Network World articles from August 2002

Network World archives from August 2002

Remote-control software grows up; REMOTE ACCESS: A look at remote-control directions.
August 5, 2002... Tried-and-true remote-control software has become an indispensable network technology, and vendors are building new security and management features around it that make remote control even more useful in major corporate networks. Once used...

Telework tools that work; Vastly scalable and affordable tools help tie remote and mobile workers to the enterprise.
August 5, 2002... Increasingly, employees are asking to work from home, citing reports of increased productivity and improved quality of life. But IT tends to be reluctant to set up teleworkers because of financial, security and technological concerns. ...

Centralized computing is back.
August 5, 2002... There is a distinct trend among these teleworker products - the sleekest among them harken back to the mainframe. We're returning to the centralized computing paradigm because it makes sense. Mainframes could handle things back in the days...

The true measure of productivity.
August 5, 2002... From a manager's perspective, it seems almost too good to be true: a piece of software designed to measure how an employee spends his time on the PC by counting minutes spent on each application. Scalable Software says its Time Manager "helps...

SANgate's storage device eases moves, equipment changes.(SANgate Systems SANblaster 1000)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... SOUTHBOROUGH, MASS. - Start-up SANgate has announced the first of its data migration products, which let customers migrate open systems and mainframe storage data from one vendor's array to another's. The company is introducing the...

Networking the intragrid.(Column)
August 5, 2002... In a previous column I introduced the next "killer" application: the grid (www.nwfusion.com, DocFinder: 1621). For the grid to succeed in increasing corporate productivity and profitability, each evolutionary stage must be a success in its own...

More on 802.11a.(Letter to the Editor)
August 5, 2002... Regarding "802.11a becomes a contender" (www. nwfusion.com, DocFinder: 1622): I don't understand why stories about 802.11a always fail to mention some of the most important drawbacks of an 802.11a installation. When discussing 802.11a, you...

Fiber to the home is broadband option.
August 5, 2002... As the result of lowered network costs, fiber to the home is becoming a feasible alternative to current broadband offerings, such as DSL and cable modem. Fiber to the home offers data rates of 10/100 Ethernet, scalable to Gigabit Ethernet...

QoS at the edge of the edge.
August 5, 2002... An unintended consequence of the push toward converged networks is a demand for more Ethernet ports at the edge of the edge - the end user's cubicle. Running new cable or deploying wireless are options, of course, but so is what I'll call...

Solaris on tap for Intel servers.
August 5, 2002... SAN FRANCISCO - Sun has a busy week planned for the LinuxWorld conference later this month. First, Sun is expected to release its first general-purpose server - code-named Big Bear - to run Linux on Intel processors. This marks a major...

The center of the universe.
August 5, 2002... You have to admit that the copyright folk are consistent as well as persistent. Their latest idea, introduced in Congress by four of their water boys, is to legitimize copyright people hacking into your computer on a whim. This follows on the...

Manage your assets; tight economy and software licensing issues are putting a spotlight on asset management tools.
August 5, 2002... Manage your assets Tight economy and software licensing issues are putting a spotlight on asset management tools. n By JOHN FONTANA Jim Hwang recalls with disdain scanning bar codes on PCs in an attempt to keep an accurate count...

Former Microsoft exec takes Quantum leap.(Rick Belluzzo)
August 5, 2002... Rick Belluzzo will take over as CEO of data storage systems company Quantum on Sept. 3, replacing outgoing CEO Michael Brown. Belluzzo's new job will start days after he ends a 3-year stint at Microsoft, where he joined as vice president of...

Speech-recognition finds a home.
August 5, 2002... SUNRISE, FLA. - ABN Amro Mortgage Group faced a big problem when home interest rates fell last year: Its call volumes went up. Way up. The lender found its call center swamped - with call loads jumping from a daily average of about 1,000 to...

AVICI Q2 A PENNY BETTER THAN EXPECTED.(Q2 2002)
August 5, 2002... BILLERICA, MASS. - Avici Systems posted second-quarter earnings a penny better than analysts' estimates. For the period ended June 30, Avici recorded gross revenue of $9.3 million, compared with $9.2 million in the previous quarter and...

