Communications News articles from July 2003

Communications News archives from July 2003

VoIP choices. (Editor's Note).
July 1, 2003... There is a discussion currently gaining traction in the telephony market concerning service provider hosting of voice over IP (VoIP) solutions for enterprises. With telcos struggling to find new sources of revenue, while seeing customers opt...

Make your mobile cost effective. (Trends).
July 1, 2003... Enterprises need to have a clear strategy for deploying and managing mobile devices, according to Ken Smiley, director and mobile enterprise analyst for Forrester Research. An organization's bottom line can suffer, he says, especially in...

Publication. (Trends).
July 1, 2003... Shared Data Clusters, by Dilip Ranade, delivers an examination of how cluster software works, as well as a discussion of essential clustering services, such as locking and messaging. Real-world applications are studied, including the...

Events. (Trends).
July 1, 2003... * WebSec 2003, July 28-30, San Francisco, provides security professionals with sessions on secure instant messaging, Web security architecture, hacking Web applications and wireless authentication, as well as a vendor exposition....

Worms are getting faster! (Trends).
July 1, 2003... Computer worms and viruses have become increasingly easy to distribute and significantly more threatening to the security of global communication networks, according to analyst firm Probe Group of Cedar Knolls, N.J. An attack can be launched by...

Short take. (Trends).
July 1, 2003... "When it comes to voice-data convergence, the applications that reach 'killer' status will be those that are easy for the user to understand, purchase and use." --Mike Durance, vice president and general manager of Toshiba's...

Money in the bank: by deploying a voice-over-IP phone system, OneUnited Bank has created a single, seamless voice and data network that reduces costs and improves productivity. (Cover Story).
July 1, 2003... Kevin Cohee needed the economies of scale of a nationwide bank to reach his goal of providing black neighborhoods with access to capital and other bank services normally reserved for larger banks. As chairman and CEO of OneUnited Bank, Cohee's...

System down? No problem: KVM-over-IP remote-access solution brings network back up quickly. (Remote Access).
July 1, 2003... Hardware can fail. When a recent hardware failure had systems engineers at Washington, D.C., government facilities scrambling between locations miles apart, IT managers knew the time had come to find a better, more efficient way to manage and...

KVM switch solves server expansion: insurance services company chooses remote access over more IT personnel. (Remote Access).
July 1, 2003... Cameron Gocke, systems engineer for the Aon Services Group in Chicago, needed a solution to provide local and remote access to his 125 servers and other network devices that run the company's critical operations. Gocke's single most important...

Server access. (Management and VPN products).
July 1, 2003... The StarView IP2 is a hardware solution that allows network administrators to control and monitor servers from anywhere in the world over the Internet. The external unit allows BIOS-level remote control of a target server or servers connected...

LCD-equipped KVM. (Management and VPN products).
July 1, 2003... The 16-port 1U Rackmount Console KVM Switch includes a keyboard, 15" LCD screen, touchpad and 16-port switching functionality for dense equipment installations. The switch includes plug-and-play setup (no software required) and hot-pluggable...

Mobile device access. (Management and VPN products).
July 1, 2003... Manage and optimize remote access to mission-critical applications and networks from any location, network or Pocket PC device. Support for Pocket PC will be one of three access options of the company's Anywhere Secure Access Policy (ASAP)...

Workstation management. (Management and VPN products).
July 1, 2003... Deployment Solution features improved security, performance and usability for the complete management of operating system (OS) and software deployments, ongoing software management, disaster recovery, and OS and hardware migrations. The...

Console management. (Management and VPN products).
July 1, 2003... The 48-port AlterPath Advanced Console Server (ACS) provides secure, remote console management. Features include native support for the EMS protocols included with Windows Server 2003, plus data buffering, direct access methods to the serial...

Optical Ethernet speeds fast-food network: Jack in the Box uses free-space optical solution for expansion. (Wireless).
July 1, 2003... Fast-food giant Jack in the Box Inc. has always focused on using innovation to better address its customers' needs. By employing inventive marketing, and implementing unique quality and service programs, the company has improved its market...

The right cure for cable management: retail chain designs data center for ease of use and growth potential. (Infrastructure).
July 1, 2003... The term "vitamin shop" may conjure up images of a "mom-and-pop" shop filled with hundreds of home remedies, but Vitamin Shoppe Industries is, in reality, a sophisticated operation that is rapidly expanding throughout the nation. What began in...

Does cabling need intelligent monitoring? Maintaining control of physical layer components can be made simpler, less costly. (Infrastructure).
July 1, 2003... Most of the new mission-critical technologies, such as IP telephony and e-business, significantly impact enterprise networks, making impeccable quality of service and physical network security mandatory. One glance at any medium-sized IT room...

Rugged rack. (Enclosures and cable management).
July 1, 2003... Designed for data communication centers and telecommunication equipment where central offices are situated in earthquake-prone regions, the Seismic Open Frame Rack comes in 19" and 23" widths. The rugged, welded-steel construction helps to...

