Communications News articles from March 2005

Communications News archives from March 2005

Close encounter.(communications protocols)
March 1, 2005... Rick Tillotson made my day. There the big redhead stood, in the halls of the host hotel for the VoiceCon conference in Orlando, talking with staffers Ray Peckham and Curtis Nichols, and waiting for the editor of Communications News. In a sense,...

The road to 10-GigE.(Trends)
March 1, 2005... The talk at this year's BICSI winter conference in Orlando was definitely about 10-Gigabit Ethernet, as a number of companies either introduced or displayed new 10-GigE cabling solutions to the more than 3,000 attendees. The 10-GigE push is...

Network Security Fundamentals.(Publication)
March 1, 2005... Network Security Fundamentals introduces the topic of network security in an easy-to-understand and comprehensive manner. It is designed to provide a baseline understanding of the various components of a network security architecture and to...

Events.(calendar)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
March 1, 2005... National Centrex Users Group, March 20-23, Las Vegas, the 22nd annual conference and exhibition is an opportunity for enterprise and government agency attendees to learn about and see telecom solutions, including Vole www.centrexncug.org ...

Still secure?(Trends)
March 1, 2005... Enterprises are expected to increase adoption of newer security technologies now that most have implemented antivirus, firewall and virtual private network solutions. Intrusion detection/prevention, vulnerability management and endpoint policy...

Super communications.(Trends)
March 1, 2005... Super Bowl Sunday was a big day for BellSouth. The regional Bell company had been working since last April to anticipate all possible networking needs and plan accordingly for the Feb. 6 event in Jacksonville, Fla. BellSouth also faced the...

Not going away.(surveys on usage of e-mails)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... According to the The Radicati Group: * Worldwide e-mail traffic increased by 35% in 2004, totaling 76.8 billion messages per day. Corporate e-mails accounted for 83% of this traffic. * The number of e-mail users worldwide increased by...

Where's the remote?(remote access)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Remote IT administration is gaining strength in the networked world. A poll of more than 500 IT professionals, conducted by Fremont, Calif.-based Cyclades Corp., shows that growing importance is being fueled by the technology's ability to cut...

Big pipe on campus: Ohio institutions implement a 10-Gigabit Ethernet switched-fiber backbone to enable high-speed desktop applications over UTP copper.(Cover Story)
March 1, 2005... "Gigabit to the desk is not just for the engineering students," says Tim Deaver, manager of technical services for the 300-acre campus shared by Ohio State University Newark (OSUN) and Central Ohio Technical College (COTC). "Access to video is...

The neglected intrusion: use-filtering software differs from content-filtering tools because it addresses how the content is used.(Special Focus: E-business Technologies)
March 1, 2005... Organizations have multiple security layers in place that filter network content, like e-mail and Internet use, to help reduce intrusions from malicious code. A commonly ignored source of intrusions that these security tools may not fully...

A new network perimeter.(network security)
March 1, 2005... Today's conventional networks are built on a simple two-tier structure. Security is set up on the perimeter, the first tier, to protect the applications inside. Security applications-such as firewalls or gateway-based antivirus, antispy,...

Appliance secures collaboration: hospital systems unite to exchange information via a secure conferencing appliance.(Special Focus: E-business Technologies)
March 1, 2005... In 1997, 18 hospitals in six competing healthcare systems in the greater Cincinnati area came together in a grassroots initiative to develop one of the country's first digital healthcare communities. The hospitals' ultimate goal was to allow...

SSL VPN vs. IPSec VPN.(Special Focus: E-business Technologies)
March 1, 2005... Secure socket layer VPN (SSL VPN) and IP security protocol VPN (IPSec VPN) are encryption protocols that protect IP-based data streams over any TCP network, and both have their own unique features and advantages. IPSec VPN is a...

A global MPLS network.(multiprotocol label-switching service)(communications protocols)
March 1, 2005... Mark Retnam, director of global WAN services for Hyatt International, needed to upgrade a six-year-old frame relay network that connected each of the company's hotels with its headquarters in Chicago in a huh-and-spoke design. The dedicated...

Buyers guide.(Special Focus: E-business Technologies)(Directory)
March 1, 2005... The first portion of this E-Business Technologies 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 numbers,...

Secure Web services.(New products)
March 1, 2005... The XML VPN Appliance secures business-to-business XML transactions for .net and J2EE Web services. It ensures the usability, security and reliability of Web services to allow partners to create new business models and execute business...