More stuff we like.(Verizon Wireless Z-800, 3Com Bluetooth Printer Kit and Virtual Ink Mimio Xi)
August 5, 2002... Here's a quick roundup of some additional Cool Tools we've been able to play with recently: Verizon Wireless' BREW service and Z-800 phone Verizon Wireless recently sent us a new Z-800 phone that can access its new Binary Runtime...

ask dr. internet.(Server Location Protocol over IP)(Brief Article)(Column)
August 5, 2002... We receive this error message on our NetWare server: "SLP UA Warning: Unable to contact Directory Agent. Verify the availability, IP connectivity, the discovery options and configuration." Please tell me if you can solve this problem. ...

Veritas Software announced last week that its Cluster Server and ServPoint NAS software now will run on Linux.
August 5, 2002... Veritas Software announced last week that its Cluster Server and ServPoint NAS software now will run on Linux. Cluster Server lets net executives group up to 32 servers in a configuration, in which they will fail-over for one another if a...

apps briefs.(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... n Ford and Caterpillar last week picked SAP AG to develop a supply-chain management system for spare parts using SAP's supply-chain management and CRM software. Ford and Caterpillar dealers will be able to check inventories at large...

Vendor eases Web-based image delivery; AirZip server delivers images via dial-up, cable, DSL or wireless networks.(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... CUPERTINO, CALIF. - Start-up AirZip will this week introduce software it says will help customers solve the conundrum of how to deliver high-quality images to users over a range of connections from dial-up to broadband and higher. In...

RIVERSTONE RECASTS MULTICAST VIDEO.(Riverstone Networks improves multicasting capabilities of metropolitan-area routers)
August 5, 2002... SANTA CLARA - Riverstone Networks last week enhanced the multicasting capability of its metropolitan-area network routers in an effort to better support video and streaming media applications. The extensions to Riverstone's implementation...

Bigger players emerge to lead ASP market.
August 5, 2002... FRAMINGHAM, MASS. - The application service provider market is maturing and companies such as IBM, PeopleSoft and Oracle are taking leading roles in stabilizing the sector, according to a recent report by IDC. Those big-name players join...

Panacya thwarts apps problems.
August 5, 2002... COLUMBIA, MD. - With an eye toward helping customers manage distributed, Web-based application performance, Panacya last week updated its flagship application management software with Web services technology support. Panacya enhanced its...

JUNIPER SCALES DOWN NEXT-GEN CORE.(Juniper Networks T320 router)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... SAN JOSE - Juniper Networks last week unveiled a scaled-down version of its next-generation core router introduced in April. Juniper's T320 router is the second in a series of products based on the company's 10G bit/sec-optimized T-series...

Qwest sinks deeper into trouble; Improper accounting - to the tune of $1.16 billion - might not be end of bad news.
August 5, 2002... DENVER - Qwest has long had a reputation for aggressive accounting, but last week's revelation it improperly booked a series of transactions between 1999 and 2001 could put the already debt-laden telecom giant in deeper financial trouble. ...

Alopa Networks, a developer of broadband subscriber and operational support systems, announced that it recently received $12.5 million in additional funding.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2002... Alopa Networks, a developer of broadband subscriber and operational support systems, announced that it recently received $12.5 million in additional funding. VantagePoint Venture Partners led the round, with participation from existing...

There's a lot that telecom providers don't understand.
August 5, 2002... Telecommunications providers often operate under the following misconceptions, many of which can be traced to a set of assumptions that ultimately highlight a failure to understand fundamental customer dynamics: l Technology is a permanent...

Key Web services technology moves on.(Universal Description, Discovery, Integration specification)
August 5, 2002... An independent group developing one of the four foundation protocols for Web services released Version 3 of its specification last week and turned its work over to a standards body. UDDI.org, a collection of nearly 300 vendors and end-user...

carrier briefs.
August 5, 2002... n IP networking services company Genuity, left in the lurch when Verizon announced it would not follow through on an opportunity to acquire the struggling firm, says it has gotten a reprieve from its creditors. Genuity paid $100 million to a...

