Network World articles from April 2002

Network World archives from April 2002

This new network; Building corporate offices with flexible voice and data infrastructure requires collaborative design.
April 1, 2002... Category 5 cable threaded through ceiling structures, fed down columns to modular furniture systems and then snaked across raceways embedded in cubicle walls is the status quo. It's the vanilla, one-size-fits-all, coach-class ticket to...

IT expertise required; Getting involved in a corporate move or renovation? Here are some issues to consider:.
April 1, 2002... * Site amenities. The availability of metro Ethernet service could sway some commercial building tenants, says Lawrence Orans, senior analyst at Gartner. Service providers such as Yipes Communications often require customers to be within...

Enterprise telecom management; These tools can help firms with large voice and data budgets track their assets and reduce expenses.
April 1, 2002... Telecom services account for one of the five largest expenses of most corporations, but these costs are among the most difficult to manage. Compounding the challenge, IT executives need to trim their budgets while maintaining a solid network...

ask dr. internet.
April 1, 2002... How can I set up a hotel-type environment, where laptops with all sorts of different TCP/IP configurations are put on the network and allowed to access the Internet without requiring the laptops to be reconfigured? Start by assuming that...

Lessons from Lucent's 880 switch.(Lucent Technology TMX 880)
April 1, 2002... Lucent's announcement of its TMX 880 switch might be one of the pivotal events of what I hope will become known as the "telecom recovery period." The product addresses many of the key issues the industry is facing now. One way or the other, the...

Latest tools rein in employee Web use; WEB FILTERING: Keeping content on the up-and-up.
April 1, 2002... Employees at Tremco, a Beachwood, Ohio, manufacturer of roofing materials, can read the latest sports scores, buy collectibles on eBay and check their personal Hotmail accounts during lunch breaks and after-hours. But during office hours, these...

Get ready for the wireless enterprise.
April 1, 2002... Wireless is fast becoming the world's dominant telecom technology, and enterprise networks are next on the list of things to be untethered. Consider these facts. More than 400 million wireless phones are sold annually. This year, the total...

Hybrid firewalls can dig up worms.
April 1, 2002... Recent attacks, such as the Nimda and Code Red worms, have made it look as if firewalls don't offer enough protection. In fact, these attacks simply highlight the differences between garden-variety firewalls and more sophisticated ones. ...

Letters to the editor.(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2002... Your editorial "Set the RBOCs free and let the fun begin" (www.nwfusion.com, DocFinder: 8725) ignores the fact that cable companies have opened their services to competitors. I can now use AOL or EarthLink as my ISP over my Road Runner service....

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2002... Setting the RBOCs free Having regulated RBOCs fighting with unregulated cable and satellite is akin to the Vietnam War, in which the U.S. troops had to follow the rules of war established by Western nations while the enemy had no such...

What are your IPX-pectations?
April 1, 2002... IPX routing: relevant or relegated to the junk heap of networking? Some recent events have brought forth this question. From the beginning of "LAN time" through the late 1990s, the importance of IPX rose in conjunction with the popularity...

Wireless LAN lessons learned; Coping with everything from renegade users to interfering elevators.
April 1, 2002... Doctors and nurses at St. Luke's Episcopal Health System had to change the way - and even where - they dealt with patients to get the most out of their wireless LAN. "At first, we couldn't figure out why all of sudden a wireless device...

'Net Buzz.(PostX Corp.)
April 1, 2002... PostX pushes the envelope When PostX first knocked on Network World's door in April 1997, the start-up's PostX Envelope - an e-mail wrapper designed to let businesses securely deliver documents to customers - was rough around the edges....

IT portfolio management.
April 1, 2002... IT portfolio management Balancing risks and rewards of projects yields significant returns. By Joanne Cummings Investing your entire nest egg in one risky Enron-like venture is unwise to say the least. So why do so many IT...

