Network World articles from January 2003

Network World archives from January 2003

Community minded curriculum; Two IT executives share why community colleges are tops for entry-level network technicians.(Jerry Bunce of Boeing, David Luchtel of Pemco Insurance)
January 6, 2003... Byline: LINDA LEUNG What do businessman/politician Ross Perot, actor Dustin Hoffman and Black and Decker Chairman and CEO Nolan Archibald have in common? They are alumni of community colleges - publicly funded higher education...

New network acronyms for 2003.
January 6, 2003... Byline: chuck yoke As another year dawns and the economy shows no signs of a rapid recovery, savvy technology architects need to add a few more acronyms to their lexicon: TCO, ROI, EBITDA, NPV and IRR. These acronyms were previously...

From peer to maturity; New peer-to-peer collaboration tools offer ease of use, bandwidth savings, but the jury's still out on scalability, management and data integrity.
January 6, 2003... Byline: Mitch Wagner New peer-to-peer collaboration tools offer ease of use, bandwidth savings,but the jury's still out on scalability, management and data integrity. By Mitch Wagner Network professionals are beginning to turn to...

What's happened to availability?
January 6, 2003... Byline: Winn Schwartau Whatever happened to the A in CIA? That's what a reader asked recently, referring to the tried-and-true information security triad: Confidentiality (keeping secrets secret), Integrity (ensuring information is not...

Collaborative software ages slowly; Suites of interoperable components will make up future platforms.
January 6, 2003... Byline: JOHN FONTANA A revolution is brewing in the world of collaborative software that promises to take network executives away from monolithic collaboration platforms and into a world of reusable components that can be embedded in any...

How we did it.(MediaSite Live appliance installation)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... Byline: Christine Perey How We Did It The fully self-contained MediaSite Live appliance was installed on a 10/100M bit/sec Ethernet network with a DHCP server connected to a BayStack 350 T Switch and six client PCs. System...

Sonic Foundry's MediaSite Live; Streaming presentations made easier.(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 6, 2003... Byline: CHRISTINE PEREY, NETWORK WORLD GLOBAL TEST ALLIANCE Even the most technologically inclined people find streaming-media content creation tricky; there are compression algorithms, data-rate optimization procedures and challenges in...

Filtering through.
January 6, 2003... Byline: Ted Julian Thanks to Joel Snyder for his column "IPS: A technology, not a product" (www.nwfusion.com, DocFinder: 3723). The discussion of intrusion-prevention systems as a product category was driving me out of my mind. Snyder...

Is it ever worth it to cut corners on security? Two industry insiders debate the need to balance security concerns and business goals.
January 6, 2003... Byline: Burton Craig Is it ever worth it to cut corners on security? Two industry insiders debate the need to balance security concerns and business goals. YES, by Burton Craig If you design your network to conform with a...

Is it ever worth it to cut corners on security?(Column)
January 6, 2003... Byline: NO, by Rob Tillman From the corporate perspective, there is never a reason to skimp on network security. If you are connected to the Internet, your business is liable for the actions of your network devices. If your network is...

BMC upgrades mgmt. tools for DB2.
January 6, 2003... Byline: JAMES NICCOLAI BMC Software recently pumped out upgrades to five of its SmartDBA management tools for Version 7 of IBM's DB2 mainframe database, along with two upgrades for the distributed, Universal Database edition of DB2. ...

Grid-dy determination; Grid computing systems gird to move out of the lab and into the enterprise.
January 6, 2003... Byline: CURTIS FRANKLIN JR. Stu Jackson needs CPU cycles - lots of CPU cycles. As IT architect for Incyte Genomics, Jackson designs systems that use computing resources the way a blast furnace uses iron ore. The Palo Alto firm's genomic...

Enterprise technology tips for 2003.
January 6, 2003... Byline: Kevin Tolly Ah, a new year, so filled with optimism that we can deploy voice over IP, wireless and Gigabit Ethernet with nary a hitch. At least, that's what vendor marketing machines are telling us. Let's not forget the mighty...