In-line power gear set to grow.(standard for Ethernet cabling still under development)
August 5, 2002... A proposed standard for powering network devices over Ethernet cabling is still a year from completion, but users of IP telephones and wireless LAN endpoints are adopting the technology in the meantime. Powering an IP phone or wireless LAN...

Java application mgmt. on tap.(AdventNet ships ManageEngine 5.0)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... PLEASANTON, CALIF. - AdventNet last week announced a new version of its management software aimed at helping users monitor Java application servers, along with the applications they host and back-end databases. ManageEngine 5.0, due for...

Package eases call center mgmt.; Blue Pumpkin software controls range of productivity applications.(Workforce Optimization Suite)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... SUNNYVALE, CALIF. - Blue Pumpkin last week bolstered its workforce management software lineup to help users more effectively administer call center operations. The software maker's Workforce Optimization Suite pools two new...

LUCENT WHEELS OUT CONVERGENCE GEAR; EBS 2.0 FEATURE SERVER WILL SUPPORT IP CENTREX, OTHER SERVICES.(Enhanced Business Services 2.0)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... PHOENIX - Lucent is introducing a feature server for carriers that will integrate IP phone calls, calendaring, instant messaging, e-mail and other applications to create new voice-data services. Called Enhanced Business Services (EBS) 2.0,...

VoIP Showdown with a twist.(Voice on the Net trade show)
August 5, 2002... Last year at the Voice on the Net show in Seattle, we challenged some of the leading IP PBX vendors to duke it out in traditional Network World Showdown style. This year in Atlanta we're going to change it up by pitting IP PBX vendors against...

Zowie! Zaurus!(Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 PDA)(Evaluation)
August 5, 2002... We have come by an amazing device that's cool and it possesses an incredible geek quotient! The device is Sharp's Zaurus SL-5500 - the first PDA built on Linux and sporting Java (see www.nwfusion.com, DocFinder: 1636). The Zaurus...

Resumes pile up, yet key jobs open.(Most demanding IT jobs unfilled, despite high unemployment in the industry)
August 5, 2002... While the ranks of unemployed IT workers continue to swell, hiring managers still insist they cannot find the right candidates for their most demanding jobs. The grim paradox becomes clear in a pair of recent research reports: One...

'Net Buzz.(@Road remote location services)
August 5, 2002... @Road headed in the right direction The cable guy, the telephone repairman, that delivery boy from the grocery store and your kid's habitually tardy bus driver: None of these mobile workers will be rooting for At Road to be a big success....

Genesys delivers self-service voice app; Alcatel subsidiary joins call center rivals in adding VoiceXML support.(Genesys Voice Portal)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... SAN FRANCISCO - Alcatel subsidiary Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories last week unveiled software that uses voice-recognition features to help users automate the handling of customer service phone calls. The new software, called...

IBM and PwC: Rhyme and reasons.(IBM planning is pure poetry)(Poem)
August 5, 2002... The market was slumping that long endless summer And the tech sector outlook got glummer and glummer. Then Enron and WorldCom and G-Crossing went reeling (Even Martha got accused of insider dealing). Things went from bad to worse...

Sun, Apple nix StarOffice plans.(version for Apple OS X not in the works)(Brief Article)
August 5, 2002... Sun and Apple Computer have no concrete plans to co-develop a version of Sun's StarOffice productivity suite for the Mac OS X operating system, two open source developers and a Sun official said last week. StarOffice is available for...

Alcatel touts QoS features of new switch.(Alcatgel OmniStack 6148)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... CALABASAS, CALIF. - Alcatel last week released a new switch aimed at helping users put end-user ports and switching intelligence into their wiring closets. OmniStack 6148 is the latest in a line of products from network vendors touted as a...

Microsoft users in directory jam.(Microsoft developing tool to join Active Directories, warns against their usage)
August 5, 2002... REDMOND, WASH. - Microsoft is poised to provide new tools to join multiple implementations of Active Directory, but the company still strongly recommends against the practice because it can create unnecessary and problematic complexity. ...

