Communications News articles from December 2005

Communications News archives from December 2005

We have a problem.(Editor's Note)(Editorial)
December 1, 2005... The security problems associated with the Internet are coming to a head, something that has been hinted at in this space for some time. In May 2004, for example, came a warning about the "holes" and other problems with e-mail filters, which...

Traders laptopped.(SHORT TAKES)
December 1, 2005... Investment bank Thomas Weisel Partners has deployed more than 400 Lenovo ThinkPad notebooks throughout its offices nationwide to improve operational efficiencies, increase hardware reliability and reduce the total cost of ownership of its...

Cool performance.(purchasing of software)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Friendly's Ice Cream Corp., a $575-million restaurant and ice cream manufacturing company with 535 restaurants, has purchased Stampede Technologies' WebRider Enterprise Application Acceleration System 1.1. Friendly's expects to achieve network...

SMB networks said at risk.(Trends)
December 1, 2005... Prior to deploying intrusion-prevention firewalls, the Nederland Independent School District (ISD), located south of Beaumont, Texas, was faced with a myriad of unauthorized access and major hacking attempts by students, and constant external...

Market pulse.(surveys on usage of equipment)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Q: Over the next 12 months, how will your organization's spending on equipment and software for your public network infrastructure change compared to its spending levels during the previous 12 months? Increase more than 25% 6%...

More horsepower.(SHORT TAKES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The University of Southern California (USC) has selected ADC'sTrueNet CopperTen structured cabling system to provide the network infrastructure for a new state-of-the-art molecular and computational biology building. The $70-million,...

Assets tracked.(SHORT TAKES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Madison, Wis., has selected MCM's Real Time Public Safety and Communications Asset Management System to track and manage communications and other complex, mobile assets. The Windows-based software tracks assets and equipment, and creates...

Governing the net.(Trends)
December 1, 2005... Not everyone agreed with a recent Communications News editorial on Internet governance, which suggested that the United States should not be the sole proprietor of the Net. If you analyze just one instance of U.S. "control;' however, an...

Schools go IP.(SHORT TAKES)
December 1, 2005... When one of Florida's largest school districts needed to replace its costly phone service to accommodate growth and reduce operating costs, the organization turned to a new IP telephony network from Avaya. The network is expected to help St....

Stores connected.(SHORT TAKES)
December 1, 2005... Stride Rite Corp., a designer and marketer of leading brands of high-quality footwear for children and adults, is being provided secure managed broadband network services from Equant and GoRemote Internet Communications. The two vendors will...

Security concerns for VoIP.(Trends)
December 1, 2005... When faculty, staff and students arrived at Dartmouth College this fall, hey were greeted by a campus-wide voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) telephone system, installed by Networked Information Systems (NIS) of Woburn, Mass. The 7,000-phone...

Runaway growth.(Trends)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Worldwide wireless LAN switch ports sales jumped 52% to 170,000, and revenue grew 55% to $80.8 million between the first and second quarters of 2005, according to Infonetics Research. The number is expected to top $735 million by 2008. The...

Under control: Associated Food Stores' Jeff Ladle found a patching solution that also addresses spyware and inventory concerns.(Cover Story)
December 1, 2005... For Associated Food Stores, a cooperatively owned wholesale grocery distributor, what began last year as a search for a suitable answer for network patching has evolved into a full network inventory solution and improved control over renegade...

Bank outsources security to the cloud: service provider option reduces costs, provides technology flexibility and covers compliance requirements.(Special Focus: MSPs/Integrators)
December 1, 2005... Ken Emerson was concerned. As director of strategic planning and CIO of Boiling Springs Savings Bank in Rutherford, N.J., he needed to address a host of regulatory compliance issues, especially regarding security of the bank's sensitive data. A...

CPA firm defends against spam: outsourced security service provides cost savings and increased staff productivity.(Special Focus: MSPs/Integrators)
December 1, 2005... One afternoon in the height of the 2005 tax season, accountants at Cannon & Company waiting fin client communications began noticing delays in e-mail delivery. As Sara Oaks, network administrator and bead of information services, recalls, "A...

Buyers guide.(Special Focus: MSPs/Integrators)(Directory)
December 1, 2005... Companies listed in this Managed Services Providers/Integrators Buyers Guide can assist you in selecting the products and services that work best for your organization. BUSINESS CONTINUITY SERVICES American Systems Corp. ...

Video connects board and members: Indiana library services group brings annual session to its 720 member organizations.(Conferencing)
December 1, 2005... Interactive media specialist Jeff Humphrey at the Indiana Cooperative Library Services Authority (INCOLSA) needed an affordable and simplified method to videoconference the organization's annual board meeting--as a way to reach its 720 member...

The IP conferencing advantage.(Conferencing)
December 1, 2005... One area of communication that is demonstrating potential in the enterprise environment in terms of cost reduction and improved user experience is IP-based on-demand voice conferencing. Incorporating on-demand VoIP audio conferencing means...

