Network World articles from May 2003

Network World archives from May 2003

Alexander SPK for Windows.(Alexander System Protection Kit (SPK) for Windows)(Software Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 5, 2003... Byline: paul ferrill Product Peek: Alexander SPK Windows By Paul Ferrill Living through a server crash on Microsoft Windows can try the patience of the most seasoned system administrator. While the frequency of crashes has been...

HP blade servers; Does the blade server live up to its hype?(HP BL p-Class, HP BL e-Class)(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 5, 2003... Byline: JOHN BASS, NETWORK WORLD GLOBAL TEST ALLIANCE et's face it - marketing hype surrounding new product offerings has lost its appeal. Most techies realize their jobs are to solve problems, not be the first to adopt a nifty gizmo into...

how we did it.
May 5, 2003... The e-Class and p-Class servers are not useful as heavy file servers because the local hard drive capacity is relatively low. With this in mind, these products are useful as static-content Web servers. To test this capability, we ran HTTP...

With security, simplicity isn't best.
May 5, 2003... Byline: sandra gittlen All IT managers strive for simplicity. Heck, who doesn't want work to be less complex? Who doesn't want a turnkey solution? Who doesn't crave out-of-the-box gear? But when you're talking about security,...

MCI reborn, with new game plan.
May 5, 2003... Byline: thomas nolle Driven by accounting scandals and, in the view of many, fraud and other criminal acts, WorldCom plummeted from second-largest interexchange carrier and king of the Internet to a discredited and dispirited shell...

Still a monopoly.
May 5, 2003... Byline: Samuel Singh I agree with some of the points Daniel Briere makes in his column "Next up: RBOC troubles" (www.nwfusion.com, DocFinder: 5723). But he did not state the complete story. The regional Bell operating companies did run...

'Net Buzz.(Editorial)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Paul McNamara Psst, I hear that . . . Whistle-blowers have been around since Fred Flintstone dropped a dime on Barney Rubble for barbecuing that last dinosaur. So, too, have gossips (Barney couldn't buy a dinner invitation...

Systematic security; protecting your IT infrastructure requires translating security policy into people, processes and technology.
May 5, 2003... Byline: suzanne gaspar Systematic security Protecting your IT infrastructure requires translating security policy into people, processes and technology By Suzanne Gaspar If you walk into any of the seven Penn National...

Cool Tools.
May 5, 2003... Byline: Keith Shaw Some of the latest news from the "coolness front": Sprint phone reaches less-than-$100 mark Sprint's new Sanyo 8100 wireless camera phone now is available for $99 (after $100 rebate) at its retail locations and...

Storage caching speeds file movement.
May 5, 2003... Byline: SHREYAS SADALGI A new class of products enables file caching over WANs, making it possible to access data over long distances at LAN speeds. Storage-caching devices eliminate the delays that typically plague remotefile sharing. ...

Ecora boosts patch-management pack.
May 5, 2003... Byline: JOHN FONTANA With patch management quickly becoming a cog in a larger process to secure desktops and servers, vendors continue to construct platforms that tie together patch and configuration management software into one platform....

Infrastructure briefs.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: staff writers EMC said last week it will develop network-attached storage devices for enterprise departments and workgroups that use Microsoft Windows-powered NAS technology. The upcoming EMC NetWin 200 combines Microsoft's...

enterprise Applications briefs.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Byline: staff writers IBM has unveiled a free voice portlet for transcribing telephony-based dictation. Called Transcription Portlet, the software lets remote users dial in to a portal using their cell phones and input information by...

Getting the operating system message out?
May 5, 2003... Byline: Dave Kearns The secret of good advertising and marketing is to get other people to talk about your message, but to do so in a way that makes them think positively about your product. Microsoft's Steve Ballmer kept his coat and...

Alcatel offers Ethernet safety net; Software lets carriers offer Ethernet services while retaining frame relay revenue stream.
May 5, 2003... Byline: JIM DUFFY PARIS - Alcatel says it has a way for service providers to introduce new Ethernet data services without cutting into revenue they generate from frame relay. The vendor last week unveiled software for its 7670 Routing...

News briefs.
May 5, 2003... Byline: staff writers Researchers at IBM have used microscopic carbon molecules to emit light, a breakthrough that could replace silicon as the foundation of chips and lead to faster computers and telecommunication equipment. The focus of...

Of tools and weapons.(Sony vs Napster)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Scott Bradner When it comes down to it, the old Sony and Napster beat the new Sony. Sony Music Entertainment, along with a whole pile of big and not-so-big names in the music and movie businesses, got a big shock on April 25 when a...