Vendors tout benefits of asset mgmt. services.(AssetMetrix asset management services)
April 1, 2002... IT executives looking for hosted services to cut costs and better manage network assets have new options from AssetMetrix and Intel. AssetMetrix this week is adding asset-management and business-analysis features in Version 2.0 of its...

Dreams about a box.(set-top box)
April 1, 2002... Fortune magazine's April 1 edition has an article about the latest progress on an amazingly resilient idea: set-top boxes as money conduits from customers to providers. I think the article was serious but, considering the issue date, I cannot...

inf briefs.
April 1, 2002... n Hewlett-Packard is readying a storage appliance that can combine data from a variety of Fibre Channel-based storage arrays into a virtual pool. HP StorageApps SV3000 is an 8U (14-inch-high) Pentium III device that sits between host computer...

A NetWorld+ Interop treat for you.
April 1, 2002... Many of you already plan to attend the NetWorld+Interop conference next month in Las Vegas, but if you're on the fence about going I hope this convinces you to head out to Sun City. With the help of the show's organizers, I've pulled...

apps briefs.(AppSight for Java and McAfee Desktop Firewall 7.5)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... n Network Associates' McAfee division has shipped the McAfee Desktop Firewall 7.5, an updated version of McAfee's personal firewall product, which now can be managed via the network-management console ePolicy Orchestrator. The McAfee Desktop...

Here are the players in the 'N11' lineup.
April 1, 2002... Many 911 calls are not emergencies, and those calls contribute significantly to the problem of an overloaded 911 system. In response, U.S. cities have begun implementing other "N11" systems to provide assistance for noncritical...

Service Providers briefs.
April 1, 2002... n Cable & Wireless is wasting no time after completing its purchase of Exodus earlier this year, rolling out Web hosting security services to enhance capabilities already available to Exodus customers. The packages unveiled last week are...

Qwest Cyber Solutions: Not just 'apps on tap'.(Doug Stone, CEO)(Interview)
April 1, 2002... In February, Qwest Cyber Solutions, the independent application service provider launched by Qwest and KPMG in 1999, revealed that it would be combined with Qwest's hosting division. QCS CEO John Charters, who steered the company from its...

Search tools key to customer service; Natural-language search engines reduce the hassle of browsing the Web.
April 1, 2002... TD Waterhouse says that customers using its Web site to check an account balance or review their investment options will find accomplishing such tasks easier thanks to a new natural-language search engine. The brokerage firm rolled out...

Wireless prep work; These tips will help you design a more effective wireless LAN.(Tutorial)
April 1, 2002... If a wireless LAN is in your future, consider these spatial tips from Yangmin Shen, director of technical marketing and senior WLAN technical consultant for Symbol Technologies. * Survey your building carefully, particularly existing...

Secretive start-up slips out some info; Procket announces new board members, says product details to come this year.(Procket Networks)
April 1, 2002... MILPITAS, CALIF. - Procket Networks, a secretive start-up that's building next-generation IP infrastructure equipment, is slowly emerging from hiding. The company, founded three years ago to develop high-speed packet processors, has raised...

Finding coolness at CTIA Wireless show.
April 1, 2002... The recent CTIA Wireless show in Orlando showcased mobile phones and other wireless Internet devices. There were tons of handsets - too many to mention here. Network World's Mobile Computing e-mail newsletter will highlight them over the next...

Convedia pops low-end server for packet voice.(CMS-1000)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Convedia is introducing a low-end version of its media server designed for smaller packet voice service providers, larger providers with smaller locations and large companies. CMS-1000 is a single device that...

E-learning goes to head of the class; Higher education IT shops grapple with multimedia apps.
April 1, 2002... WORCESTER, MASS. - College and university IT professionals gathered at a recent conference to discuss the extreme nature of their business - meeting the demand for advanced e-learning services while finding ways to provide day-to-day support to...