Cable tray. (Enclosures and cable management).
July 1, 2003... Designed to increase the cable-carrying capacity of new or existing ladders is the Ladder Snake. To gain greater cable-carrying capacity, clip this cable tray onto an existing ladder rack to create a new second-tier cable path. To create...

Laptop storage. (Enclosures and cable management).
July 1, 2003... The Laptop Cart has the ability to secure and store notebook computers, and has the capacity to recharge 18 units simultaneously. Each laptop is stored on an individual shelf with integrated slotting to accept cable ties that secure power...

Multilevel cable distribution. (Enclosures and cable management).
July 1, 2003... Providing a flexible alternative for horizontal cable trays are the CADDY angle brackets--CATHBA Series. The heavy-duty brackets have reinforcing ribs that provide support, eliminate rocking and fit the profile of CableCat J-hooks (sizes...

Media-converter rack. (Enclosures and cable management).
July 1, 2003... The 8-Slot Point System Chassis is 10.5" deep and takes up only one rack unit of space (1.75"). The design difference from other converter racks is that the cards mount horizontally. The chassis allows for complete read/write management of all...

Repositionable tie wrap. (Enclosures and cable management).
July 1, 2003... Re-usable Scotch-brand 100 Cable and Tie Wraps are designed for fiber and copper applications. The wraps are flexible and have no sharp edges, which helps eliminate work-in-process damage resulting from abrasion, crimping or cutting. Adaptable...

Cable-management solution. (Enclosures and cable management).
July 1, 2003... The Intelligent cable-management solution IntelliMAC enables precise monitoring of the physical network, detecting every move, add and change by logging the events in a central database where appropriate action can then be executed. The...

PC cabinet. (Enclosures and cable management).
July 1, 2003... Safeguard and protect your valuable PC equipment with the Networking PC Cabinet. The cabinet is divided into three lockable sections for controlled access, and can store remote personal computers used for data entry or LAN or WAN access. The...

Cabinet rack. (Enclosures and cable management).
July 1, 2003... The Model 8010 "19/23" equipment cabinet rack allows customers to purchase, stock and configure only one cabinet for all 19" and 23" panel-width equipment installations. The panel-mounting rail design allows the user to determine which panel...

Fiber-optic media converter. (Enclosures and cable management).
July 1, 2003... The Model TC3300 Ethernet converter is IEEE 802.3z/AB, 1000Base-T SX and LX compliant. The converter supports distances up to 100 km and is available with a single fiber option. It converts or connects 10/100/1000Base-TX twisted pair devices to...

Cable pathway. (Enclosures and cable management).
July 1, 2003... A simple solution for cables and wires penetrating fire-rated walls is the EZ-Path cable pathway. Cabling can be increased, decreased or repositioned easily without removing and re-installing firestopping. Offering zero to 100% visual cable...

Managing 100,000+ online users is no game: network monitoring tool helps track traffic and locate infrastructure problems. (Internet).
July 1, 2003... Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), a worldwide leader in the multiplayer online gaming market, boasts a distributed network community of more than 13 million registered users. The SOE Web site hosts games and player communities that span numerous...

Take control of communications. (Internet).
July 1, 2003... While delivering on the promise of aiding employee productivity, e-mail, Web browsing and instant messaging also provide a new temptation to lure employees away from their work, and expose a company to the increased potential for loss of...

Traffic-monitoring utility. (Testing and monitoring products).
July 1, 2003... The Paessler Router Traffic Grapher allows network administrators to set up and run a monitoring station that logs the amount of data flowing into and out of network components. The most common usage is monitoring the bandwidth usage of leased...

Data monitoring and testing. (Testing and monitoring products).
July 1, 2003... A test tool for technicians who are integrating and supporting Fibre Channel and Gigabit Ethernet systems and devices in the field, the NETminer series of data link monitors and bit error rate (BER) testers supports Fibre Channel at 1.0625 Gbps...

Scalable traffic testing. (Testing and monitoring products).
July 1, 2003... Prepare a network by performing network testing prior to deployment with the Real World Traffic solution. The performance-testing product uses hardware and software tools, the company's TXS line-rate traffic and transaction generators and...

Portable network analyzer. (Testing and monitoring products).
July 1, 2003... The MD1231A is a self-contained portable Ethernet test system with the ability to transmit, monitor, count and decode high-level IP protocols needed to troubleshoot modern Ethernet and IP networks. Weighing only 11 lbs., the device features two...

Singlemode fiber testing. (Testing and monitoring products).
July 1, 2003... Go from multimode to singlemode testing and back in seconds with a set of Singlemode Modules for the company's OptiFiber OTDR. The first singlemode module offers dual-wavelength automated OTDR testing with ChannelMap, allowing users to...

Firewall saves on Internet access: security solution filters content, protects the network and allocates bandwidth. (Network Security).
July 1, 2003... The Pikes Peak Board of Cooperative Educational Services (Pikes Peak BOCES) in Colorado Springs, Colo., a not-for profit cooperative, enables about 22 school districts to pool-monies and share a variety of resources, such as connecting seven...