Testing the Logitech IO pen.(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 6, 2003... I'm generally an optimist about new technology. When a new tool comes along I start with the assumption that it might improve our lives. But that predisposition makes it more painful if the device doesn't live up to expectations. That's what...

Software helps users consolidate servers.(virtual server software)
January 6, 2003... Byline: DENI CONNOR Large businesses are beginning to use software that lets them consolidate applications and operating systems onto as few Intel-based servers as possible, easing administration and lowering costs. Known as server...

inf briefs.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... RLX Technologies launched a faster, low-power server blade in December that runs at 1 GHz and is based on the Transmeta Crusoe processor. The ServerBlade 1000t will replace the 667MHz model, the ServerBlade 667. Up to 336 servers can fit in a...

IBM software strategy: Knock off Microsoft.
January 6, 2003... Byline: JOHN FONTANA AND ANN BEDNARZ It has taken seven years and billions of dollars in development and acquisitions but IBM is now in position to achieve one more lofty goal: beating Microsoft at its own game. Rivals such as Oracle,...

IP telephony set to go the distance in 2003; CONVERGENCE UPDATE: Packet telephony.(support for Session Initiation Protocol )(Industry Overview)
January 6, 2003... Byline: PHIL HOCHMUTH This is the year that enterprise IP telephony hits full stride with advanced product features and more large-scale user deployments, experts predict. Remote-office resiliency, wireless voice over IP, and expanded...

Dream tablet.
January 6, 2003... Byline: Mark Gibbs 2003. Wow. I can re-member being about 8 years old and working out how old I'd be in 2000. Now 2000 has shot past and here we are, with three years of the naughties behind us. So, what would I like to see from this...

Achieving true 10 Gig performance.
January 6, 2003... Byline: MARSHALL EISENBERG From its inception, 10G Ethernet was intended to retain backward compatibility and full interoperability with 10/100/1000M bit/sec Ethernet while adding a tenfold increase in performance. In the 802.3ae...

NetScreen CEO talks VPNs.(Robert Thomas)
January 6, 2003... Byline: Tim Greene VPN and firewall vendor NetScreen Technologies went public about a year ago and is still alive to tell about it. CEO Robert Thomas contends the move actually has worked out fine, even though the company's stock has lost...

Net Buzz.
January 6, 2003... Byline: Paul McNamara Readers share e-mail faux pas Before the holidays, Buzz asked readers to submit their favorite "embarrassing e-mail story." Dozens of you stepped up with examples both amusing and painful. As might be...

Where the script runs.
January 6, 2003... Byline: Mark Gibbs With Christmas fading to nothing more than a pleasant memory (except around the waistline where the consequences of unbridled gustatory abandon has left its seasonal evidence) we need to get fit again by leaping into an...

Looking forward by looking backward.
January 6, 2003... Byline: Scott Bradner What will you think were the big 'Net-related stories of 2003 looking back at it a year from now? I'm not sure they will be much different, other than in degree, than the major stories of 2002. The copyright mafia...

Ask Dr. Internet.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... Byline: Steve Blass We live in an apartment complex and have Internet access through our school's network. People in the school's dormitories can set up FTP sites because they have fixed IP addresses. We only get internal IP addresses, so...

New Year's resolutions for telecom managers.
January 6, 2003... Byline: Johna Till Johnson Let's face it, 2002 was a tough year. Between telecom bankruptcies and budget freezes, telecom managers faced some of the biggest challenges of their careers. And telecom continues to be a top focus: 85% of...

Net.Worker briefs.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... Byline: staff n Driven by strong growth in the small office/home office and retail market, Wi-Fi chipset shipments far outpaced analyst predictions in 2002, according to an Allied Business Intelligence report. Chipset shipments will reach...

Digex CEO sees calm after WorldCom storm.(George Kerns)(Interview)
January 6, 2003... Byline: Jennifer Mears Managed hosting firm Digex has had its share of troubles, not the least of which is the bankruptcy filing of parent company WorldCom. Over the past six months the company has replaced its CEO, reduced staff and...