Foundry CEO on future of Ethernet.(Foundry Networks CEO Bobby Johnson)(Interview)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Phil Hochmuth Foundry Networks CEO Bobby Johnson says that over the next year, corporate users will be faced with upgrading their networks for future Gigabit Ethernet desktops and 10G Ethernet LAN cores. With the release of its...

MCI's back-to-basics plan.
May 5, 2003... Byline: johna till johnson Over the past three months, the carrier formerly known as WorldCom has been busy rediscovering its roots. In an effort to rid itself of the last traces of its previous management, the company has changed its...

ID mgmt. software gathers steam.
May 5, 2003... Byline: DENISE DUBIE Getting Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's 5,000 students and faculty securely tied into central resources was once a monumental administrative task - but not anymore. The Baltimore school has built...

We have a T-1 to our ISP.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2003... Steve Blass We have a T-1 to our ISP. Nevertheless, our Internet speeds are intermittent. Our ISP says the speed deterioration is on our side. When we've used www.dslreports.com and other online speed testers, we have seen upload speeds...

SCO threats hang over Linux arena.
May 5, 2003... Byline: DENI CONNOR AND JENNIFER MEARS When The SCO Group last month filed its $1 billion lawsuit against IBM for alleged misuse of Unix code, CEO Darl McBride insisted that the matter had nothing to do with Linux or open source. Since the...

carrier briefs.
May 5, 2003... n MCI continues to struggle to increase revenue, as evidenced by the February and March earnings it recently reported to federal bankruptcy court. The $2 billion total for February was down 6.1% from January. Revenue in March was $2.1 billion....

MCI SERVICE PLANS FOCUS ON CONVERGENCE.
May 5, 2003... Byline: DENISE PAPPALARDO LAS VEGAS - MCI, formerly WorldCom, launched its product strategy called Convergence Networking at NetWorld+Interop last week. The company is planning a series of product rollouts that center on voice and data...

Tweaking the registry.(Windows registry )
May 5, 2003... Byline: Mark Gibbs Over the last few weeks we've sliced and diced the Windows registry, and while we've hit the basics, there's a bit we've left out. For example, we haven't touched on the many delights of registry programming. The...

Corp. security spending not in line with real-world requirements.(Nemertes Research's 'Effective Security Solutions' report )
May 5, 2003... Byline: DENISE DUBIE A new study shows that most large companies don't spend enough of their IT budgets on upgrading their security infrastructures - a situation that could lead to bigger problems in the face of government legislation and...

Reporter's Notebook.(NetWorld+Interop 2003)
May 5, 2003... Byline: staff writers A few years back, Interop attendees practically had to ward off job recruiters with mace. These days, that's rarely the case. However, tucked away in a back corner of the show floor was State Farm Insurance, which was...

ROI rules show floor; N+I attendees seek more bang for their buck over more bells and whistles.(NetWorld+Interop 2003)
May 5, 2003... Byline: PHIL HOCHMUTH LAS VEGAS - Reaping maximum ROI, rather than sowing the most bits per second, was the overriding theme at last week's NetWorld+Interop, as attendees gravitated to products and services that could help cut costs. ...

Smaller yes, but Interop bops.(NetWorld+Interop 2003)
May 5, 2003... Byline: John Dix Given the softness of the tech sector and constriction in IT spending, the NetWorld+Interop show last week in Las Vegas was bound to be an interesting bellwether. What would we find? A few crusty vendors shouting about...

EMC, IBM tout advanced storage software.
May 5, 2003... Byline: DENI CONNOR EMC and IBM last week introduced management software that the companies say lets users more easily deploy, reconfigure and optimize utilization of storage-area networks. EMC announced a new release of PowerPath...

Wireless vendors take center stage; New switches, phones and security standards among the highlights for conference crowd.(NetWorld+Interop 2003)
May 5, 2003... Byline: JOHN COX LAS VEGAS - The industry's high rollers were betting big on wireless last week, and, like gamblers everywhere, they seem convinced they've got a sure thing. Attendees at NetWorld+Interop found most of the show buzz...

ISP dumps 500 user contracts.
May 5, 2003... Byline: Denise Pappalardo Imagine receiving a notice from your ISP that says it is rejecting your contract, and service will cease in two weeks. About 500 Genuity customers don't have to imagine; they lived through it earlier this year...

State net execs look to balance budget.
May 5, 2003... Byline: TIM GREENE CHARLESTON, W.VA. - States are being hit by the triple whammy of tighter budgets, demands for more services and the need for heightened security, leaving their network staffs to scramble for new ways of doing business....

