Communications News articles from July 2002

Communications News archives from July 2002

Random thoughts. (Editor's Note).(Networld+Interop Conference)
July 1, 2002... Exactly just what is a knowledge worker? Am I one? Are you? Is the secretary in your office? How about the guy on the ladder repairing your electrical? The term knowledge worker irks me. Why? Well, first, because it is redundant. All...

Not yet ready for prime time? (Feedback).(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2002... To Ken Anderberg: Your article on the Conferencing Roundtable in your March issue was interesting. I see that two of the participants had to rent a public videoconference room. Let me make sure I am straight on this: These are executives...

The editor responds. (Feedback).(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2002... Actually, the two people who rented videoconferencing rooms for the roundtable discussion were one participant who was on the road at the time, but recognized the importance of participating; and the editor of Communications News. All industry...

A participant responds. (Feedback).(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2002... Mr. Green raises two interesting issues: the use of public videoconferencing (VC) facilities and the ability to make videoconferencing more readily available to users. On the first point, I would suggest that public rooms absolutely serve...

The UPS as network management tool. (Trends).
July 1, 2002... Uninterrupted power supplies (UPS,) or battery backup systems, once provided a relatively limited, although important, function--continual battery support to connected equipment in the event of a power failure. Yesterday's "battery in a box"...

Tyco Electronics, Harrisburg, PA, and iTRACS Corp., Chicago, formed a strategic partnership to develop, market and sell an intelligent structured cabling solution. (nanoBits).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Tyco Electronics, Harrisburg, PA, and iTRACS Corp., Chicago, formed a strategic partnership to develop, market and sell an intelligent structured cabling solution, combining Tyco Electronics' AMP NETCONNECT premises cabling systems with iTRACS...

Motorola. (nanoBits).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Houston has contracted with Motorola, Schaumburg, IL, to provide its police officers with Premier Handheld wireless connectivity for data sending and retrieval.

ViaFone. (nanoBits).(providing FedEx with its OneBridge mobile solution)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... ViaFone, Brisbane, CA, is providing FedEx Corp., Memphis, TN, with its OneBridge mobile solution to support FedEx' package-tracking service.

Symantec Corp. (nanoBits).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Symantec Corp., Cupertino, CA, is deploying its Desktop Firewall to protect against malicious code and cyberattack throughout the U.S. Department of Defense's desktop computer network worldwide.

Computer Sciences Corp. (nanoBits).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Computer Sciences Corp., Falls Church, VA, announced three products and services contracts: an estimated $250 deal with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command: $225 million with the Defense Information Systems Agency; and $160 million...

Symbol Technologies. (nanoBits).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Atlanta, has purchased hand-held computers for its field service technicians from Symbol Technologies, Holtsville, NY.

Broadwing. (nanoBits).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... In a $70-million, 10-year deal, Bank of America has selected Broadwing, Cincinnati, as a primary network provider to transmit mission-critical data in the U.S.

Omaha and Douglas County, NE, have selected Qwest Cyber Solutions, Denver, to provide hosting and management services for their Oracle enterprise resource planning systems. (nanoBits).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Omaha and Douglas County, NE, have selected Qwest Cyber Solutions, Denver, to provide hosting and management services for their Oracle enterprise resource planning systems. Qwest Communications International was chosen as primary network...

Is your connection secure? (Trends).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... The question facing Wi-Fi users is whether or not they have a secure connection. The answer, according to Francis Anton Jr., vice president of advanced technology at hereUare Communications, San Jose, CA, is encouraging. "It is not really a big...

PDAs on the move. (Trends).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2002... Not everyone is in agreement with how fast personal digital assistants (PDAs) are entering the market, but two research sources do agree that individuals and enterprises are still buying--plenty. According to iSupply Corp., the PDA market...

Short take. (Trends).
July 1, 2002... "The best (in the telecommunications industry) is yet to come, but it will come to those who treat the future differently." --Sprint Chairman and CEO William Esrey, speaking at SUPERCOMM in Atlanta.