Sheer Networks last week said it is integrating its service provisioning software with Redback Networks' Subscriber Management System.
April 1, 2002... Sheer Networks last week said it is integrating its service provisioning software with Redback Networks' Subscriber Management System. Combining Sheer's MetroCentral Broadband Operating System with Redback's SMS will let service providers...

Nextel touts tool for wireless apps.(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... SAN FRANCISCO - Nextel is set to release a management tool that will let users more easily distribute wireless Java applications to employees. The wireless service provider announced its Nextel Mobile Application Manager last week at the...

News Bits.
April 1, 2002... Enterprise adoption of IP telephony is on the upswing, as the U.S. market for voice-over-IP handsets hit the $1 billion mark in 2001, according to a recent report. Cahners In-Stat says the market for IP voice gear will reach $5 billion by...

F5 box juggles multiple ISP links; Link Controller designed to protect Web site operators from network failures.(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... SEATTLE - F5 Networks, best known for products that evenly distribute traffic loads among Web servers, last week introduced a box designed to balance loads across Internet access links. F5's Big-IP Link Controller 2000 also can redirect...

Making a namespace for yourself.(Tutorial)
April 1, 2002... Last week we delved into SOAP and casually tossed out the term "namespace." While we didn't make much of it at the time, the fact is that namespaces are a crucial component of XML and, by extension, of SOAP and Web services. You see, one...

Sun gives in to open source community.
April 1, 2002... SAN FRANCISCO - Sun last week answered a long-standing call from open source software developers, saying Java supporters will be able to submit some changes for the platform under open source licenses and receive financial support from Sun for...

Start-up's IP phone switch extends DSL services.(Sentito Networks New End Office Service Switch)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... ROCKVILLE, MD. - Start-up Sentito Networks is coming out with a full-featured local telephone switch that will make it faster to set up DSL services, extend DSL to areas where it currently cannot reach and support services such as frame relay...

Dominion exec puts energy into solving merger challenges.(Lyn McDermid, Dominion's senior VP for IT and CIO)(Interview)
April 1, 2002... Two years ago, the merger of Virginia Power and Consolidated Natural Gas created Dominion, one of the nation's largest and most diversified energy companies. Lyn McDermid, Dominion's senior vice president for IT and CIO, spoke recently with...

Grand Central upgrades network; Company looks to make Web services easier, more secure.
April 1, 2002... SAN FRANCISCO - Grand Central Communications this week will add security, reliability and management features to its hosted middleware network designed to aid companies in the deployment of Web services outside the safe confines of their...

Are you really sick?
April 1, 2002... Do you have a sick day policy for teleworkers in your employee manual? Every morning, the members of Todd Hollander's remote team check in by phone. Recently, a worker reported he was sick but wanted to work through the day anyway....

CableLabs aims to simplify home networks.
April 1, 2002... Everybody who wants a home network already has one. The rest either don't want to deal with the technology or don't see the value. And with broadband penetration stalled at about 10% of households - mostly due to lack of interest - DSL and...

NetIQ expands VoIP management; The software may help companies improve performance on VoIP networks.
April 1, 2002... SAN JOSE - NetIQ this week added features to its voice-over-IP management software that observers say should help enterprise users improve call quality and performance. Through new software modules, NetIQ's VoIP Manager 2.0 now can monitor...

Vendors to tighten Fibre Channel nets.
April 1, 2002... Users of Fibre Channel networks are becoming increasingly concerned about the security of the data on their storage networks and Internet data centers. In response, start-ups and established storage companies are launching technologies...

Weapons emerge to fend off DDoS attacks; Mazu, McAfee Security and Sanctum air their latest wares.(Mazu's $35,000 distributed DoS Enforcer 300 for corporations and $125,000 distributed DoS Enforcer 10000 for service providers)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... Mazu Networks, which makes equipment to stop distributed denial-of-service attacks, last week said it has added a way to determine what legitimate traffic is being filtered out in the process. Typically, the legitimate traffic filtered out...