Video collaboration anytime.(Conferencing)
December 1, 2005... One requirement of any "telepresence" solution is ease of use. For the system to be successful, both the remote user and the expert must be able to use the equipment without a lot of thought and after only minimal training-providing a solution...

Full room videoconferencing.(Conferencing Products)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The VSX 7000s is a high-quality, versatile group videoconferencing solution for medium to large rooms. The unit includes an embedded speaker and subwoofer, has embedded dual monitor support and includes multiple methods of sharing data, videos...

On-demand service.(Conferencing Products)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Intended for impromptu team meetings, weekly client calls or other calls involving up to as many as 20 participants, iLinc On-Demand provides flexibility for Web and audio conferencing. On-Demand audio conferencing allows users to create or...

Accurate usage tracking.(Conferencing Products)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Conference Manager 6.0 is a premises-based audio and Web conferencing system featuring multitenant capabilities, allowing companies to maintain multiple accounts on the same server for easier bill back, greater security and better utilization...

Live collaboration.(Conferencing Products)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Elluminate Live! 6.5 provides comprehensive American Disabilities Act 508C compliance, improved video, enhanced accessibility, usability and scalability. The solution for live collaboration, conferencing and e-learning includes multiple streams...

Video communications.(Conferencing Products)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Video Communications Solution (VCS) for the company's Strata CIX family of IP business communication systems provides affordable point-to-point video communications and collaboration (desktop and applications sharing) capabilities. Using...

Testing can tighten your security: identify vulnerabilities before they are exploited through analysis done in lab simulations.(Intrusion Security)
December 1, 2005... In today's risk-filled online environment, testing network security solutions is essential. When your network is always on and globally accessible, how can you be sure that you are adequately protected? Even if your security systems are...

Commentary: better solutions needed.(Intrusion Security)
December 1, 2005... Small business e-mail and collaboration should be as easy as making a telephone call. In addition, the technology should be so reliable that outages are treated with the same incredulity as telephone outages. But it isn't. Technology has...

Infrastructure to bank on: new enclosures. KVMs and PDUs maximize data center space for financial services company.(Cabling, Racks & Enclosures)
December 1, 2005... Thomas Weisel Partners is comprised of several areas offering value-added research, institutional sales, trading and investment-banking groups focused on servicing the nation's top institutional investors and emerging growth companies. The...

Jumper management is critical.(Cabling, Racks & Enclosures)
December 1, 2005... Jumper management is often an afterthought for many system designers, but it can turn out to be one of the more critical decisions a designer has to make. Jumper management can affect the required rack space, floor space and ease of system...

Fiber enclosures.(Infrastructure Products)
December 1, 2005... The FERM36S is a 2U fiber enclosure that includes a tinted plexiglass window and con be fitted with up to six adapter panels and two splice trays, allowing 72 fibers in the low-profile enclosure. The unit is designed to be mounted on a 19" or...

Angled patch panels.(Infrastructure Products)
December 1, 2005... The redesigned line of Angled Patch Panels and accessories offer increased user effectiveness, with a unique dual-angle design that provides optimal rack density, improved punch-down accessibility, and simplified cable and patch cord...

Affordable rack.(Infrastructure Products)
December 1, 2005... The HP 5642 customer-assembled rack is designed for the value-conscious customer. With 42U of racking capacity and 680 Kg/1,500 lbs. of static load capacity, the rack has industry-standard dimensions of 19" between the two front RETMA rails....

Fabric switches.(Infrastructure Products)
December 1, 2005... The Sphereon 4400 and Sphereon 4700 are scalable, feature-rich and easy-to-manage 4-Gbps Fibre Channel fabric switches. The switches support wizards for simple installation; unrestricted, non-blocking universal Fibre Channel ports to minimize...

Airflow control.(Infrastructure Products)
December 1, 2005... Snake Air is an air flow manager for data centers. With equipment and servers producing excess heat, controlling air flow has become a critical factor in maintaining a proper temperature in the data center. The device's design blocks stray air...

Media conversion.(Infrastructure Products)
December 1, 2005... Designed for Ethernet applications in a campus/ building environment when distance exceeds 90 meters, the ST Multimode FO to UTP Media Converter helps reach a distant point, interconnect LAN segments and build a backbone when conduits are full....

Analog VoIP gateway.(Product Spotlight: Telephony and VoIP)
December 1, 2005... Designed for traditional, IP PBX and hybrid enterprise environments, the Tenor AXT 4800 MultiPath Switch integrates call switching and processing for transparent deployment into existing circuit and IP telephony-based voice networks. The unit...

IP telephony platform.(Product Spotlight: Telephony and VoIP)
December 1, 2005... ShoreTel 6 is the sixth generation of the company's distributed IP PBX voice solution. An Office Anywhere feature supports mobile users irrespective of their location and the device they are using at the moment. An employee's work identity and...

Media server.(Product Spotlight: Telephony and VoIP)
December 1, 2005... The V2fone SV3000 Enterprise Server is a media server, proxy server and MCU server designed to support up to 1,000 users. A super compression codec achieves more than four times the compression of MPEG4 for efficient transmission, while...