Service Provider briefs.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... Byline: staff Cingular Wireless and AT&T Wireless are beefing up wireless coverage through a recently announced spectrum swap. Cingular is picking up licenses in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Texas. AT&T Wireless is picking...

Healthcare group picks on SSL for remote access.(Virtua Health)
January 6, 2003... Byline: TIM GREENE Secure Sockets Layer-based remote access has been just what the doctors ordered - and more - for Virtua Health in Marlton, N.J. The company, which operates four hospitals and two clinics, was looking to simplify...

IP services hot; IP spending not; Most companies slow to abandon legacy data networks.(Industry Overview)
January 6, 2003... Byline: CAROLYN DUFFY MARSAN Internet traffic might be growing at an explosive pace, but the same cannot be said for IP-related spending. This dichotomy can be seen not only on the furrowed brows of service provider executives, but...

Revisiting last year's predictions.
January 6, 2003... Byline: Network World editorial management We made 13 predictions at this time last year so it's time to see how we did. Next week we'll set our sights on 2003. l Hewlett-Packard and Compaq merge but the new company is plagued by...

CIOs see 1% spending dip in 2003 . . .
January 6, 2003... Goldman Sachs last week rang in the new year with a report hinting that the cautious optimism of late 2002 regarding an industry resurgence didn't make it through the calendar change. In the investment banking firm's most recent poll of 100...

RBOCs gain ground on long-distance; Impact on big business accounts might not be immediate.
January 6, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL MARTIN A flurry of activity by the Federal Communications Commission and regional Bell operating companies has pushed the RBOCs significantly closer to offering business customers long-distance services throughout the U.S....

Enterprise Applications briefs.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... Byline: staff writers Intrusion-detection systems vendor Sourcefire this month begins shipping two new IDS network sensors for use in small to midsize businesses that don't require more powerful gigabit-speed intrusion detection. The...

TELEWORK USED TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY; THE CITY OF AUSTIN SELECTS GOTOMYPC WEB SERVICE TO HELP EXPAND PROGRAM.
January 6, 2003... Byline: TONI KISTNER AUSTIN, TEXAS - Since 1996, Austin's city government has looked to telework as a means to improve air quality by decreasing vehicular emissions. But budget and technology constraints kept its program from taking...

Content delivery market set to soar.
January 6, 2003... Byline: PHIL HOCHMUTH Industry watchers expect corporate content delivery networks to take off this year as businesses exploit the technology for more than multimedia delivery and Web page caching. In addition to using CDNs for...

Upcoming FCC review has big implications.
January 6, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL MARTIN Within weeks the Federal Communications Commission is expected to change regulations on which competitive telecom providers rely to offer local phone services to business customers, but it's still unclear whether the...

Security worries give start-ups hope.(Singlefin, Imprivata)
January 6, 2003... Byline: ELLEN MESSMER AND DENISE DUBIE With the hope that corporate security concerns will translate into spending, two newcomers this week will debut offerings intended to keep network intruders at bay. Singlefin, a $1 million...

Financial firms bet on outsourcing.
January 6, 2003... Byline: ANN BEDNARZ IBM's $5 billion, seven-year outsourcing agreement with JPMorgan Chase is the latest and most valuable in a string of multibillion-dollar deals recently forged between IT services firms and financial institutions. ...

Auditors' ascension; a new law is bringing the IT security auditor out of the wiring closet and into the boardroom.
January 13, 2003... Byline: ellen messmer Auditors' ascension A new law is bringing the IT security auditor out of the wiring closet and into the boardroom. n BY ELLEN MESSMER The IT auditor, whose security-related job is watching over IT...

CLECs still struggling to make a difference; CLECS: Since their emergence, CLECs have seen limited success.(Competitive local exchange carriers )
January 13, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL MARTIN Six years after passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 set the groundwork for their emergence, competitive local exchange carriers have failed to make the significant impact on telecom pricing for business...