Gigabit Ethernet prices in free fall.
April 1, 2002... An abundance of inexpensive Gigabit Ethernet switches and network interface cards is changing the way networks of all sizes are connecting servers and end users. Copper-based Gigabit Ethernet began shipping en masse last year. Since then...

Politics, power and the job we love.
April 1, 2002... In last week's column (www.nwfusion.com, DocFinder: 8742), I discussed strategy and tactics in the IT world. I also discussed how RFPs get used as a stalling tactic to buy IT time when groups in the organization are pushing for their IT...

Licensing flap; Users angry over changes that force upgrades, hike costs.
April 1, 2002... As if the recession wasn't enough, network executives say they are being squeezed by major software vendors instituting licensing changes that create unwarranted financial burdens. Worse yet, these customers often see no choice but to pay up....

WorldCom squeezes frame relay pricing.
April 1, 2002... WorldCom last week announced two unmanaged frame relay service packages that promise cost savings of 30% to 50% over current rates. The company has lowered prices for its low-speed frame circuits to woo small and midsize businesses, providing...

Yipes files for Chapter 11 protection; Company vows to keep metro Ethernet network running while it reorganizes.
April 1, 2002... Metropolitan Ethernet pioneer Yipes Communications' Chapter 11 filing late last month shouldn't have any immediate impact on customers, because the carrier plans to keep operations running as it tries to straighten out its finances. But...

Migrating from IPX to IP.
April 1, 2002... My company is getting an Internet connection and we want to have one protocol on the network. This means that we will be moving from IPX to IP on our Novell network. I am a little confused about Software Compatibility Mode Driver (SCMD)....

Opinion: Java-based wireless carriers try too hard.
April 1, 2002... To see what's "wrong with wireless" you need look no further than the just-concluded JavaOne show. All the vendors sounded like cheerleaders on the sidelines, urging onward the team of enterprise users on the field, facing three-time...

HP drops Hewlett from board nominees.
April 1, 2002... In continuing fallout from the hotly contested merger of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq, HP's board of directors said Monday that it did not include Walter Hewlett in its list of candidates to be renominated to the board. The board cited...

Mirror Image hones content delivery services.
April 1, 2002... Content delivery specialist Mirror Image has expanded its content delivery services in an effort to meet the needs of its customers who want to push more than just static content to the edges of the Internet. The services are based on...

RSA expects Q1 loss of up to $16 million.
April 1, 2002... Giving an early glimpse into its first quarter financial results, RSA Security Monday said that it expects to post a net loss of between $14 million and $16 million for the first quarter of 2002. A loss of that size for the quarter would...

C&W pulls the plug on its ASP services.
April 1, 2002... Cable & Wireless quietly shut down its a-Services application hosting offering, due to underwhelming customer interest. The carrier originally launched its a-Services initiative in September 2000 with the promise of affordable and...

Palm tool aids corporate developers with wireless apps.(Palm's new Wireless Database Access Server)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... Palm Monday extended its foray into the corporate software market with the introduction of a new product aimed at IT developers and system integrators who want to create wireless applications that can access company databases in real time. ...

Jive enhances Web-based collaboration.(Jive Forums 2.5 from Jive Software)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... Jive Software is retooling its discussion forums collaboration software to support clustering and tout the program's ability to integrate with other systems using its available source code. Version 2.5 of Jive Forums was released Monday...

PolyCom releases IP phone for Cisco's business VoIP system.(SoundPoint 500CS)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... PolyCom last week announced an IP phone that is compatible with Cisco's CallManager software - the first third-part enterprise IP handset to be certified on Cisco's IP PBX system. The PolyCom SoundPoint 500CS handset gives Cisco IP...

Anti-Unix Web site offline after switch to Windows 2000.
April 3, 2002... An anti-Unix campaign funded by Microsoft. and Unisys Tuesday went offline, just as the site switched to run on Windows 2000 instead of FreeBSD. The "We have the way out" campaign is a joint effort between the two companies to promote...