On-demand computing gains fans, doubters.
May 5, 2003... Byline: NETWORK WORLD STAFF Computer Associates, HP, IBM, Microsoft and others are making big promises with new systems aimed at helping datacenter customers more effectively cut costs, reduce complexity and control resources - all with...

Microsoft server to tackle ID mgmt.(Microsoft Metadirectory Services 2003 Enterprise Edition )
May 5, 2003... Byline: John Fontana REDMOND, WASH. - Microsoft has found a new home for its metadirectory, which it will adapt to become the foundation for provisioning software it intends to release in July as part of a push to create an identity...

Fables and morals.(Industry Overview)
May 5, 2003... Byline: Mark Gibbs Fable 1: Some famished dogs saw a number of cowhides steeping in a river. [Editor's note: A traditional method of softening hides for leather making.] Not being able to reach them, they agreed to drink up the river, but...

Apple Xserve; Apple's new Xserve is fast and well equipped for network use.(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 12, 2003... Byline: TOM HENDERSON, NETWORK WORLD GLOBAL TEST ALLIANCE What doesn't come from Advanced Micro Devices, Intel or Sun; is based on open source practices; provides comparatively fast services for Windows, Mac, Linux and BSD clients; holds up...

Plugging corporate data leaks.(Column)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Winn Schwartau Have you ever forwarded an e-mail to someone, then realized you left in original comments that the recipient wasn't supposed to see? Or maybe you accidentally forwarded a private company memo to a journalist or...

802.11g WLAN gear; D-Link, Belkin top our early wireless tests.(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 12, 2003... Byline: TOM HENDERSON, NETWORK WORLD GLOBAL TEST ALLIANCE The lack of a final standard hasn't prevented an early crop of 802.11g wireless LAN products (54M bit/sec, 2.4-GHz frequency) from coming to market. We obtained seven prestandard...

Securing 802.11g.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Tom Henderson The products we saw only had Wired Equivalent Privacy protection, except for Apple's AirPort Extreme, which includes support for Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service authentication. None of the 802.11g access...

The 'Frankenstein' spec.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Tom Henderson Some call 802.11g the "Frankenstein" specification because of the competitive number of supported communications relationships it supports - and the desire to have 802.11g components optionally backward compatible...

how we did it.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: tom henderson We tested the products at a close proximity (9 feet) and far proximity (65 feet) for speed rates, the ability to associate and log on 802.11b clients, the ability to associate and log on 802.11g clients (PC cards...

From geek-speak to execu-speak.(Column)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Edward Horrell I am a strategic telecom consultant, meaning I am usually hired by senior management to manage and direct projects. I work with IT departments a lot and frequently sit in on IT presentations to senior management. ...

Under pressure; challenged with delivering competitive infrastructres at little cost, CIOs outline their top concerns.
May 12, 2003... Byline: linda leung Under pressure Challenged with delivering competitive infrastructures at little cost, CIOs outline their top concerns. n BY linda leung Andy Crowder, CIO of Central Florida Investments, says he is in a...

Testing's bottom line.(Column)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Kevin Tolly As products become more complex, testing becomes more important. We strive to tally the pluses and minuses to come up with a bottom line on a product. But it doesn't often work that way anymore. The bottom line on...

Internet2 becoming a big net on campus; INTERNET2: Building a faster, safer 'Net.
May 12, 2003... Byline: DENISE PAPPALARDO Its purpose is not to drive revenue growth, but to find better ways of getting the most out of a very fast IP backbone. As such, the concept of Internet2 is not new, but the research conducted over its network...

Linksys churns out gear amid buyout; Weeks after Cisco announced acquisition, SOHO network leader continues cooking up innovative products.
May 12, 2003... Byline: TONI KISTNER Everyone's got an opinion of what Cisco's announced acquisition of Linksys will mean in the long term. But in these early days before the deal is finalized, Linksys appears to be doing business as usual - innovating...

Early users give iSCSI thumbs up.
May 12, 2003... Byline: DENI CONNOR The iSCSI protocol has gained momentum as an alternative for Fibre Channel storage-area networks, and early adopters like it for the same reasons they like Ethernet - it's inexpensive and easy to install. The idea...

apps briefs.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... PeopleSoft last week unveiled a plan to port its applications to Linux. The Pleasanton, Calif., company will deliver Linux versions of all 170 of its software products by year-end, including its ERP, CRM, supply-chain management and human...

Infrastructure briefs.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: staff writers A new package of software and services from IBM will help customers support the use of wireless mobile devices. Called Mobile Office Entry Jumpstart, the new program is targeted at companies that want to get started...