Sun Q&A.(Sun Microsystems responds to questions)
August 5, 2002... * Will .Net amount to anything? ((link to this question: NW: Does the development community either develop to Java or develop to .Net?)) * Exclusion from the Web Services Interoperability Organization. ((link to NW: It looks like Sun will...

LinuxWorld comes of age with big-name players.
August 5, 2002... SAN FRANCISCO - New enterprise Linux clustering, database and desktop software, along with intriguing first-time exhibitors and high-powered speakers, will bolster the LinuxWorld Expo 2002 next week. LinuxWorld Expo will feature speakers...

Vendors patch SSL vulnerability; Threat identified and fixed without reported damage.(Secure Sockets Layer)
August 5, 2002... Vendors of Secure Sockets Layer-based remote access gear scrambled last week to patch potential security flaws in their underlying SSL code before their products could be compromised. The flaw left versions of open SSL that run on Apache...

Positively Broadband Coalition "e-work" campaign a winner.(telecommuting and broadband complement each other)
August 5, 2002... Group says telework will spur broadband, broadband will spur telework The results of a new survey of 1,000 U.S. registered voters is startling. Fifty-four percent think telework would improve the quality of their lives. The number jumps to...

Documentum adds collaboration features.(Documentum Collaboration Edition)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... PLEASANTON, CALIF. - Documentum is giving its content management products a boost by adding collaboration capabilities that will let businesses work in teams across company boundaries. The company last week announced Collaboration Edition,...

IBM pulls off coup with PwC buy; IBM Global Services will expand by 30,000 with PwC's consultancy arm.(IBM acquires PwC Consulting)
August 5, 2002... Companies and their customers have much to gain from IBM's proposed buyout of PwC Consulting, but the deal is not without operational challenges, experts say. Melding different business cultures, retaining key executives and aligning IT...

Microsoft pack addresses bugs, security holes.(Microsoft Service Pack 3 for Windows 2000)(Product Announcement)
August 5, 2002... REDMOND, WASH. - Microsoft last week released the latest service pack for Windows 2000, a package of bug fixes and security patches that includes software that implements changes to the operating system required in the company's settlement of...

Cisco denies rumors after stock falls.
August 5, 2002... SAN JOSE - Cisco stock fell more than 8% last week amid rumors that CEO John Chambers and/or CFO Larry Carter would resign without attesting to the accuracy of the company's fourth quarter and fiscal year 2002 financial results. Cisco will...

Partnerware closes shop.
August 5, 2002... Partnerware has ceased operations and is shopping around for someone to buy its technical assets, according to an AMR Research brief published last week. Calls to Partnerware went unanswered. Partnerware sold PRM software, which is...

Networks in a nutshell.(Column)
August 5, 2002... How to pick the right gear for your small office Second of two parts Last time we sorted out what the various network boxes (hubs, switches, routers) do. This week, let's talk about how to pick the right hardware for your small...

Securing the wireless LAN.
August 12, 2002... Wireless LANs are too inexpensive to ignore, but security has stymied many network managers looking to bring wireless into the corporate fold. There's a lot of information and misinformation out there about issues and approaches. Here are some...

Microsoft supports SAML, sort of.(Security Assertion Markup Language )
August 12, 2002... Microsoft has taken a small step in the right direction by agreeing to implement Security Assertion Markup Language 1.0 in its upcoming .Net operating environment. Although Microsoft's announcement was short on specifics, such as the future...

Terrorist attack kicked VoIP pilot program into high gear; A New York college turned on it VoIP network when Centrex service was knocked out.(Borough of Manhattan Community College )
August 12, 2002... At the Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York, a voice-over-IP migration pilot underwent baptism by fire when the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 prompted a more aggressive approach to convergence. Serving 17,000 students just...

VoIP makes the grade; IT pros in public school districts reap savings from network convergence.
August 12, 2002... While K-12 public schools typically aren't known for their cutting-edge networks, many education IT professionals are learning quickly the ABCs of voice over IP through early deployments. Public school districts around the country are...

Moving lab results into the enterprise.
August 12, 2002... Remember qualitative and quantitative analysis from high school science lab? They are two fundamentals in the development of critical thinking skills. The same principles apply when you're evaluating products in a network laboratory environment...