Events.(Calendar of Events)
July 1, 2002... [check] The 31st annual conference & exhibition of ACUTA, July 14-18, takes place at John Ascuaga's Nugget Hotel in Reno/Tahoe. The association for telecom pros in higher education takes learning seriously, with primers from A to Z....

Securing Houston with optical networking: J. Dennis Piper, CIO, meets his city's public safety expectations with multiservice technology. (Cover Story).
July 1, 2002... In a city the size of Houston, communications are vital to law enforcement. In the late 1990s, however, the Houston Police Department (HPD) was outgrowing its network, and communications were beginning to flounder. Information services...

Essentials of a smooth-running network; Application-layer monitoring needs to complement that of device monitoring. (Special focus: enterprise network testing).
July 1, 2002... A comprehensive service-level management (SLM) approach--integrating systems, people and processes--can mean better application and service delivery, measurable progress and heightened competitive advantage. SLM is a complete rethinking of how...

Optimizing a WLAN; Implementation overcomes several obstacles in the logistics industry. (Special focus: enterprise network testing).
July 1, 2002... Often, wireless local area networks (WLANs) are the only choice for rugged environments, like that of Marine Terminal Corp. (MTC), a Port of Oakland marine terminal management company and client of technological support and software solutions...

Enterprise network testing buyers guide. (Special focus: enterprise network testing).(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2002... The first portion of this Enterprise network testing Buyers Guide, the Product Guide, lists the various products in this category, and the companies that make those products. The second section, the Company Guide, provides phone and fax...

Data quality analyzer. (VoIP, optical and wireless testing).(Anritsu MD1230A)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Conduct accurate router performance testing and network monitoring with the MD 1230A data quality analyzer. With the ability to measure nearly every physical interface and network layer, the system can be used to conduct network performance and...

PDA-based management. (VoIP, optical and wireless testing).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... PDA software helps network managers monitor networks while on the run. The metroWATCH optical surveillance system is a stand-alone system that automatically monitors the status of metropolitan and enterprise optical networks. The system allows...

Storage performance testing. (VoIP, optical and wireless testing).(Empirix' Hammer PacketSphere Storage Test Platform)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Evaluate the performance and integrity of IP storage technologies with the Hammer PacketSphere Storage Test Platform, an IP storage-validation test system designed to emulate and analyze the impact of IP networks on storage devices and...

Wireless analysis. (VoIP, optical and wireless testing).(AeroComm SA3000)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Identify potential interference sources and find the optimal location for wireless equipment with the SA3000 spectrum analyzer, a compact PC-based instrument that, when combined with a laptop computer, enables comprehensive remote site...

VoIP test suite. (VoIP, optical and wireless testing).(Brix Networks' Advanced VoIP Performance Test Suite, version 2.0)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Measure critical contributors to quality in SIP- and H.323-based VoIP networks with the Advanced VoIP Performance Test Suite, version 2.0. Designed for the BrixWorx service-assurance software system, the product enables end-to-end performance...

DSL troubleshooting. (VoIP, optical and wireless testing).(Broadframe DSLscope)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Decode and debug data protocols over a live DSL connection with the DSLscope, an inline DSL protocol analyzer that shows what is happening between the DSLAM and the CPE. The unit operates inline on the copper loop to record all traffic...

Hard-drive diagnostics. (VoIP, optical and wireless testing).(Executive Software International's Disk-Alert 2.0 for Microsoft Windows NT)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Be proactive in hard-drive maintenance with Disk-Alert 2.0 for Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP. The utility automates the task of detecting and evaluating vital warning signs of impending disk failure, providing an early...