Windows 2003: What's next?
May 12, 2003... Byline: JOHN FONTANA Microsoft's Windows Server 2003 has barely poked its head out of the box, but users say it's vital to know what's next. That's because the operating system is the gateway to a new generation of products and introduces...

Real-time delivery gets efficiency boost.(Internet-scale publish/subscribe technology)
May 12, 2003... Byline: DAVID ROSENBLUM Real-time information delivery plays a key role in a new generation of highly networked Internet applications such as software updates and consumer alert services. However, scalability limitations and the unicast...

net briefs.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... At the recent NetWorld+Interop show in Las Vegas, Radvision announced that its ViaIP 400 communications platform now fully enables desktop multipoint video, voice and data collaboration over Microsoft's Windows Messenger and Microsoft's...

Saving the music biz?(Column)
May 12, 2003... Byline: scott bradner Obviously, I am going to write about Apple's new music-downloading service. As a Mac fan and someone who has been whining for quite a while about the inability of the music industry to reason its way out of a wet...

Lucent, Juniper outline alliance; Arrangement designed to migrate carrier ATM networks to IP.
May 12, 2003... Byline: JIM DUFFY Lucent and Juniper last week announced a much-anticipated marketing and product development partnership whereby Lucent will sell, service and support Juniper routers for carrier wireline networks. Lucent announced a...

Managed Objects offers business service mgmt.(Business Experience Manager and Business Data Integrator)
May 12, 2003... Byline: DENISE DUBIE MCLEAN, VA. - Managed Objects this week is set to announce two software products designed to tell network executives how well end-user applications perform and let them correlate data from disparate, third-party...

IBM powers up Unix servers.
May 12, 2003... Byline: JENNIFER MEARS ARMONK, N.Y. - IBM improved the high end of its Unix server family last week with more powerful CPUs and flexible pricing options that let users buy pSeries boxes with processors that are turned off until they're...

3Com moves east.
May 12, 2003... 3Com's top executives are moving from Silicon Valley to Massachusetts, the company announced last week. CEO Bruce Claflin and several top executives will relocate to the company's Marlborough, Mass., facility, where its enterprise network...

Service Providers briefs.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: staff writers SBC last week launched two managed services in the Boston area. The offerings are PremierSERV Total IP Communications, a Cisco-based IP telephony network with associated equipment, system integration, transport,...

Ask Dr. Internet.(Windows 2000 Security Little Black Book )(Book Review)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Steve Blass Steve Blass Where can I find information on MS-CHAP Versions 1 and 2? I'm looking for details on the authentication mechanism used, why it might be better than CHAP and what extensions there might be. The...

Worth a look if you're linking remote workers.
May 12, 2003... Byline: Johna Till Johnson I've been asked a lot recently about how best to link remote workers in branch or home offices to the networker. The typical challenge is a company wants to connect dozens or hundreds of remote workers who...

AT&T expanding reach of networks.
May 12, 2003... Byline: DENISE PAPPALARDO AT&T says it is expanding the geographic reach of its IP, frame relay and ATM networks ahead of its original schedule. The carrier is investing $3 billion this year to feed the growth of its data networks,...

Cool Tools.
May 12, 2003... Byline: Keith Shaw Will this replace your laptop? QuickPAD Technology recently launched its laptop alternative - the QuickPAD Pro Mail. The 2-pound device costs $400 and features "all the conveniences of a notebook," the company says....

betting on teh Internet winning this one.(Column)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Paul McNamara Bet on the Internet winning this one Despite possessing a libertarian streak that's widening over time, Buzz doesn't get all knee-jerky in opposing new government regulation, even when politicians start messing...

Security firms accept debate challenge.(Panel Discussion)
May 12, 2003... Byline: John Gallant Last month, I invited four of the leading security hardware suppliers to a debate at the upcoming CeBIT America conference, and I'm pleased to report that all of them accepted the challenge. On June 18 in New York...

Reach for the remote.(Raritan Computer's IP Reach M-Series)(Software Review)(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 12, 2003... Byline: Mark Gibbs This week we wanted to look at a server-automation package, but as we started to work with it we quickly decided the computer room was way too hot and claustrophobic. Obviously, remote access would be better than...

HP, Microsoft developing desktop.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: TOM KRAZIT HP and Microsoft are working together on a future desktop reference design that will let users bring several communications technologies together in a package. The PC is code-named Athens, and the prototype resembles...

Venture funding drying up for start-ups.(Industry Overview)
May 12, 2003... Byline: BOB BROWN Venture funding for network start-ups hit a five-year low in the first quarter, as investors remained cautious in light of a continued industry malaise, concerns over the war in Iraq and the U.S. economy. Venture...