SIP breathes new life into voice over IP; The promise of new applications sparks interest in converged networks.(Session Initiation Protocol )
August 12, 2002... A new class of flexible, instantaneous, multimedia applications enabled by Session Initiation Protocol could well be the impetus for more companies to deploy converged networks. Despite years of hype, the convergence of voice and data...

Encorp comes back for encore.
August 12, 2002... Encorp, a start-up developing automation technology for power companies, is on its second voice-over-IP platform. Three years ago, the company was spread across three facilities in Windsor, Colo., and implemented 3Com's NBX softswitch. Fivefold...

FedEx Freight saves with voice over frame relay.(Brief Article)
August 12, 2002... In 2001, FedEx Freight, a subsidiary of FedEx formed largely through the acquisition of American Freightways and Viking Freight, had 270 customer centers with a patchwork of vintage key systems that were starting to fail. The company...

Letters to the editor.(Letter to the Editor)
August 12, 2002... "Firewall limits vex VoIP users" (www.nwfusion.com, DocFinder: 1724) is an excellent, thought-provoking story for those of us who are in the business of selling this stuff. The current variety of voice-over-IP standards reminds me of the 1980s...

Getting ready.
August 12, 2002... Getting ready It's time to start figuring out what your network needs to be able to support IP telephony. Any upgrades to your data network need to be viewed from this perspective, even if you aren't ready to start running any voice over...

SIP is a key part in multimedia sessions.(Session Initiation Protocol)
August 12, 2002... Session Initiation Protocol is an application-level control protocol for setting up, changing and terminating multimedia sessions between participants on IP data networks. SIP can enable a range of services, such as Internet telephony,...

Service Provider briefs.(Brief Article)
August 12, 2002... Wireless customers of WorldCom are being prompted to transfer their business to other U.S. wireless carriers to avoid an interruption in service, the company says. WorldCom previously resold wireless service from U.S. carriers to customers,...

Taking stock of skills; Travelers and IBM launched skills assessment programs to guide their IT staffs' career development.
August 12, 2002... Insurance firm Travelers had a policy problem on its hands. The company's decentralized training strategy made it tough to effectively track course attendance and ensure curriculum was relevant for its 2,000 IT pros. So two years ago,...

Infrastructure briefs.(Platform Computing's Platform Clusterware 5.0 network management software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 12, 2002... n Platform Computing is introducing new management software for Linux, Solaris or Hewlett-Packard's HP-UX server clusters that claims to ease workload and systems management responsibilities for net executives. Platform Clusterware 5 works with...

Changing demands force ASPs to adapt; ASPs: Capitalizing on flexibility, service expertise, not just software.
August 12, 2002... About a year and a half ago, marketing, travel and hospitality conglomerate Carlson Companies decided it was time to implement an enterprisewide human resources application. It chose PeopleSoft's HR package, but wasn't interested in deploying...

Can the DMCA hide SSNs?(Digital Millennium Copyright Act )
August 12, 2002... It's been an interesting time of late to be in the Ivy League as long as you are not at Princeton or Yale, and it's been a depressing time if you are remotely interested in Internet security. For being the elite of American higher...

Microsoft: Muddying the waters.
August 12, 2002... Microsoft has made a couple of announcements recently about major undertakings - .Net and the antitrust settlement. Neither announcement, though, could be considered as clearing the air, but seemed to be designed to keep the waters muddied. ...

Ecora putting foot in patch mgmt.(Ecora's PatchMeister)(Product Announcement)
August 12, 2002... PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - With companies working overtime these days to solve their patch management headaches and shore up security on their networks, Ecora has introduced its first patch management tool, PatchMeister, which it is offering free to...

News briefs.
August 12, 2002... The news only gets worse at WorldCom. Late last week the company disclosed that it had discovered an additional $3.3 billion in accounting errors and would be forced to restate earnings for 2000. WorldCom, which filed for bankruptcy protection...