Vulnerability monitoring.(New products)
March 1, 2005... Auditor 16 is an enterprise security-management appliance for small businesses and branch offices. The plug-and-play appliance enables companies with limited resources to proactively protect their networks behind the firewall against common...

USB port protection.(New products)
March 1, 2005... USB Port Protector provides strong USB policy enforcement to the enterprise, allowing companies to decide which USB devices can connect to its computers and which will be blocked. The solution shields desktops and laptops by protecting their...

Monitor network compliance.(New products)
March 1, 2005... LAN surveyor version 9.0 for Windows allows network administrators to safeguard and monitor their networks by incorporating network documentation, asset management, network monitoring and vulnerability management features. Designed for use by...

Robust Web filtering.(New products)
March 1, 2005... Intended for medium and large organizations considering appliance-based Web filtering, the iPrism Model 3000 Internet access-management appliance features a high-performance processor, a gigabit NIC and expanded memory. Two 120-GB hard disks...

Intelligent network protection.(New products)
March 1, 2005... The NetOp Desktop Firewall is a driver-centric firewall that addresses the security needs that corporations encounter when their employees take their corporate laptops outside the protection of the perimeter firewall. The firewall's centralized...

Reduce the threat from computers: adding network-based policy enforcement to the LAN protects against endpoint attacks.(Network Security)
March 1, 2005... Generically known as policy-enforcement solutions, endpoint security technologies extend authentication and access control beyond the traditional examination of user and machine identity to include properties of the endpoint system. Security...

Layer on your security.(Network Security)
March 1, 2005... True enterprise security is a combination of on-premise defenses and those that stand at the provider's edge, fighting crippling attacks before they reach an enterprise's firewall. In order to sufficiently protect themselves, enterprises must...

Shore up your network.(Network Security )
March 1, 2005... The security of all networks, wired and wireless, can he improved by employing the four pillars of network security-firewall, antivirus, intrusion-detection systems (IDS) and intrusion-prevention systems (IPS). One type of IPS is a security...

Real-time collaboration with flair: virtual marketing firm uses Web conferencing to bring clients, consultants together.(CONFERENCING)
March 1, 2005... Running a virtual company inherently has communications and image challenges. Effective communication among employees, and between employees and customers, is a tactical hurdle when people are scattered across the country. Getting everyone to...

Conferencing supports training.(Conferencing)
March 1, 2005... Real-time communications can take many forms, including secure instant messaging. The popularity of instant messaging has, in turn, helped other real-time communications applications, such as Web conferencing, gain a foothold in the business...

Improved audio.(Conferencing products)
March 1, 2005... The Sound Station2 conference phone features mice the loudness and 50% better microphone pickup than the original SoundStation, enabling high-quality conferencing for everyone on the conference call. The unit delivers improved voice quality,...

Rich-media conferencing.(Conferencing products)
March 1, 2005... Meeting Place 5.3, a core component of the Cisco Internet Protocol (IP) Communications system, now integrates voice, video and Web conferencing. The solution integrates with Cisco IPVC videoconferencing and Cisco Call Manager-based video...

Desktop communications.(Conferencing products)
March 1, 2005... As a telephony endpoint, the Navigator supports the session initiation protocol (SIP) and the company's own MiNet protocol. The device can also be integrally linked to Your Assistant, which is an intuitive suite of tools delivering presence,...

Dynamic Web conferencing.(Conferencing products)
March 1, 2005... Linktivity WebDemo 4.0 is a Web-based, real-time conferencing and collaboration software application. Available in three versions, WebDemo Express, WebDemo Professional and WebDemo Enterprise, product features include SSL support, on-the-fly...

Desktop video solution.(Conferencing products)
March 1, 2005... The Video Telephony Solution: Desktop Edition is designed to make face-to-face collaboration convenient and easy. Office and home-based employees, as well as remote and mobile workers, can simply log onto the business network and make video...

Tester assists move to GigE: existing Category 5e network proves capable of handling higher-speed applications.(Cabling Infrastructure)
March 1, 2005... In just over 80 years, State Farm has grown from a small farm mutual auto insurer to one of the world's largest financial institutions. With 79,200 employees and more than 16,700 agents servicing 71.6 million policies in the United States and...

