Network World articles from June 2007

Network World archives from June 2007

Netflix, QVC, Amazon best at satisfying online shoppers; Best Buy, electronics retailers score low.
June 1, 2007... Byline: Jon Brodkin Netflix, QVC.com and Amazon did the best job satisfying online shoppers among the 100 highest-grossing retail sites on the Web this year, but the biggest retailers aren't always the best at satisfying customers, a...

Centralized storage caching.
June 1, 2007... A new approach to storage caching that centralizes the resource and uses Ethernet, IP and Network File System can serve RAM-cached files 10 to 50 times faster than mechanical disk-based approaches. Delivering high-speed, high-capacity...

Covad launches higher-speed DSL service; Customers can expect up to 15Mbps over traditional copper lines.(Covad Communications Co.)(Digital subscriber line)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Byline: Denise Pappalardo Covad Communications announced on Thursday it is offering a faster DSL service that promises to deliver 8M to 15Mbps of dedicated Internet access. The new service, which Covad is calling ADSL2+, is...

MySQL database tricks.(Database administration methods)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Byline: Steve Blass I have a MySQL database that needs to be converted or exported to a Microsoft Access database. I can connect to the MySQL database with Access using ODBC, but when I try to save or export the MySQL data, Access...

Brocade expands into host bus adapters; Storage network company partners with LSI, exploits Silverstream technology.(Brocade Communications Systems Inc.)(LSI Logic Corp.)(Silverstream Systems)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Byline: Deni Connor Brocade on Thursday announced the latest of its storage-area network expansion plans - the company is getting into the $1 billion host bus adapter market. Buoyed by a quarter in which revenue for its file-area...

How we tested VTLs.(virtual tape library)
June 4, 2007... Our test bed consisted of two servers connected to a QLogic 5200 SANBox 5200 Fibre Channel switch and to a Nexsan SATABlade storage system. All the Fibre Channel components were rated for 2Gbps. Each virtual tape library (VTL) system was...

Dell, IBM to slash workforces.
June 4, 2007... Dell last week said it will lay off 10% of its 78,800 workers, in a continuing effort to improve profits as the company also completes an investigation of accounting fraud. Separately, IBM last week laid off 1,573 employees, as part of...

Enterprise search vendor offers e-mail discovery; Recommind's RecordFile automatically categorizes and files e-mail.(MindServer RecordFile)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Jon Brodkin Enterprise search vendor Recommind is taking on e-discovery with a product being released next week that categorizes the massive amounts of unstructured data in e-mail. The product, MindServer RecordFile, uses...

VeriSign adds managed wireless intrusion-prevention service; Teams with AirMagnet to protect wireless LANs.(local area networks)(Brief article)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Ellen Messmer VeriSign Monday plans to announce the expansion of its managed security services offerings to include support for wireless LAN intrusion prevention. Mike Denning, VeriSign's vice president of security...

How low can your data go with virtual tape libraries? Test shows that VTL data deduplication works in general, but your mileage will vary.
June 4, 2007... Today's storage mechanisms are all about squeezing as much data into as little space as possible. Virtual tape library (VTL) software contributes to the space-saving cause by using hard-disk storage systems to emulate robotic tape libraries...

Blocking ports on switches.(Column)
June 4, 2007... Byline: Ron Nutter As our network continues to grow, we are trying have standards as to reserving certain port numbers for access points, certain ones for printers, etc. Another challenge is to prevent ports from being used without...

The down and dirty on data deduplication.
June 4, 2007... At its core, data deduplication is a simple concept. Stored data is parsed for duplicate sequences, and when duplicates are found, a pointer to the first instance is inserted in place of the duplicated data. For example, using a...

Letters: Open source comments.(Letter to the editor)
June 4, 2007... In response to Howard Anderson's column "A cynic rips open source": This article is very well written but a bit too vague for me. I'd like to see some specific applications as examples. Many of my application vendors, even...

Surviving IT: A Q&A with Yau-Man Chan.(CBS Broadcasting Inc.'s "Survivor: Fiji")(Interview)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Deni Connor CBS reality show "Survivor" contestant Yau-Man Chan, a favorite of the recently concluded "Survivor: Fiji," is director of information systems for the College of Chemistry at the University of California Berkeley....

Service provider router, switch markets decline; * Market for service provider routers and switches has an off quarter.(Infonetics Research report)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Jeff Caruso The market for service provider routers and switches was down across the board last quarter, according to a new report from Infonetics Research. Infonetics looks at the market every quarter, and found that every...