Back-up strategies for a world without WorldCom.
August 12, 2002... Many thanks to all who wrote regarding my last column. As one reader put it, "Not only did [former WorldCom CEO Bernie] Ebbers and the few rich boys and girls at the top ruin an American success story... they also ruined a lot of careers and...

A vulnerability has been discovered in Symantec firewall products that would let a knowledgeable attacker hijack any connection to Symantec's Raptor, Enterprise Firewall and VelociRaptor firewall products, potentially gaining unauthorized access to internal corporate resources.(Brief Article)
August 12, 2002... A vulnerability has been discovered in Symantec firewall products that would let a knowledgeable attacker hijack any connection to Symantec's Raptor, Enterprise Firewall and VelociRaptor firewall products, potentially gaining unauthorized...

BUCKING THE DOWN TREND; FUNDING FOR INTERNET PHOTONICS EXCEEDS ASPIRATIONS.
August 12, 2002... MARLBOROUGH, MASS. - Internet Photonics recently announced the closing of its third round of venture financing - $31 million - from two new investors and existing participants. The new investors include ComVentures, which led the round, and...

3Com chief: Net market looking up.(CEO Bruce Claflin interview)(Interview)
August 12, 2002... 3Com CEO Bruce Claflin was in a good mood when he came to the Network World offices recently to discuss the state of his company and the industry with Senior Editor Phil Hochmuth and Editor in Chief John Dix. With his embattled firm's losses...

Server ties Web to audioconferencing.(eDial Conferencing Server 3.0)(Product Announcement)
August 12, 2002... WALTHAM, MASS. - Budget conscious CIOs and network executives looking to save some money on conference calling have a new option: Bring the service in house with eDial's Conferencing Server 3.0. The newest entry from eDial is a rack-mounted...

Web services project targets fiscal data; Microsoft, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Nasdaq team up on .Net initiative.(Microsoft offers online financial service)
August 12, 2002... Microsoft last week launched a .Net Web service in association with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Nasdaq that will let investors and analysts access financial data over the Internet and analyze that data using Microsoft Office. The Web...

Wireless technology reshapes retailers.
August 12, 2002... From Prada's Manhattan digs to The Gap in Atlanta, retailers are trying out new wireless technology that experts say will help improve inventory accuracy and fight fraud. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology uses radio waves to...

ask dr. internet.(Cisco 678 usage)(Column)
August 12, 2002... In setting up our FTP server, we are having a problem with the time-out setting on our Cisco 678. When we use ws_ftp pro and try to connect, it times out. We want to forward all incoming requests for the FTP server to Port 21. FTP uses two...

WorldCom 'what ifs' spark talk of FCC role; Law unclear on whether government could require that key 'Net backbones be kept running.(WorldCom bankruptcy threatens Internet backbone shutdown)
August 12, 2002... Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell's recent remarks about the FCC possibly having no power to prevent a WorldCom Internet shutdown caused a minor stir, but observers say the bottom line is that WorldCom is unlikely to...

Spammers can't spell "cat".(Vanquish services attack spam)
August 12, 2002... Spammers can't spell "cat" New ideas - new weapons, if you will - are sorely needed if we are serious about eradicating spam before we're all too old to care. Existing spam filters appear to be causing many legitimate e-mail senders...

edge briefs.
August 12, 2002... n The switch fabric market is expected to experience a compound annual growth rate of 141% from 2001 to 2006, according to Cahners In-Stat/MDR. The switch fabric market's potential is due to its versatility, the market research firm states....

Cool Tools.(HP introduces digital cameras and printers; Nextel ships new mobile phone)(Product Announcement)
August 12, 2002... HP launches cameras, photo printers Hewlett-Packard recently launched four photo printers and three digital cameras in its Photosmart line. The HP Photosmart 7550, 7350, 7150 and 130 are the new printers; the Photosmart 720, 620 ($300) and...

Beating the big city blues; Seattle dental insurance provider turns to rural community for inexpensive space, qualified workers.
August 12, 2002... For Washington Dental Service, the cost of growth was like a sick tooth: Painful, and only getting worse. The Seattle dental insurance and benefits provider had outgrown its company headquarters, but executives balked at the high rents of...