Info-Tech Advisor Newsletter articles from August 2002

Info-Tech Advisor Newsletter archives from August 2002

Exchange server hopscotch: Titanium or 2000?
August 6, 2002... Sources: (ENT News Article, InfoWorld Article, GartnerGroup Article, Microsoft PressPass Article, Slipstick Systems Newsletter) Microsoft recently announced its intention to release an evolutionary version of Exchange server, called...

License agreements: beware the fine print.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (GartnerGroup Articles, PBS.org Article, ZDNet Articles) The terms and clauses in a software license agreement--a.k.a. "fine print"--won't always be clearly stipulated by the supplier. It's up to you to scrutinize the entire...

Navigate through the team-building tempest.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (Teambuildinginc.com Article, The Peter F. Drucker Foundation Article, University of Edinburgh Article, University of Nebraska Article, Work911.com Article) Great work teams are high-performing, cohesive units where everybody...

XML security: five easy pieces.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (Builder.com Article, Entrust White Paper, InformIT Article, Sun Developer Connection Article) As XML becomes the life-blood of Internet-based business applications, the need to make sure XML-based data is secure will grow. If XML...

Free databases make their mark.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (ComputerWire Article, Independent Author Web Site, MySQL.org Web Site, New Architect Magazine Article, PHPBuilder Article) Clever IT managers have begun to investigate and implement open-source alternatives, such as Web servers...

Save big money: stop internal spam.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (Clearswift Article, GartnerGroup Article, Wired News Article) Internally generated spam--also known as occupational spam or workplace spam--could be costing your company thousands of dollars per year in disk space overhead,...

SIP: the future of voice networking.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (Business Communications Review Article, Federal Computer Week Article, IEC White Paper) The adoption of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) over the H.323 standard is continuing to gain momentum among enterprises and carriers...

Breaking in the IT newbies.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (About Human Resources Web Site, Berkeley HR Guide, CCH Business Owner's Toolkit, TechRepublic Article, University of California, University of Virginia HR Training) Concise and formal orientation starts new employees on a positive...

Monitors through thick and thin.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (CW360 Article, Tom's Hardware Guide, University of Birmingham Arts IT Web Site) Now that thin-film transistor (TFT) flat-screen technology--a subset of liquid crystal displays--is reaching a level of serious competition with...

An IT budget building primer.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (RMS Tutorials) Building and successfully defending a departmental budget is a crucial test for any new IT manager. Resource Management Systems (RMS) can help you get started with its series of IT budgeting tutorials. These brief...

Security testing clearing house.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (ExtremeTech Web Site) It pays to have an arsenal of testing tools to make sure your systems and networks are as secure as possible. The editors of ExtremeTech have put together in one resource the best testing tools that they...

An old Java idea makes a comeback.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (Bill Day FAQ, Earthweb Articles, Sun Microsystems Web Site) When the Java programming language was first introduced, it was touted as a means of creating portable client applications that would run on a wide range of consumer...

Getting started with coaching.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (Gantthead.com Guide) Coaching is a crucial part of being a project manager, supervisor or manager. Gantthead.com, an online resource for project managers, can help you get started in your coaching efforts with its downloadable...

Get help with the lease vs. buy decision.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (CFO.com Tool) Lease or buy? It's a question that's as old as IT itself and never gets easier to answer. If you really want help in deciding whether you should lease or purchase your equipment, employ easy-to-use tools designed...

Finally, the Windows 2000 SP3.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (Microsoft Corporation) Microsoft's Service Pack 3 for Windows 2000 is an amalgamation of all the bugs, patches, hot fixes, and compatibility and security problems that have been addressed since the product was released. In...

Recharge your devices with a 9-volt battery.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (Seidio, Inc.) Having your cell phone or PDA run out of juice during a crucial moment is a pain--worse still when there is no nearby power supply for refueling. The Emergency Power Charger from Seidio lets you recharge your device...

Cross-platform instant messaging.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (Zion Software, LLC) JSuperChat is the new cross-platform IM client from Zion Software that allows interoperability between major operating systems and large, public IM systems. As long as your PCs and other devices are...

Toshiba's new pocket PC.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (Toshiba Computer Systems Group) Pocket PCs usually fit anywhere but in your pocket: until now. Toshiba's new Pocket PC e310 weighs in at just under five ounces and is a lean 0.4 inches thick. It's also light on the wallet too,...

Save ink with InkSaver.
August 6, 2002... Sources: (Strydent Software) Ink cartridge prices aren't exactly a hot topic, but with costs averaging three cents per page for black and 12 cents for color, InkSaver makes a strong case for cutting expenses. New from Strydent Software,...