Study: SSL encryption weaker in Europe than U.S.
April 3, 2002... Up to 18% of servers using Secure Sockets Layer encryption technology for Web site encryption are potentially vulnerable to hackers, with the problem being far more pronounced in Europe than in the U.S., according to the latest monthly survey...

Will Microsoft, Apple renew their Office vows?
April 3, 2002... After nearly five years of living in technological harmony, two of the biggest names in personal computing are due to renew their vows.In August, a contract forged in 1997 between Microsoft and Apple will expire, leaving both companies legally...

Web conferencing gains multimedia, ease of use.
April 3, 2002... Aiming to further engrain virtual meetings into the enterprise, WebEx Communications Inc. and PlaceWare Inc. are readying services and partnerships designed to make Web-based conferencing more riveting and easier to initiate. WebEx on...

Study: Corporate PDA buyers wait for wireless.
April 3, 2002... Worldwide shipments of handheld computers are expected to continue their slow growth in 2002 as the IT industry rebounds from financial woes and corporate users wait for more advanced wireless capabilities, a research firm said Wednesday. ...

Will your cell phone kill you?
April 3, 2002... Will your cell phone kill you? A medical researcher who says radiation is a real risk is taking his crusade online, and searching for more evidence from anyone interested. This latest warning comes from Dr. George Carlo, an epidemiologist...

Tahoe lines up partners.(Brief Article)
April 3, 2002... Tahoe Networks this week announced a marketing and technology partnership with mediation, service activiation and billing software vendors Xacct Technologies and Kabira Technologies. Tahoe plans to integrate both companies software...

EBay closes password security hole.
April 3, 2002... Online auction powerhouse eBay late Tuesday closed a security hole in a password-maintenance feature that could have allowed attackers to take over a user's account and commit fraud. The vulnerability existed in the feature that allowed...

SMC LOOKS TO PUT LAYER 3, GIGE INTO MIDSIZE NETS.(Product Announcement)
April 3, 2002... IRVINE, CALIF. - SMC recently released a chassis-based switch that could help boost a midsize business' network with Layer 3 switching and Gigabit Ethernet without busting its IT budget. The SMC9712G TigerChassis is a 12-slot modular...

Massive job cuts expected at WorldCom.
April 3, 2002... WorldCom plans to cut its workforce by 10%, or about 7,000 jobs, according to newspaper reports published Wednesday.The job-cut announcement could come as early as Wednesday, according to reports in The New York Times and The Wall Street...

Fiorina, others to get post-merger pay raise.(HP CEO Carly Fiorina)
April 5, 2002... Hewlett-Packard plans to give Chairman and CEO Carly Fiorina and several other executive officers a pay raise if it merges with Compaq of Houston. It will negotiate a new employment contract with Fiorina promptly after completion of the...

SEC starts formal probe into Qwest.(Securities and Exchange Commission, Qwest Communications)(Brief Article)
April 5, 2002... The Securities and Exchange Commission will begin a formal investigation into accounting procedures at Qwest Communications, the company said in a statement late Thursday. The formal order of investigation covers the same subject matters...

Microsoft brings developers deeper into its .Net.(Visual Studio .Net)
April 5, 2002... An annual gathering next week for developers who build applications for Microsoft's Windows operating systems will provide the chance for a closer look at a set of recently launched development tools designed to further the company's wide...

RIM opens platform to hardware manufacturers.(Research In Motion's Blackberry reference design)
April 5, 2002... Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM), makers of the BlackBerry devices, joined the growing number of handheld and handset manufacturers offering their reference design to third-party hardware and software developers in an attempt to gain market share....