WLAN analyzer. (VoIP, optical and wireless testing).(Berkeley Varitronics Systems Scorpion)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... The Scorpion is a wireless receiver system designed for sweeping, analyzing and optimizing 2.4-GHz WLANs. The instrument measures coverage of direct-sequence CDMA networks operating on the IEEE 802.11b standard. Users can determine the access...

Counter threats of unreliable electricity: interactive showcase underscores complexities of global business. (Network Management).
July 1, 2002... When Electronic Data Systems (EDS) decided to build a multimillion-dollar interactive marketing center, "The EDS Experience," at its corporate headquarters in Plano, TX, it wanted to make certain that power interruptions did not damage the...

Customer care improves with unified solution: Web streaming and screen sharing conquer company's help desk woes. (Telephony/CTI).(Netfor uses Toshiba Strata CS communications server)
July 1, 2002... Jeff Medley, president and CEO of Netfor in Indianapolis, decided to replace his company's standard PBX system. He had several requirements in mind. "We needed a reliable system that could provide call-management and call center functionality...

Made for speed: fiber-optic cabling extends enterprise network. (Cabling, Wiring and Enclosures).
July 1, 2002... The cabling industry faces the critical point where improving the technology supporting high-bandwidth applications over copper backbones will become more costly than accomplishing the same speeds over fiber. As enterprises deploy more...

Plastic enclosure. (Fiber-optic and cabling products).(Bud Industries)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... The PRM-14464 is a 3U enclosure made from durable, black-ABS plastic, with a UL94-HB flammability rating. Designed to mount into standard 19" racks or to be used on a desktop, the enclosure is 8" deep and has fully ventilated side panels to...

High-speed fiber. (Fiber-optic and cabling products).(Corning Cable Systems develops high-speed fiber optic cables)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Designed for use in private network applications, high-speed InfiniCor SX+ multimode optical fiber cables are 10-GigE capable. The 50-mm multimode fiber supports 10-Gbps serial transmission up to 300 m in the 850-nm wavelength window....

Wire stripper. (Fiber-optic and cabling products).(Jonard Industries)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Simplify wire-stripping tasks with the JIC-4473 wire stripper and cutter. The tool features cushioned grips and interchangeable, long-lasting cutting blades. Wire can be stripped and cut to the exact length required simply by placing the wire...

Ethernet over fiber. (Fiber-optic and cabling products).(IMC Networks ships MediaLinX Switching Media Converter)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... The MediaLinX Switching Media Converter is designed to interconnect different network segments to a multimode fiber backbone in the LAN, or connect multiple LANs over MAN fiber. Featuring a 10/100 Ethernet copper port and a 100Base-FX fiber...

Helpful labels. (Supercomm 2002).(Hellermann Tyton Spirit 2100 portable label printer)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... Create permanent labels for identifying equipment and cables with the battery-powered Spirit 2100 portable printing system. The hand-held printing device provides a WYSIWYG label design and creation interface on an LCD screen. The printer...

Versatile router. (Supercomm 2002).(Quick Eagle Networks 5840 Multilink Router)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... The 5840 Multilink Router is a four-in-one WAN access device that is a CSU/DSU, a router, a multilink device and a network probe. The product uses the IETF-approved RFC1990 Multilink PPP protocol to bond multiple T-1/E-1 lines into a...

Customer-controlled network. (Supercomm 2002).(Masergy Communications)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Connect to an international MPLS network to maintain the control of a private network with the cost savings of shared infrastructure. Manage network performance in real time, from anywhere in the world, with the Service Control Center, an...

DSL switch. (Supercomm 2002).(ZyXEL IES-1000)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... Designed for MTU applications, the IES-1000 G.shdsl Ethernet switch supports high-speed data transmission up to 2.3 Mbps over single copper pair, and is a 16-port G.shdsl switch, with a 1U rack height enclosure. Each enclosure is equipped with...

Mobile conferencing service. (Supercomm 2002).(Voyant Technologies MobileMeeting)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... MobileMeeting enables mobile users to easily and instantly communicate with groups of business colleagues in an intuitive, simple and convenient way. The system incorporates technology solutions to simplify group collaboration, including:...