VoIP security audits.(Product Spotlight: Telephony and VoIP)
December 1, 2005... VoIPaudit is a vulnerability-assessment solution built specifically for voice over IP, allowing organizations to automatically identify and eliminate possible VoIP-specific attacks before they impact IP telephone services. The system is based...

Headset adapter.(Product Spotlight: Telephony and VoIP)
December 1, 2005... The DA40 is a USB-to-headset adapter that enables enterprises to quickly optimize existing headsets for use with softphones. The device allows companies that have recently migrated to a VoIP infrastructure and now utilize softphones to continue...

Backup IP PBX capabilities.(Product Spotlight: Telephony and VoIP)
December 1, 2005... The MultiVOIP SS SIP Survivability Server provides the basic features of a centralized IP telephony system to remote locations during IP network (i.e., WAN) failures, and also provides gateway functionality by bridging the public switched...

Industrial cordless phone.
December 1, 2005... Providing premise wireless phones off the analog port of a PBX, the DuraFon industrial cordless phone offers durability and coverage with various levels of phone system functionality. The phone features a durable, rubber housing; a broadcast...

Unified communications.
December 1, 2005... Featuring increased port capacity and enhanced user interfaces, the new features found in CallXpress 7.71 are specifically developed for large companies actively seeking to replace their first-generation communications infrastructure. The...

IP phone data access.(Product Spotlight: Telephony and VoIP)
December 1, 2005... OnCast Directory, combined with new secure profile-management capabilities, provides secure, authenticated and personalized access to calling, conferencing and broadcasting across the enterprise. The solution facilitates the secure creation and...

Application management.
December 1, 2005... The Converged Compression Appliance (CCA) is an application-aware acceleration device that provides selective compression to enable applications like VoIP, which are already pre-compressed, to achieve optimal performance and efficiency. The CCA...

Mobile phone e-mail access.(New Products)
December 1, 2005... Nokia Business Center delivers business applications and mobile e-mail for smartphones and business-optimized mobile devices. The solution is designed to expand the universe of potential mobile users by leveraging the broad availability of...

Simple, intelligent switching.(New Products)
December 1, 2005... The EZ Switch 10/100/1000 Gigabit smart switches, in 16- and 24-port configurations (SMCGS16-Smart and SMCGS24-Smart), bring the speed of gigabit copper connectivity to the desktop, with key management features and the ease of Web-based...

Accurate documentation.
December 1, 2005... First identify what is on the network and then safeguard and monitor it with LAN-surveyor version 9.5 for Windows. The solution provides administrators with detailed network-documentation, asset-management, network-monitoring and...

Keep SIP secure.(New Products)
December 1, 2005... SIPassure 2.0 is a turn-key platform that provides end-to-end network and application-layer security for VoIP, instant messaging, videoconferencing and other SIP-based applications. The solution provides an added layer of security for SIP proxy...

VoIP phone adapter.(New Products)
December 1, 2005... The VoIP Phone Adapter allows users to instantly switch between their existing phone line and VoIP. It is designed to seamlessly work on most VoIP networks and lets users turn ordinary landline and cordless phones into VoIP phones using any...

Exchange server backup.(New Products)
December 1, 2005... The Application Continuity Appliance (ACA) for Microsoft Exchange delivers instant-on failover and failback in the event of planned or unplanned downtime of a Microsoft Exchange server. With a simple 10-minute installation using the Web-based...

Identify bandwidth use.
December 1, 2005... Select AppFlows is a module for the company's Visual UpTime Select product that delivers end-to-end visibility into the flow of individual applications from every location in an enterprise. This assists administrators to have a better...

Citrix performance management.(New Products)
December 1, 2005... EdgeSight for Citrix Presentation Server is an end-to-end performance management solution for Citrix environments that enables rapid problem resolution and capacity planning. The product facilitates simultaneous analysis of both the Citrix...

WAN acceleration.(New Products)
December 1, 2005... Designed for distributed enterprises, the WX platforms integrate all the elements required to optimize application performance, improve application response times, maximize WAN investments, and control and prioritize key applications. The...

Secure remote access.(New Products)
December 1, 2005... The EX-1500 appliance running Aventail ST is a VPN solution that provides a common end-user experience and a centralized management model for all access methods, devices, users and resources. When users access the Aventail gateway, they use the...

Traffic-management appliance.(New Products)
December 1, 2005... The ZXTM 7000 is a fault-tolerant, load-balancing solution that delivers integration of system security, optimization and traffic management. The solution features TrafficScript scripting language and TrafficCluster scalability, enabling...

Outsourced blessings?(IT Insight)(Interview)
December 1, 2005... Ken Emerson, director of strategic planning and CIO for Boiling Springs Savings Bank in Rutherford N.J. uses outsourcing to provide key financial services for his company's customers. In an interview with Associate Editor Raymond Peckham,...