Examining the PC upgrade cycle.
January 13, 2003... Byline: Linda Musthaler Gartner recently reported that many companies are extending the life spans of their PCs by not refreshing them as often as before. It was fairly common to see a three-year refresh cycle, so that every year,...

How to read an SLA.(service-level agreements)
January 13, 2003... Byline: Brad Chen Many Internet and content delivery network service providers offer service-level agreements that might sound impressive - until you read the fine print. SLA weaknesses fall into two categories: weak guarantees and...

Linux not perfect.(open source operating system)
January 13, 2003... Byline: John James I have been a Linux user for years. I use it wherever I can to replace Microsoft systems. However, I have to disagree with nearly every point Tony Podrasky makes for Linux use in his letter "Linux is the answer"...

Documentation isn't what it used to be.
January 13, 2003... Byline: Barry Nance Maybe it's just nostalgia, but I recall a time when vendors made sure you got good quality, printed documentation with the hardware and software you purchased. Novell used to provide a ton of books with NetWare. When...

IBM hitting pay dirt with software push.
January 13, 2003... Byline: ANN BEDNARZ, DENISE DUBIE AND JOHN FONTANA ARMONK, N.Y. - IBM's software business finally has found a focus. Three years ago IBM stopped trying to make its own business applications and turned its attention to building...

PoliVec Suite; Makes setup, maintenance of security policies easy.(PoliVec Builder, Scanner and Enforcer)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Byline: Mandy Andress Establishing and maintaining security policies across a corporate network is a necessary hassle. The good news is that PoliVec's suite of security tools - Builder, Scanner and Enforcer - smoothes out the process....

ask dr. internet.(Brief Article)(Column)
January 13, 2003... Byline: steve blass Steve Blass How can I use Address Resolution Protocol (or something else) to detect if the IP address I was assigned is unique without causing all other hosts to update their cache and lose communication with the...

How we did it with PoliVec Suite review.(Testing PoliVec Builder, Scanner and Enforcer network security software)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... We installed PoliVec Builder, Scanner and Enforcer on an Intel Pentium III system with 128M bytes of RAM running Windows 2000, SP3. We created an initial security policy based on the default template. We then imported the policy into Scanner...

LapLink's LapLink Everywhere.(remote access service)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 13, 2003... Byline: PAUL FERRILL Having users get their e-mail while on the road is a big challenge for small and midsize companies that don't have a remote-access system such as dial-up modems or hardware/software VPN over the Internet. Windows XP...

'NetBuzz.(Stamps.com has promising future)
January 13, 2003... Byline: Paul McNamara A dot-com whose time will come Stamps.com should be a big success - someday - even though the company has taken quite a licking these past few years. Buying postage over the Internet instead of leasing a meter...

VCON's IPNexus; Enterprise IM and collaboration gets smarter and easier.(instant messaging server)(Hardware Review)
January 13, 2003... Byline: christine perey Companies concerned about security threats with public instant-messaging services are looking at enterprise instant-messaging products as a way to allow for real-time text communications without sacrificing security...

how we did it.(testing IPNexus tower server)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Byline: christine perey We connected the fully self-contained IPNexus tower server and assigned it an internal IP address via Ethernet network to a BayStack 350 T Switch. Configuration of FTP and Web services was performed on the local...

Estimating ROI for in-house IM and Conferencing server.(PINexus server reduces teleconferencing and instant messaging costs)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Byline: christine perey If your company spends $1,000 (for 2,000 minutes of conferencing services, at 50 cents per minute per user) per month the IPNexus server will be paid for on the basis of avoiding recurring service costs in 12...

AT&T's Bernard talks about her new role.(Betsy Bernard)(Interview)
January 13, 2003... Byline: Denise Pappalardo Betsy Bernard heads AT&T Business, which despite 3,500 layoffs announced last week remains the company's most important division with 4 million customers and $20.4 billion in revenue for the first three quarters...