Dot-com hot-wires its network: fast, secure and reliable operations ensured by move to Internet exchange hub. (Network Services).
July 1, 2003... With an increasing number of consumers relying on the Internet to book discount travel, San Francisco-based Hotwire experienced a surge in customer traffic. The online travel discounter's existing Internet infrastructure, however, was not...

Lender integrates T-1 for branch offices: consolidating voice and data improves service, lowers cost. (Voice Networks).
July 1, 2003... When a nationwide consumer finance lender sought to boost revenues while improving customer service, the answer was to promote nationally but respond locally. Would it be possible to increase the revenue of its domestic consumer-lending...

Wireless for the mobile workforce: the range of applications, higher speeds and better security make a solid business case. (Voice Networks).
July 1, 2003... Many corporate workforces conduct business outside the office, resulting in a significant amount of time being spent traveling between the field and home base. Improvements were made with the introduction of laptop computers and wireless...

VoIP in the corporate network. (Voice Networks).
July 1, 2003... When evaluating a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) solution, the option of using an "intelligent" phone (usually associated with the SIP or H.323 protocol) instead of the usual stimulus-controlled business phone should be considered. This is...

Content security platform. (Network protection).
July 1, 2003... The FortiGate 1000 Antivirus Firewall combines high-performance antivirus scanning with firewall throughput of 1 Gbps, content-filtering, VPN, intrusion-detection and traffic-shaping functions. The device can be deployed as a high-performance...

Firewall with VPN acceleration. (Network protection).
July 1, 2003... Targeting the expanding needs of the small to midsize enterprise, the GB-1500 firewall appliance is powered by the company's ICSA 4.0 Corporate certified GNAT Box System Software. The 1-U appliance features 128 MB of RAM, a 1.4-Ghz Pentium III...

Vulnerability remediation. (Network protection).
July 1, 2003... Hercules 2.0 is an automated vulnerability remediation tool to resolve all classes of vulnerabilities within an enterprise network. Featuring a large library of remediation signatures across Windows, Sun Solaris and Linux, the solution combines...

DoS protection. (Network protection).
July 1, 2003... Three new features enhance the company's BIG-IP products to shield any network end-point from attacks that would otherwise burn up connections and bring site and application performance to a crawl. Online certificate status protocol (OCSP)...

Security appliance. (Network protection).
July 1, 2003... The RN20 Integrated Security Switch features a Managed Zone capability that offers multipoint-to-multipoint security to segment a LAN into multiple individually secured zones, each with its own stateful security policies in both ingress and...

IP video phone. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... The VisiFone conference video phone utilizes any high-speed Internet connection of 128k to 512k to deliver 30 frames per second of video and high-quality audio. The phone features a hands-free speakerphone, automatic gain control, acoustic echo...

Enterprise switch. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... The PowerConnect 5212 is an all-gigabit, 12-port switch for medium- to large-sized organizations requiring high-performance connectivity to centralized resources, such as servers or high-speed network backbones, or gigabit connectivity to...

Network discovery. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... IPsonar 2.0 network-intelligence solutions have the ability to collect, analyze and report on the operational state of a network and its perimeter. The software consists of several interrelated discovery processes, including network, server and...

Data center switches. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... Simplify operations, reduce costs and improve the overall security and performance of enterprise data centers with the N2000 and N2000V Series of intelligent data center switches. The switches integrate high-performance network and security...

E-mail services. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... MailSite NS utilizes HP ProLiant servers, running the Microsoft Windows 2000 Server operating system as the front-end application server, and the HP NonStop server as the back-end database server, offering enterprises a robust carrier-grade...

Media conversion. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... The Raven Series of converters offers connectivity solutions for a range of environments, whether connecting two remote locations or solving a difficult wiring closet issue. The stand-alone converters are for remote locations requiring a...

E-business development monitoring. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... The BusinessAware 2.2 e-business management suite extends the abilities of companies to gain visibility into and control over their Web-based applications and services-while optimizing the IT infrastructure and resources required to deliver...

Messaging gateway appliance. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... To meet the demands of enterprise messaging, the IronPort C60 is designed specifically for the task of e-mail routing. The appliance provides ease of use and manageability, providing administrators with real-time views into messaging injection...

Embedded switch. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... The IPnexus CPC6600 is an embedded Ethernet switch that provides Layer 2/Layer 3 Gigabit Ethernet to every slot in a PICMG 2.16 chassis. The switch can function either as the core of a blade server chassis or can act as a stand-alone device...

Application acceleration. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... The BoostEdge BE2OOA accelerator is an entry-level network data traffic optimization appliance designed to accelerate the delivery of enterprise applications and Web content over wide-area networks. It is intended for a single application with...

Discovery and analysis tool. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... Discover and analyze potential network issues with NetRAT, a network resource analysis tool that allows users to collect and graphically represent system information through an easy-to-use interface. The software allows administrators to...

Is "wireless security" an oxymoron? Risk assessment, audits and encryption are important elements of a secure Wi-Fi network. (Guest Column).
July 1, 2003... Wi-Fi, or 802.11x networking, has achieved tremendous market penetration in the past two years, primarily due to low price and ease of use. Unfortunately, the very nature of its user-friendly design makes Wi-Fi an insecure technology. In spite...