Guaranteeing uptime at world's largest particle physics lab; CERN improves monitoring and control of technical infrastructure.(European Organization for Nuclear Research)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Jon Brodkin As the European agency CERN was gearing up to build the world's largest particle accelerator, officials there knew they could not afford to have problems in their technical infrastructure cause any downtime. ...

E-tickets for air travel by end of 2007; * Disappearance of airline paper tickets not necessarily a good thing.(electronics)(Column)
June 5, 2007... Byline: M. E. Kabay Today I turn to a tidbit I ran across as I was updating my INFOSEC Year in Review database in preparation for upcoming courses. It seems that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) hopes to see all paper...

The importance of vulnerability research; Experts debate the hows and whys of security testing.(Discussion)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Cara Garretson WASHINGTON - Testing in-house and vendor-built software for security holes should be an enterprise priority, said a group of vulnerability research experts speaking on a panel at the Gartner IT Security Summit...

Nortel branch router addresses branch, OCS-integration concerns; * Nortel's Secure Router 4134.(Office Communications Server)(Nortel Networks Corp.)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Robin Gareiss Smart networking vendors have or are developing a strategy for all-in-one devices, also known as multifunction devices or branch-in-a-box products. These products combine any number of functions, such as...

TECH ED - Microsoft set to upgrade Web-conferencing service; The Live Meeting service is core part part of Microsoft's content-management, collaboration, search and business-intelligence efforts.(Office Live Meeting Web-conferencing service)
June 5, 2007... Byline: John Fontana Microsoft said Tuesday it would debut an upgraded version of its Office Live Meeting Web-conferencing service later this year with a redesigned interface, hooks into VoIP and support for its 360-degree live Web cam...

Turning AV and AS filtering outward; * The risks of not monitoring outbound communications.(antivirus systems and antispam)(Osterman Research survey)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Michael Osterman Organizations of all sizes are very aware of the critical need to monitor their inbound communications. For example, according to an Osterman Research survey of midsized and large organizations completed in...

RFID skills shortage delays deployment; * The lack of IT pros skilled in RFID technology hampers deployment.(Computing Technology Industry Association survey)(radio frequency identification)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Amy Schurr The RFID skills shortage is receding, but the lack of IT pros skilled in RFID technology hampers deployment. Those are the findings of a survey from the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), which...

Redback looks to redefine edge routing; Analyst says company's device largest broadband remote-access server on market.(Redback Networks SmartEdge 1200 )
June 5, 2007... Byline: Jim Duffy Redback Networks, the edge router maker recently acquired by Ericsson, Monday unveiled its third-generation system which boasts a twofold increase in capacity for video networks, as well as other enhancements. ...

Reconnex announces deal with BigFix; Data-leak prevention agents to be distributed by BigFix's delivery platform.(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Cara Garretson WASHINGTON - Data-leak prevention provider Reconnex and BigFix, an IT service-delivery company, on Tuesday announced plans to provide an integrated offering that enforces compliance across customers' desktops,...

Getting the most from big pipes; * Silver Peak Systems is upgrading the software that powers its WAN optimization gear.(wide area networks)(Silver Peak 2.0)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Ann Bednarz I've written a lot lately about integrated devices and the trend to bundle multiple traffic management, security and routing capabilities in a single appliance to help combat branch office clutter. But not all...

Verizon gets into supply chain management.(Verizon Business signed contract with GSX Corp.)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Jim Duffy Verizon Business this week entered the supply chain management market through a resale arrangement with GXS, a provider of business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce systems. Verizon Business will provide large...

UPDATE -- Avaya goes private in $8.2B deal.(acquisition by Silver Lake Partners and the Texas Pacific Group )(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Phil Hochmuth Avaya has agreed to be bought by Silver Lake Partners and the Texas Pacific Group for $8.2 billion. The deal is the largest private-equity buyout of a network company and gives Avaya shareholders $17.50 in cash...

NetIQ upgrades security information/event management software; Includes Change Guardian for Windows.(NetIQ Security Manager 6.0)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Cara Garretson WASHINGTON - NetIQ announced Tuesday an upgrade to its security information and event-management software that adds user-access monitoring, real-time auditing and threat detection. NetIQ Security Manager 6.0...

