehicles of all types, BorgWarner's fast-moving organization relies on...

Presence visibility.(IP telephony solutions)
December 1, 2004... VistaPoint 4.0 delivers enhanced telephony presence and call control, bringing advanced IP telephony features into both IP and TDM-based PBX environments, including mixed vendor systems, without displacing existing equipment investments....

Remote phone extension.(IP telephony solutions)
December 1, 2004... Remote-a-Phone is a simple, low-cost solution for point-to-point transport of standard, uncompressed telephone traffic across wireless Ethernet devices or wired Ethernet networks. Unlike VoIP solutions, the uncompressed nature of the...

Powerful videoconferencing.(IP telephony solutions)
December 1, 2004... The Video Telephony Solution: Desktop Edition allows office and home-based employees, as well as remote and mobile workers, to log onto the business network and make video calls that can be transferred, muted or placed on hold, just like a...

Wireless IP phone.(IP telephony solutions)
December 1, 2004... The Strata Wireless IP Telephone is an enterprise-class 802.11 wireless IP telephone that is compatible with Toshiba's Strata CIX native IP business communications system and Strata CTX IP-enabled business communications systems. The wireless...

Headset amplifier.(IP telephony solutions)
December 1, 2004... The GN 8210 digital headset amplifier uses digital signal-processing technology to digitize and enhance incoming call signals. The unit first converts the incoming signal to digital form, then is able to enhance the signal, enabling a range of...

Optical wireless 'fuels' ROI: cost-effective, free-space optical deployment provides high-speed LAN extension.(Optical Technologies)
December 1, 2004... At CDI Corp., the ability to scale tailored business solutions quickly is the key to helping clients achieve a faster and higher return on their capital investments. From its Houston-based operations, CDI's process and industrial team provides...

Portable firewall.(New Products)
December 1, 2004... Senforce Portable Firewall Plus is a security solution for mobile professionals. The software features location-aware security that provides the right security setting based on location, intrusion blocking to block malicious access attempts, a...

Distribution panel.(New Products)
December 1, 2004... The DPB2U circuit breaker panel provides distribution and overload protection for up to 10 DC circuits in telecom applications. Utilizing a minimum of rack space, the unit distributes up to a total of 300 amperes of load current from a single...

Security scanner.(New Products)
December 1, 2004... Sunbelt Network Security Inspector (SNSI) version 1.5 delivers enhancements to the existing version, including support for popular Linux systems, IP-based scanning, port and Windows service scanning, vulnerability searching, and new...

Serial ports over Ethernet.(New Products)
December 1, 2004... The DeviceMaster PRO 16-Port 10/100 Base-T device server provides bus-independent serial port expansion and a platform for hosting and running custom-developed applications. The server supports RS-232/422/485 software-selectable interfaces on...

PoE media converters.(New Products)
December 1, 2004... The AC-powered, power-over-Ethernet (POE) media converter combines data received over a fiber-optic link with -48 V DC power, providing power to data terminal equipment power devices over unshielded twisted pair cable. The PoE converters are...

Emerging wireless: Who's on first? The autonomous ad hoc network is ideally suited to a range of mobile solutions.(GUEST COLUMN)
December 1, 2004... As the world becomes increasingly reliant on instant communications and information services, emerging wireless networks have become entrenched as a core enabling element for new services. The rapid-fire explosion in number and variety of...