Turbocharge productivity with MS Office certification.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (ComputerUser.com articles, Professional Certification feature) Microsoft Office training for select individuals in your organization could unlock hidden productivity potential from the most ubiquitous desktop program on the...

Tracking through the systems-change wilderness.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (DevX Article, ELOG Home Page, TechRepublic Article, University of Wisconsin-Madison Security Home Page) If your duties include systems administration, you probably make dozens of corrections and adjustments throughout the day. But...

IM bots slash customer service costs.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (Darwin Magazine Article, Instant Messaging Planet Articles, Web Advantage Article, ZDNet Australia Article) Bots have entered the instant messaging (IM) arena. Consider bots as a faster and cheaper alternative to e-mail and...

Failover options: clustering vs. dedicated fault-tolerance.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (NEC Computers White Paper, Novell White Paper, Marathon Technologies White Paper, Stratus Technologies White Paper, VARBusiness Article) Ensuring failover protection and 99.999% uptime are most commonly achieved either through...

Back to the basics: picking a web host.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (HostReview.com Web Site, PC Magazine Article, Vadim Makarov Article, Web Hosting Ratings Web Site) Whether your Web site consists of a few text pages or is an enterprise-level e-commerce solution, you would do well to remember...

Used IT gear: lemonade or lemons?
August 19, 2002... Sources: (CIO Magazine Article, GartnerGroup Article) Used IT equipment is readily available thanks in large part to company mergers, IT centralization, and the dot-com bankruptcies. While "as good as new" for half the price is a great...

Exchange: mastering multiple domains.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (AtomicMatrix Article, eCRMguide Article, Microsoft Tutorials, TechRepublic Articles) Integrating e-mail is one of the biggest headaches cited by IT professionals when merging IT departments. However, if both companies involved...

Why it pays to shut up and listen.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (Bizjournals.com Article, Joan Lloyd at Work Article, Monster Career Center Article, Poynter Institute Article) It may sound contradictory, but good manager communication begins with the ability to shut up and listen. Active...

Job ads: baiting the hook.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (CallCenterCareers.com Article, CCH Business Owner's Toolkit, gantthead.com Article, JobMachine.net Web Site, Minnesota Workforce Center Guide) Many competent professionals have been laid off during the current IT industry...

Sorting through IT value measures.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (CIO Magazine Feature) IT managers are more than ever being pressured to demonstrate the value of IT investments to the corporate bean counters. There are a variety of ways doing this--from Balanced Scorecard to Portfolio...

Get the PHP bugs out.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (The Linux Documentation Project Web Site, PHPBuilder Tutorial, PHPeverywhere Web Site, PHP.net Tutorial, ZDNet Article) The open-source Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) scripting language is a popular solution for Web app development....

Insights on remote Linux monitoring.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (O'Reilly Network Article) Using open-source software to build a Web server is a thrifty solution to a system management problem. You can also be thrifty when it comes to remote administration of your Web site. In "Poor...

Storage lingo revealed.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (Storage Network Industry Association Dictionary) Storage management, like network management, is one of those fundamental infrastructure areas of IT department responsibilities. If you are an IT manager whose background is not in...

Remedial XML help.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (Builder.com Download) The importance of XML as the glue that is going to hold together multi-platform computer applications continues to build. If you have yet to get your head around how XML works, here is some help from...

Windows XP Media Center Edition.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (Microsoft Corporation) New from Microsoft, the Windows XP Media Center Edition is designed to turn your computer into a complete entertainment unit. It will also let customers leverage their existing Windows XP applications...

NEC debuts peer-to-peer switching.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (NEC Corporate Networks Group) NEC's NEAX 2400 Internet Protocol eXchange is now enhanced with peer-to-peer switching. P2P switching enables participating IP stations to communicate with each other through the IP network, rather...

Twin-head hard disk repels hackers.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (Scarabs Corporation Co., Ltd.) According to the Japanese company Scarabs, their new twin-head hard disk drive makes Web sites impervious to hacker attacks. Working from the principle of physical-barrier protection, the disk drive...

Speaking in tongues: dual WLAN access point.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (Intel Corporation) For companies looking to go wireless, the important decision lies in choosing between the 802.11b and 802.11a standards. Fortunately, the folks at Intel have wisely created a dual-mode access point: the...

Cram for certification on the fly.
August 19, 2002... Sources: (AudioWhiz) Designed for busy, on-the-go workers, the AudioWhiz "Listen N Learn" lineup is a series of audio-based IT certification training products. Available on CD or cassette, these study aids allow you to learn during the...