Qwest network operations VP to retire; Barry Allen was responsible for network, information technology operations.(Qwest Communications International Inc. appointed Robert Tregemba)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Jim Duffy Qwest Communications this week said Barry Allen, executive vice president of operations, will retire from the company June 29. He will be replaced by Robert Tregemba, currently vice president of network...

Do-it-yourself wireless backbone takes shape on Cape Cod.(OpenCape Corp. )
June 5, 2007... Byline: John Cox A nonprofit group of wireless pilgrims is venturing into virgin territory to create a regional wireless backhaul net to bring broadband capacity to Cape Cod, Mass., where the original Pilgrims first set foot nearly 400...

10 free virtualization tools worth noting; Microsoft, VMware even have virtualization giveaways.
June 5, 2007... Byline: Deni Connor More and more IT shops are validating the benefits of desktop and server virtualization, from energy efficiency to better resource utilization. But if you're still leery of forking over big dollars for the...

TechEd: Next versions of SQL, Visual Studio reveal few surprises.(SQL Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 of Microsoft Corp.)
June 5, 2007... Byline: John Fontana Without a preloaded, show-stopping proclamation, Microsoft on Monday spilled a collection of small news bits including unceremoniously unveiling the official names of the next versions of SQL Server and Visual...

The Avaya sale: Tech buyouts bear risks for customers, too; Private equity firms seek quick profits diminishing focus on products.
June 5, 2007... Byline: Tim Greene, Phil Hochmuth The sale of Avaya is just the latest in an increasing number of private-equity buyouts of technology companies that might not be good things for customers. The $8.2 billion deal announced today...

eIQnetworks upgrades security information management software; Consolidated data offers unified view of security.(SecureVue 2.5)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Cara Garretson WASHINGTON - EIQnetworks announced Monday a version of its SecureVue security-information management software that integrates views to offer a comprehensive look of an entire organization's security. ...

Keeping guests corralled; * The most common reason for using NAC has been to keep visiting guests corralled.(network admission control)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Tim Greene In practice, the most common reason for using NAC has been to keep guest visitors corralled when they log in to corporate networks. These visitors range from people who have appointments onsite and who want to...

Metro Ethernet: The 'next big thing' in access services; * The primary drivers behind Metro Ethernet adoption.(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Steve Taylor, Jim Metzler In the last newsletter, we began a discussion of the current state-of-the-market for Metro Ethernet. This time we'll focus on the primary drivers behind Metro Ethernet adoption, and why we see this as...

Imperva tries to make regulatory compliance simpler; Insight Services links applications to regulations.(introduces ADC Insight Services)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Tim Greene Imperva is selling a service package that makes it easier for businesses to set up Imperva database security appliances so they protect in accordance with industry and government regulations. Called ADC Insight...

Brocade expands into HBAs; * Brocade to offer Fibre Channel and iSCSI host bus adapters.(host bus adapters)(Brocade Communications Systems Inc.)(Internet Small Computer System Interface)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Deni Connor Brocade made a good move last week by announcing that it will offer Fibre Channel and iSCSI host bus adapters, along with its storage area networking Fibre Channel switches and software products. The company...

Q&A: Avaya's COO on what's next; Avaya COO Thurk says he wouldn't be surprised to see more companies going private.(Mike Thurk)(Interview)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Phil Hochmuth The $8.2 billion buyout of Avaya by Silver Lake Partners and the Texas Pacific Group will change how the VoIP vendor will operate and interact with customers. Avaya Chief Operating Officer Mike Thurk discussed...

Online host aims to make software-as-a-service integration easier; Boomi On Demand out in beta later this month.
June 5, 2007... Byline: Jon Brodkin A hosted online service allowing businesses to integrate software-as-a-service applications and software tools deployed in-house will be made available in beta at the end of this month. Boomi On Demand, which...

Avaya Timeline; Here is a rundown of significant events in Avaya's history.(Chronology)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Network World Staff Return to main story Next slide > September 2000: Avaya spins off from LucentThe former enterprise network arm of Lucent debuts at Fall Interop 2000 led by CEO Donald Peterson, former Lucent CFO. Avaya's...

Microsoft to users: no Software Assurance, no apps virtualization.(TechEd conference)
June 5, 2007... Byline: John Fontana Microsoft on Tuesday reaffirmed that its applications virtualization technology will be available only as part of a bundle of desktop-management tools and only to users with Software Assurance contracts. At...

IronPort releases high-performance e-mail security appliance; New model processes 2.5 million messages per hour.(IronPort Systems Inc.'s X1050)(Brief article)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Cara Garretson WASHINGTON -- IronPort Systems on Tuesday announced a high-performance model in its family of e-mail security appliances designed for high-volume enterprises and ISPs. The X1050, available now, offers more...