IBM spinoff aims to secure servers.
May 12, 2003... Byline: ELLEN MESSMER BOCA RATON, FLA. - Start-up 14 South Networks - an IBM spinoff - this week is scheduled to debut a blade that slides into PCI-based servers and provides firewall and VPN protection based on Check Point technology. ...

Symantec releases security tools.(Symantec Incident Manager 2.0 and Vulnerability Assessment 1.0 )(Brief Article)
May 12, 2003... Byline: ELLEN MESSMER CUPERTINO, CALIF. - Symantec this week will announce two software packages intended to prevent security breaches. Vulnerability Assessment 1.0 is a host-based scanning tool that resides on servers and desktops. It...

Microsoft offers peek at future wares.
May 12, 2003... Byline: JOHN FONTANA REDMOND, WASH. - Microsoft last week gave a glimpse, but few details, of two technologies that could help corporate users better manage and secure their networks. At its annual WinHEC conference, the company...

EMC, HP to push metered storage.
May 12, 2003... Byline: DENI CONNOR EMC and HP are readying metered on-demand storage programs that for the first time automatically charge customers only for actual usage, which should help them save money and avoid having to predict future needs...

Wireless LAN switch feast; Start-up execs debate future of wireless LANs at NW dinner.(Panel Discussion)
May 12, 2003... Byline: JOHN COX The CEOs and founders of five wireless LAN switch start-ups broke bread with Network World editors at Rosemary's Restaurant during NetWorld+Interop, Las Vegas. The idea was that between bites of Ahi tuna and goat cheese...

Budget woes fail to deter statehouse net execs.(Industry Overview)
May 12, 2003... Byline: TIM GREENE CHARLESTON, W. VA. - Undaunted by staffing and money shortages, some state governments are forging ahead with major IT projects ranging from installation of significant fiber WANs to building vast criminal-justice...

Avaya scales up its VoIP support.
May 12, 2003... Byline: PHIL HOCHMUTH BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - Avaya this week is increasing the scale of its IP PBX to help customers support more remote offices over WAN connections, and more IP phones over a LAN. An upgrade to Avaya's Communications...

Sun's answer to the upgrade shuffle.
May 12, 2003... Byline: Makr Gibbs Before we get to the meat of the matter (and I'm not making this up): According to the Associated Press, Microsoft's MSN division in the U.K. is developing a portable toilet with a wireless keyboard and an extending,...

IT job picture remains bleak.(Industry Overview)
May 12, 2003... Byline: DENISE DUBIE IT job seekers should expect no relief through year-end, according to recent research reports that offer little hope of increased budgets and that say more jobs will be lost to overseas outsourcing. Goldman Sachs...

HP to enter crowded field with WLAN gear.
May 12, 2003... Byline: PHIL HOCHMUTH PALO ALTO - HP next week will announce products for boosting wireless LAN security and management while reducing the cost and complexity of rolling out access points, according to industry sources. In doing so, HP...

HP to become more Adaptive.
May 12, 2003... Byline: JENNIFER MEARS AND DENISE DUBIE HP marked the one-year anniversary of its merger with Compaq by outlining a plan for delivering on-demand computing resources that shrink and grow according to business demands. The strategy,...

Check Point digs deep into packets; Software aims to protect Web servers, e-mail, instant messaging from attacks.
May 12, 2003... Byline: TIM GREENE REDWOOD CITY, CALIF. - Check Point next month is set to give its firewall customers the ability to detect and block application-layer attacks such as Code Red, Nimda and SQL slammer worms. Called Next Generation with...

A switch in time; Wireless LAN switches could drive 802.11 rollouts to the next level.
May 19, 2003... Byline: NANCY GOHRING The wireless LAN switch is emerging as the missing piece that will let wireless networks scale beyond the small workgroup to full-blown enterprise implementations. Until now, WLANs consisted of a client connecting...

The ROI of wireless LANs; Key points to consider when providing justification for wireless LAN investments.
May 19, 2003... Byline: KATHRYN KOROSTOFF ROI analysis for any technology typically involves calculations that show how a given solution saves money, makes money or both. Wireless LAN ROI analysis is no exception. However, the experiences reported by...

Johnson & Johnson solidifies security.
May 19, 2003... Byline: ELLEN MESSMER Information security managers at healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson, with more than $36 billion in revenue each year and 108,000 employees working in more than 200 separate businesses, have begun the large-scale...

Cisco learning to roll with the punches.
May 19, 2003... Byline: PHIL HOCHMUTH AND JIM DUFFY Seems like it was just yesterday that Cisco CEO John Chambers was touting 20% to 30% annual growth for his company. But the days of such eternal optimism and bravado are long gone - five years, 66...