SNMP management.(New products)
March 1, 2005... The 9942 SNMP Manager Card allows users of Optelecom's video and data transmission systems to monitor the status of the system via remote computer. Currently available in serial and Ethernet versions, the 9942 card extends that support to...

Media conversion.(New products)
March 1, 2005... Planet Networking media converters fully comply with IEEE802.3z standards, 1000Base-SX/ 1000Base-LX and IEEE802.3ab, 1000Base-T. The design is compact, approximately 25 mm x 70 mm x 97 mm, and an external power adapter is provided. For gigabit...

Rugged Ethernet switches.(New products)
March 1, 2005... The ADAM 6521 and ADAM 6520 rugged 10/100Base-T Ethernet switches are designed for any DC-powered environment. The ADAM 6521 allows four copper (RJ-45) and one fiber-optic (SC) connections, while the ADAM 6520 provides five RJ-45 Ethernet...

Serial extender.(New products)
March 1, 2005... Configure serial devices from anywhere in the world and distribute serial messages to multiple computers at once. The family of Vlinx Ethernet Serial Servers transparently connects, configures and communicates with serial devices over Ethernet...

Accurate network design.(New products)
March 1, 2005... Design Online allows network consultants to design, configure and budget structured cabling projects with a simple point-and-click interface. The multivendor Web-based solution provides centralized access to cable and connectivity products from...

Fiber MUX.(New products)
March 1, 2005... Designed to address the needs of FTTx, such as fiber-to-the-business, fiber-to-the-building, fiber-to-the-MDU and fiber-to-the-home, the Transport MUX is a remotely managed media converter capable of transporting multiple T1/E-1 lines, 10/100...

Patchcord routing.(New products)
March 1, 2005... The Vertical Patching Channel (VPC) rackmounted cable-management system improves appearance and offers time savings with full accessibility and ease of access from both the front and rear of racks. The VPC is a stand-alone manager designed for...

A wireless network for CTIA: voice over Wi-Fi demonstration showcases enterprise-ready wireless.(Wireless)
March 1, 2005... Like many convention centers, The Moscone Center in San Francisco offers a full menu of telecommunications services, available to the event organizers and to exhibitors. As a result of the fee structure for many venues, however, attendees are...

The untethered business.(Wireless)
March 1, 2005... Wireless LAN equipment can bring a range of benefits to an organization--employee mobility, flexibility, improved efficiency, new applications-which, taken as a whole, could change the way in which users conduct their business and operations....

2004 Editor's Choice Awards: 23 companies honored for outstanding editorial contributions that provided readers with useful information about enterprise data and voice networks.
March 1, 2005... The goal of Communications News has always been about providing useful information to its audience of IT decision makers. Now, the magazine's new editorial awards program is honoring those companies responsible for providing the very best...

Indoor Wi-Fi antennas.(New Products)
March 1, 2005... The In Wave Series Antennas, models IN24-65-8 and IN24-90-7, are high-gain antennas in a low-profile package for indoor WLAN applications. Designed to blend well into most any environment, the antennas have an operating range of 2,400 MHz to...

KVM extension.(New Products)
March 1, 2005... The Model U97-A device extends the video, keyboard, mouse and stereo audio of a PC over a single CAT 5 cable up to 500 feet. The solution consists of a pair of boxes: a sender and a receiver. The sender has connections for a monitor, keyboard,...

Detailed T-1 testing.(New Products)
March 1, 2005... The Bit Error Tester, PN 701182-1, is a standalone device designed to provide unframed, high-speed, serial binary output ranging from T-1 to STM-1 rates. Outputs can be encoded with applicable zero-suppression techniques. Signal levels include...

Cable labels.(New Products)
March 1, 2005... The LABELShop 2010-PC and MaxiLabel V2 Windows software prints professional labels in-house and on demand for hundreds of applications, from safety identification to industrial parts, equipment, wire and cable. The software includes more than...

Terabit switch.(New Products)
March 1, 2005... The Switch 8800 modular LAN switch family delivers high-performance, line-rate 10-gigabit and gigabit switching and routing in a scalable, modular chassis for the enterprise core. Capable of supporting network backbones with more than 10,000...

Hosted telephony pays off: SMBs can take advantage of convenience and lower costs with VoIP services.(Guest Column)
March 1, 2005... Over the last two years, we've seen quite a bit of hype surrounding voice over Internet protocol (VoIP). Still, with the exception of some large, global enterprises, relatively few businesses have been able to take advantage of the technology's...