Intrusion-detection apps boost security.
January 13, 2003... Byline: THROOP WILDER In their earliest versions, intrusion-detection systems focused extensively on postevent audit-trail analysis. Today, IDS applications monitor, detect and respond to unauthorized activities within networks in real...

Look for these developments as 2003 unfolds.
January 13, 2003... Byline: Johna Til Johnson Yes, the past two years have been pretty awful. No, we're not going to return to the halcyon days of 1999 anytime soon. So what does 2003 look like? Here's a short list of predictions. We'll check back in 12...

Building security by making holes.
January 13, 2003... Byline: scott bradner Last month I got a call from the folks at VanDyke Software. They wanted to chat about what needs to go away to ensure enterprise network security. Their list was, as one might expect, self-serving in some places...

The envelope, please.(Liberty Alliance, United Airlines head Eric Dean wins Network MVP award)(Column)
January 13, 2003... Byline: Dave Kearns This is the first column of the new year, so that means it's time once again to hand out Wired Windows' annual Network MVP Award. This virtual award (there's no plaque, no trophy and no big check) is given each year to...

Infrastructure Briefs.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... SGI last week introduced a family of servers and clustering software suited for technical computing environments. The Altix 3000 family consists of servers that use Intel Itanium 2 processors and the Linux operating system. The company also...

Network Associates bags antispam firm Deersoft.
January 13, 2003... Byline: PAUL ROBERTS Network Associates started the year by putting spam in the crosshairs. The company last week announced the acquisition of Deersoft, a maker of antispam software, for an undisclosed sum. Deersoft makes SpamAssassin...

apps briefs.
January 13, 2003... n The Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards last week formed a technical committee to increase awareness about the use of public-key infrastructure for Web services and other applications. PKI, which has shown...

Microsoft unwraps new Exchange server.(Microsoft Exchange Server 2003)
January 13, 2003... Byline: JOHN FONTANA REDMOND, WASH. - Microsoft last week made available the first public beta-test version of its newest Exchange Server that polishes the user interface, integrates mobile support, aligns with real-time collaboration...

LUCENT SEEKS IP PARTNERSHIPS.
January 13, 2003... Byline: JIM DUFFY MURRAY HILL, N.J. - Lucent is lining up partnerships to fill in the gaps in its IP/Multi-protocol Label Switching portfolio after the recent cancelation of its multiservice core packet switch. Industry sources say...

Air Force streamlines electronic paperwork.
January 13, 2003... Byline: ANN BEDNARZ WASHINGTON, D.C. - Electronic forms aren't the most exciting technology inside the U.S. Air Force, especially with F-22 Raptor fighter jets and B-2 Spirit bombers to consider. But when 18,000 different forms and 700,000...

IBM pitches supercomputing to go.(offers supercomputer cluster on as-needed basis)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Want supercomputing power without buying and running a supercomputer? Ask IBM. Big Blue is offering customers access to IBM-managed supercomputer clusters as part of its corporate e-business on-demand initiative. The idea is that customers will...

Service Providers Briefs.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Content delivery provider Mirror Image recently unveiled an enhanced suite of video-streaming services targeted at companies looking to incorporate video into their online corporate communications or distance-learning initiatives. Called...

A tale of two cameras.(Veo's Observer and the Axis 2130 PTZ Network Camera)(Hardware Review)
January 13, 2003... Byline: keith shaw Take a Web cam, add Ethernet capabilities and you've got a new class of product called a network camera. These are more advanced than simple Web cameras, and we recently tested two - Veo's Observer and the Axis 2130...

VPN software is not created equal; Advanced features require advanced corporate network planning.(virtual private network technology overview)
January 13, 2003... Byline: TIM GREENE With IP Security VPNs established as a preferred method of remote access, businesses now must weigh an array of options that can make deploying and managing these VPNs less daunting. Optional features range from...

AT&T Wireless taps the brakes on 3G rollout; Experts say lack of customer demand is primary reason for go-slow approach.(slows wireless communications deployment)
January 13, 2003... Byline: DENISE PAPPALARDO AT&T Wireless is reeling in its original 3G deployment plans in a move that will result in slower technology upgrades and a more watchful eye from one of its key investors. The wireless carrier recently...