Power is information; * Data center managers need useful information about electrical power.(Column)
June 5, 2007... Byline: John Burke An earlier newsletter explored the idea of a cabling plant that was just smart enough to describe itself, to human eyes via LCD panels, or to other IT systems via a standardized information feed. An aspect of...

How secure is your security software? Experts warn of flaws in products designed to protect.(Gartner IT Security Summit)(Discussion)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Cara Garretson WASHINGTON -- Think that commercial software you just bought has been adequately tested and is ready for deployment? Think again. According to a panel of vulnerability research experts who spoke at the...

Xen: Moving beyond VMware, Part 1; * Q&A with Jim Klein, director of information services and technology for the Saugus Union School District in California.(Interview)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Jennifer Mears With x86 server virtualization maturing and competitors to VMware becoming stronger, I figured it was time to talk with some real-world users of server-slicing technology beyond VMware. This week, I'm...

Silver Peak WAN-acceleration boxes touts 40% better transfer times; 2.0 software introduces better algorithms, management features.(wide area networks)(Silver Peak 2.0)
June 5, 2007... Byline: Tim Greene Silver Peak is announcing new software that cuts the time for WAN data transfers by about 40% below the reduction capability of its previous software version. The upgrades in the company's Silver Peak 2.0...

Microsoft makes LG Electronics latest cross-licensing patent partner.
June 6, 2007... Byline: John Fontana Microsoft Wednesday inked another cross-licensing patent agreement, this time with South Korea's LG Electronics, covering the company's Linux-based embedded devices. As part of the deal, LG, one of the world's...

Why Avaya deal is good for customers.(acquisition)
June 6, 2007... For the price of $8.2 billion, private-equity firms Silver Lake and TPG Capital have offered to take Avaya private. This is the largest such transaction ever in the enterprise networking and communications arena. And it's a positive...

LiveSaver keeps a user's work from coming to harm; * A save-as-you-write mechanism for your browser.
June 6, 2007... Byline: Mark Gibbs

Microsoft-sponsored study says Vista improves TCP/IP performance.(Microsoft Windows Vista)
June 6, 2007... Byline: John Fontana Companies that deploy Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista in tandem could see more than a threefold increase in networking performance for file transfers, downloading roaming profiles for mobile users and...

Management vendors grab more than $21M in VC funding; Transaction management vendor OpTier and open source management software maker Hyperic separately rake in the cash.(venture capital)
June 6, 2007... Byline: Denise Dubie Investors continue to validate the trend toward open source management and automation software, most recently by investing venture funding in two start-ups targeting the emerging markets. This week Hyperic and...

SharePoint Server becoming the tool of choice for collaboration; * ScriptLogic's Security Explorer for SharePoint is a tool you should take a look at.
June 6, 2007... Byline: Dave Kearns It's TechED week in Orlando, and I'll wager than a goodly portion of you are in attendance, hopefully getting a good look at Microsoft's new "PC as a table" (codenamed "Milan"). It certainly looks cool, and offers...

IBM to acquire Watchfire.(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... Byline: Ellen Messmer IBM Tuesday announced its intent to acquire vulnerability-assessment security firm Watchfire for an undisclosed price. IBM expects the acquisition to be completed by the third quarter of this year, subject to...

Should you buy unlocked cell phones? * SIM cards and cell phone restrictions.(Subscriber Identity Module )(Column)
June 6, 2007... Byline: Joanie Wexler As you may know, the business model for delivering cellular phones and services in the U.S. is for network operators to heavily subsidize the cost of the mobile phones they sell alongside their services. In...

The real strength of Avaya's IP Telephony system, Part 2; * More on Avaya's new IP Telephony system, Avaya Distributed Office.(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... Byline: Steve Taylor, Larry Hettick Last time, we discussed how the SMB office and the branch office both need IPT systems that offer affordability, usability, and manageability. Today, we'd like to highlight how the two environments...

How dumb is dumb enough for a network?(Lucent Technologies Inc. Bell Laboratories disagreed with David Isenberg's research on computer networks)
June 6, 2007... Byline: Johna Till Johnson It's hard to believe that it's been 10 years since David Isenberg published his seminal paper, "The Rise of the Stupid Network." For those who don't know, here's the story: Isenberg, then employed as a...