Variations on a VPN theme.
April 8, 2002... A new breed of VPN based on Multi-protocol Label Switching is emerging as an alternative to traditional VPNs based on IP Security. To further complicate the issue, MPLS-based VPNs come in two flavors: Layer 2 and Layer 3. So what are the...

The promised LAN; MPLS Layer 2 VPNs hold promise for global LAN extension.
April 8, 2002... If you operate a private ATM campus network or metropolitan-area network, a Multi-protocol Label Switch Layer 2 VPN could be a cost-effective, high-speed alternative. If youOre buying frame relay or ATM from a service provider, in the next...

How we did it, petibit review.
April 8, 2002... Our testing network consisted of two Fast Ethernet subnet domains connected by Cisco and Lucent routers and back-to-back Visual Networks DSU/CSUs. The frame relay link had a committed information rate of 256K bit/sec and could burst up to 384K...

Peribit Networks' SR-50 Sequence Reducer; Bandwidth for nothing and your T-3 for free.(Evaluation)
April 8, 2002... Imagine telling your telephone company representative, who dutifully arrives at WAN upgrade time to sell you additional bandwidth, "No, thanks; I've found a way to make our T-1 lines carry more than 1.544M bit/sec. I'll stick with my existing...

How it works: Layer 2 VPNs.
April 8, 2002... With Multi-protocol Label Switching Layer 2 VPNs based on the Martini approach, a customer's Layer 2 traffic is encapsulated when it reaches the edge of the service provider network, mapped onto a label-switched path, and carried across a...

Light at the end of the L2TPv3 tunnel.
April 8, 2002... Companies and carriers have been looking for ways to maximize the efficiency and cost of their infrastructures and simplify management by transporting multiple Layer 2 services across a common IP backbone. Unlike IP-based VPNs, Layer 2 VPNs are...

IT malpractice; when products or consultants fail to do the job, companies are calling in the lawyers.
April 8, 2002... IT malpractice When products or consultants fail to do the job, companies are calling in the lawyers. n By ANN BEDNARZ Imagine a retailer plans to revamp its Web site in time for the holiday shopping season using new software and...

Bluesocket WG-1000 wireless gateway; A traffic cop for your.(Evaluation)
April 8, 2002... luesocket has added a layer of security between wired and wireless resources via its WG-1000 gateway, which acts like a traffic cop for your wireless LAN. Much like a firewall protects an intranet from the Internet, the WG-1000 protects your...

Henderson review how we did it.
April 8, 2002... We installed the WG-1000 to our testing network, which included several Compaq Presario 700US notebooks, a Sony PCG ICX notebook, and an HP Pavilion desktop with various 802.11a and 802.11b cards from SMC, Agere/Orinoco, and Intel. We connected...

Needed: Networks with built-in security.
April 8, 2002... One recurring question I am asked is, "OK, I understand that the communications industry and its traditional suppliers are toast. What's next?" It's true that the overbuilding of the competitive local exchange carriers and the "creative...

Everything you need to know about IDSes.
April 8, 2002... I've spent the past few months immersed in intrusion-detection systems and have learned more than I really wanted to know about them. In case you're wondering if you need an IDS, here are some points to keep in mind: l An IDS is only as...

4/8 letters.(Letter to the Editor)
April 8, 2002... Lloyd epilogue Regarding "Net saboteur faces 41 months" (www. nwfusion.com, DocFinder: 8824): When Timothy Lloyd sank Omega Engineering, he brought to light the need for greater data security and the fact that management frequently does...

'Net Buzz.
April 8, 2002... Do-it-yourself DSL is no pipe dream There seems to be a better chance of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade coming to my neighborhood this year than us getting DSL service from Verizon. . . . And I live in Massachusetts, not New York City....

Microsoft makes wireless case; Latest efforts put wireless support into enterprise servers.
April 8, 2002... REDMOND, WASH. - Microsoft is taking a new approach to the mobile and wireless markets that observers say might finally result in the company getting it right. The company is blending wireless and mobile support directly into its...