The Edge Briefs.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Equipe Communications last week said its Equipe 3200 multiservice core switch has achieved Network Equipment Building Standards Level 3 certification. NEBS Level 3 is a prerequisite for deployment with most carriers and service providers. NEBS...

PIPAL PURCHASE PUMPS RIVERSTONE'S PLAN.(Riverstone Networks acquires Pipal Systems )
January 13, 2003... Byline: JIM DUFFY SANTA CLARA - Riverstone Networks' recent acquisition of start-up Pipal Systems underscores the company's strategy to use Multi-protocol Label Switching as the underpinning of the metropolitan Ethernet aggregation...

Cisco's first storage switch raises the bar.( Systems Multilayer DataCenter Switch 9509)
January 13, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL HOMMER, NETWORK WORLD GLOBAL TEST ALLIANCE Cisco has entered the storage market with a bang, introducing a feature-rich, director-class switch that in our tests delivered some of the best performance metrics we've ever...

How we did it -- Cisco review.(Cisco Systems network switch test)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Performance testing was a collaborative effort with Spirent Communications, which provided equipment and lab space. We used five SmartBits SMB-6000B chassis, fully populated with FBC-3602A 1G and 2G bit/sec Fibre Channel modules. Ports on the...

Cisco takes aim at new competitors.
January 13, 2003... Byline: STEPHEN LAWSON SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. - Cisco last week signaled its readiness to take on new rivals, such as Dell, that are moving into the network giant's traditional network equipment markets. In what seemed a shift from the tone...

Wrapping up our ASP example.(Active Server Page scripting)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Byline: Mark Gibbs Last week we introduced the IIS Object Model and, specifically, the Request object, which gives you access to the HTTP header and body, and the Form collection, which provides access to all the POST'ed items. We...

Cisco enlists IBM for storage push.
January 13, 2003... Byline: DENI CONNOR ARMONK, N.Y. - IBM customers will have new choices for storage gear as a result of a deal Big Blue inked with Cisco last week to resell the network giant's recently announced Fibre Channel switches. Systems...

Venturing forward with 10 predictions.(Editorial)
January 13, 2003... Byline: Network World editorial management Last week we came clean on our 2002 predictions (we got about half right; see www.nwfusion.com, DocFinder: 3832), and now it's time to turn our cracked glass on '03.) * Call it what you will -...

Alliance members test ID mgmt. spec.(Liberty Alliance Project )
January 13, 2003... Byline: JOHN FONTANA After more than a year spent crafting a specification, the Liberty Alliance Project now has some of the largest end-user companies in the U.S. testing it to see if Liberty can deliver on the promise of a federated...

Microsoft seeks antivirus fix.(seeks aid from leading antivirus software vendors for the development of Longhorn)
January 13, 2003... Byline: ELLEN MESSMER REDMOND, WASH. - Microsoft is working behind the scenes with leading antivirus software vendors to improve the way desktop security software works with its next major operating system, code-named Longhorn. Under...

Variety of VPN services on tap from Verizon.(virtual private networks)
January 13, 2003... Byline: DENISE PAPPALARDO AND MICHAEL MARTIN Verizon is mustering a managed VPN effort that will offer customers more advanced service choices and further distance the carrier from once-close IP partner Genuity. The local exchange...

Vendors show what's in store for retail.(National Retail Federation convention and expo)
January 13, 2003... Byline: ANN BEDNARZ NEW YORK - When retailer Saks reported results last fall that beat Wall Street's expectations, executives cited improved profit margins, "due to carefully controlled inventories and reduced levels of clearance...

Rivalry doesn't rankle Cisco, 3Com.(network switch market)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Byline: PHIL HOCHMUTH Who's afraid of Dell? "Not us," say the leading network switch vendors. But neither are they standing pat as Dell goes after the network market using the same sort of aggressive pricing and manufacturing...