WLAN helps company keep on truckin': mechanics quickly and accurately assess engine condition using mobile workstations. (Wireless).(Chico Produce wireless network aids in truck maintenance)
July 1, 2002... Nobody does it better than Chico Produce, Durham, CA, when it comes to distributing premium quality produce within northern California, southern Oregon and Nevada. The company has delivered fresh produce to the region's leading retailers,...

Bank on outsourcing: merging large financial institutions necessitated one solid solution. (Service Providers/Services).(National Commerce Financial Corp. information system)
July 1, 2002... The merger of equals in 2000--National Commerce Bancorporation and CCB Financial Corp.--meant the resulting National Commerce Financial Corp. (NCF), headquartered in Memphis, TN, had to strategically unite the disparate back-end systems and...

Move beyond e-mail and Internet access: user model aids management of the evolving wireless enterprise. (Netcom Update).(wireless business processes)
July 1, 2002... Thus far, the tremendous growth of wireless communications has been fueled by demand for mobile voice communications With the convenience and productivity benefits of untethered communications, and an increasingly mobile workforce, however,...

Tape library. (SAN and NAS solutions).(Grau Data Storage Infinistore Tape Library 64)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... Offered with an LVD SCSI interface for midrange environments, the Infinistore Tape Library 64 offers fast and reliable media handling in a compact, rackmountable design for data centers. The ITL-64 incorporates the latest version of Sony's AIT...

Near-online storage. (SAN and NAS solutions).(Network Appliance NearStore R100)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... Speed backup chores with the NearStore R100. The system complements and improves existing tape backup processes by inserting disk-based storage between application storage and tape libraries, in a two-stage configuration. Backup to the system...

SAN management. (SAN and NAS solutions).(SANavigator 3.0from McData)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... SANavigator 3.0, advanced SAN management software, addresses the entire SAN life cycle by providing discovery, planning, configuration and management features. The open-system platform provides an intuitive set of management tools to allow IT...

Compact NAS. (SAN and NAS solutions).(FIA Storage Systems POPnetserver 4500 network attached storage)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... The POPnetserver 4500 is a high-performance NAS system for small to midsize businesses, as well as enterprise departments and workgroups. The system offers hot-swappable drives; RAID levels 0, 1, 5 and 5 plus hot spare; gigabit LAN, dual...

Reliable data storage. (SAN and NAS solutions).(MTI Technology Vivant 400)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... High-capacity storage solution for enterprises running business-critical applications offers up to 12.8 TB per cabinet or rack. The Vivant 400 Series provides end-to-end two-gigabit Fibre Channel technology and delivers a performance of more...

Diskless storage. (Product spotlight: storage).(Imperial Technology's SAN. accelerator)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... Overcome the inherent speed limitations of rotating disk drives with the SAN. accelerator, a data-acceleration device specifically de signed to improve application performance in SANs. Using solid-state disk technology, the appliance connects...

NAS service. (Product spotlight: storage).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Online migration services for NAS consolidation projects provide professional assistance in consolidating NAS devices to a more centralized, manageable solution. Now, Celerra Data Migration Service provides seamless, automated online and...

DVD jukebox. (Product spotlight: storage).(Pioneer Electronics' DVD-R7322)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... The DVD-R7322 is a next-generation DVD/ CD recordable drive module available for the DRM-7000, a 720-disc DVD-R/RW jukebox. With a DVD recording speed of 2x, new DVD-RW capabilities and a slimmer, half-height form factor, the drive is designed...

Counterespionage for networks: now network managers can use hackers' own reconnaissance activities against them. (The Bottom Line).
July 1, 2002... Network security continues to be a hot topic. That s because C-level executives, as well as technology managers, realize just how serious the consequences of a successful attack can be. In fact, if an attack is severe enough, the business might...