Accellion updates secure file transfer appliance; User interface now available in six languages.(Secure File Transfer )(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... Byline: Cara Garretson WASHINGTON, D.C. - Accellion on Monday announced a version of its secure file transfer appliance that features internationalization, an enhanced user interface, and new management capabilities. Version 6.0 of...

Schoolteacher granted new trial in spyware-porn case; Computer-forensic evidence could keep Amero out of jail.(Julie Amero)
June 6, 2007... Byline: Ellen Messmer Connecticut schoolteacher Julie Amero, convicted in a classroom computer-porn incident she says happened because spyware took over the computer at her desk, today was granted a new trial instead of a possible jail...

Slideshow: Top 15 USB geek gadgets; From running hamsters and a gyrating Elvis to desktop missile launchers, is there anything more fun that a truly geeky gadget? Here's my picks for the most amusing USB devices.(universal serial bus)
June 6, 2007... Byline: Michael Cooney Join the forum This one is seasonal but we kinda like it all year 'round. It's the USB Xmas tree! Put one on your desk and another on your monitor and let the glowing LEDs shine bright. Simply plug into any...

Shoppers willing to pay extra for privacy confidence, study finds.(Carnegie Mellon University)
June 6, 2007... Byline: Jon Brodkin Privacy costs extra - and online shoppers are willing to pay a premium to protect their personal information, a new study by Carnegie Mellon University finds. Study participants who were asked to go on the Web...

Vendors virtualize Microsoft environments; Symantec's Altiris unit updates software to virtualize and stream Windows operating systems; Trigence expands platform to support Windows.(Altiris Software Virtualization Solution 2.1)
June 6, 2007... Byline: Denise Dubie Software vendors this week at TechEd are taking the opportunity to update their application virtualization products to support Microsoft environments including Vista. Altiris, now a business unit of Symantec,...

Seven things every IT person should know about storage; Avoid performance problems with these new tricks.(Column)
June 6, 2007... Byline: Beth Schultz Thanks to virtualization and a host of other technologies, storage has left its silo. Its performance affects the whole computing shebang. Fortunately, new technologies that cross the boundaries of storage,...

Converging on authentication; * Why authentication still dominates identity discussions.
June 6, 2007... Byline: Dave Kearns Last time out we were talking about how the identity discussion in the late nineties was moving beyond authentication to the many wonderful things we could do with identity. But, as I mentioned, three things...

Cisco's Linksys One brings SMB-focused gear tied to services; Linksys One gear includes Linksys One Service Router, Wireless Services Router, Gigabit Smart Switch and the Cisco Service Node for Linksys One XA Series.(Cisco Systems Inc.)
June 6, 2007... Byline: Phil Hochmuth After more than a year-and-a-half delay, Cisco this week launched its Linksys One offering, aimed at providing small businesses with packaged routing, switching, voice, wireless and security gear tied to managed...

Tools automate the business process; Pegasystems combines predictive analytics tools with business process management.(SmartBPM business automation suite)
June 6, 2007... Byline: Jon Brodkin A product made available this week by business process management vendor Pegasystems lets customers apply predictive models to business processes without requiring lots of coding work. The product, Predictive...

Security jobs are political - why would you want one? * Delving into the job of a chief information security officer.
June 6, 2007... Byline: Linda Leung Who would want to be a chief security officer? OK, you'd get a high salary - particularly if you are CISSP-certified, as many salary surveys show - and you'd get the satisfaction of creating a more security-savvy...

AT&T launches service to optimize Web apps.(Application Acceleration service )(Brief article)
June 6, 2007... Byline: Denise Pappalardo AT&T this week announced a fully managed Application Acceleration service designed to give Web-based applications a performance and responsiveness boost. The service promises to allow customers to...

A look at the big four, Part 2; * A look at the big four management vendors: BMC, CA, HP and IBM.
June 6, 2007... Byline: Denise Dubie The big four management vendors have been occupying their seats for quite some time but that doesn't mean they haven't undergone major changes in the process. BMC overhauled its market position with its...

Fedora 7 tips its cap to the community; * Latest Fedora release merges Fedora Core and Fedora Extra.
June 6, 2007... Byline: Phil Hochmuth Fedora 7 was released last week with the ability for users to create custom-built Linux distributions based on the open source version of Red Hat's commercial Linux operating system. The latest Fedora release...

Televate looks to leverage D.C. public safety net; * Televate is helping Washington, D.C., build a 700MHz broadband wireless network for public safety agencies.
June 6, 2007... Byline: Carolyn Duffy Marsan Televate, a McLean, Va. consulting firm, hopes to leverage its experience designing and managing the procurement of a leading-edge broadband wireless network being built in Washington, D.C., to other cities...

Slideshow: Summer reading list.(Recommended readings)
June 6, 2007... Byline: Keith Shaw Join the forum Whether you're tanning on the beach or tucked away in a log cabin on your vacation, nothing beats a good book to while away the hours.While you could grab the latest technical manual, we figured...

WAN-acceleration boxes tout 40% better transfer times; * Silver Peak software introduces better algorithms, management features.
June 6, 2007... Byline: Tim Greene Silver Peak is announcing new software that cuts the time for WAN data transfers by about 40% below the reduction capability of its previous software version. The upgrades in the company's Silver Peak 2.0...

Telecom groups put aside differences, launch new event; AT&T's Stephenson, Cisco's Chambers to headline this month's show.(SUPERCOMM)
June 7, 2007... Byline: Denise Pappalardo Supercomm, the top telecom show in the United States during the industry's boom in the 1990s and early 2000s, is being reborn later this month as NXTcomm. The inaugural event, buoyed by a telecom industry...

IPv6 management tools lacking; Experts fear it'll be twice the work to run IPv4-IPv6 networks.(internet protocol)
June 7, 2007... Byline: Carolyn Duffy Marsan When it comes to network management software that supports IPv6, buyers should be wary. An increasing number of network monitoring and management tools support IPv6, but these products often don't include...

Study: Despite data breaches, database security not a top corporate priority; Protection against malicious insiders and data loss seen lacking.(Ponemon Institute survey)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Byline: Ellen Messmer While 78% of large companies say their databases are "critical" or "important" to their business, 40% of them don't monitor databases for security purposes. Those are the primary results of a Ponemon...

CIMIP fights identity theft; * Utica College's Center for Identity Management and Information Protection.( Center for Identity Management and Information Protection )
June 7, 2007... Byline: M. E. Kabay A year ago, the Center for Identity Management and Information Protection (CIMIP) at Utica College was created in a partnership including the Economic Crime Institute (ECI) of Utica College, LexisNexis and IBM...

Virtual burn and rip.(Virtual CD device driver)(Product/service evaluation)
June 7, 2007... Byline: Mark Gibbs OK, I'm back to my theme of CD and DVD creation and management tools that I delayed for a week while I discussed some cool new hardware. First, a couple of corrections: Last week I wrote that the Saitek Obsidian...

Different problems, different resources; * A reader shares his ideas for reconciling tactical and strategic IT requirements.(wide area networks optimization)(Column)
June 7, 2007... Byline: Ann Bednarz I hear time and time again that the primary reason enterprises invest in WAN optimization technology is to resolve a pressing business requirement. I wrote about the topic recently, and how industry gurus say...

OpenOffice vs. Microsoft Office; * Microsoft Subnet draws traffic, sadly, with insults.
June 7, 2007... Byline: James E. Gaskin If you haven't checked out the new Microsoft Subnet and Cisco Subnet focus areas on the Network World Web site yet, you should. Both offer interesting commentaries on their particular subjects. But I don't agree...

Antivirus fix in works by security researchers; Claim current antivirus tools too inconsistent in handling threats.(University of Michigan's Electrical Engineering and Computer)
June 7, 2007... Byline: Network World Staff Antivirus technologies might not be on their last legs, but they could use a second wind, security researchers say. According to a report published recently by researchers at the University of Michigan's...

Permanent network TAPs for complex infrastructure.(test access ports)
June 7, 2007... Network test access ports were developed as portable diagnostic tools to gain temporary, out-of-band, nonintrusive access to traffic between two network devices. Today, TAPs are available for permanent deployment in the data center,...

Appalled by things legal.(data breaches)(Column)
June 7, 2007... Byline: Mark Gibbs A couple of weeks ago in this space I was Astounded by Things Legal. Well, the legal fun never seems to stop. Following last week's BackSpin segment on Ameritrade's customer data leaks Art Medlar, from who I...

New York takes a gander at open document formats; ODF is at the heart of many foreign and state governments seeking alternatives to Microsoft's proprietary Office file formats.
June 7, 2007... Byline: John Fontana New York has become the latest state government to introduce legislation concerning open document formats even as bills in other states are being voted down. State Assemblywoman RoAnn M. Destito, the chair of...