Info-Tech Advisor Newsletter articles from February 2002

Info-Tech Advisor Newsletter archives from February 2002

IT Manager Priorities: A Clear Guide to Being Effective.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (Info-Tech Research Group and Professor Michael Wade Joint Study) Being an effective IT manager is not a "one type fits all" proposition. Skills that create value for one kind of organization create little return for another kind...

Out with BackOffice, in with .Net Server.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (ENT News Articles, Microsoft Web Site, PerfectXML Article, The Middleware Company White Paper, ZDNet Article) The BackOffice 2000 suite of servers, introduced in February 2001, has been discontinued - part of Microsoft's recent...

Biometrics - Practical and Affordable Security.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (Biometric Digest Web Site, International Biometric Group Web Sites, Identix Corporation White Paper, SANS Institute Document, ZDNet Article) Corporations are now looking seriously at biometrics for surveillance, network access,...

Linux - Reaching 'Critical Mass'.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (Aberdeen Group Article, BusinessWeek Article, Consulting Times Articles,) Linux is poised to leapfrog Windows and UNIX as a premier server operating system before the end of the decade. Reliability, security and low Total Cost of...

Office Politics: A Survival Guide.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (CareerLab Article, Career Testing Center Article, Susan RoAne Article, SmartPros Article, TechRepublic Articles, Wichita Business Journal Article) Office politics will never go away - accept this fact right now and learn how to...

Are Multifunction Devices Right for You?
February 5, 2002... Sources: (Amazon Article, The Bottom Line Article, Inc.com Article, NetworkMagazine.com Article, PC Magazine UK Article) Multifunction devices bundle several distinct functions into a single unit, be it a Web device that offers load...

Tape Backup Maintenance 101: Handle With Care.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (Network World Fusion Article, Seagate Web site, Dr. W.C. John Van Bogart White Paper) Storage is expected to see a 12% growth in IT corporate spending for 2002. Tape - the backup workhorse - is preferred by many IT managers due...

How to Stress Test Your Web Site.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (Extreme Tech Article, Caw Networks Report, ZDNet Article) Web site reliability is the new measure of e-business success. However, a lack of proactive, comprehensive testing has left many administrators dealing with downtime...

Thin Client is in for 2002.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (Base One International White Paper, GartnerGroup Report Summary, InfoWorld Article, Microsoft Web Site, Pocket PC Magazine Article, Thin Planet Articles, Wyse Web Site) Thin client (server-centered, no hard disk at the...

Security Management Decision Guide.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (Info-Tech Research Group Decision Guide) Securing your technical assets is about more than hardware and software. In a 2000 Lucent survey of IT managers, only 22 percent saw technology as the biggest challenge to resolving network...

Gaze Into Gartner's Crystal Ball.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (GartnerGroup Article) "Do more with less" has become almost a cliche, yet that is exactly what you will be asked to do in 2002, says Gartner in "Gartner Predicts 2002: Top 10 Predictions". These predictions are grouped into three...

Consolidate Your Instant Messaging Into One Application.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (Trillian Web Site) Instant Messaging (IM), whether you love it or hate it, is sweeping across the corporate landscape. While IM popularity grows, so too does the number of vendors and, in turn, the incompatibility issues. ...

E-Learning Delivery Applications: A Web-based Comparison Tool.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (Centre For Curriculum, Transfer & Technology Web Site) For many educational organizations, and others with custom education/training needs, in-house courseware and delivery is the preferred option. The Centre For Curriculum,...

Microsoft's New Bundle of Security Joy.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (Microsoft Download) Bill Gates says Microsoft is serious about security. To prove that their new security focus is more than just talk, Microsoft recently unveiled a new package that can help you lock down your Windows 2000...

Connect Linux Terminals to Windows Servers.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (Thin Computing, Inc.) WinConnect is a software solution that enables Linux-based terminals to connect to Windows Servers. WinConnect directly reduces enterprise TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) by providing an alternative to...

Create Tailored Disclaimers.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (Red Earth Software) Policy Patrol, from Red Earth Software, is a security add-on for Exchange or Lotus Notes that adds customizable disclaimers and signatures to your e-mail. By offering user-based email disclaimers and...

Superthin Notebook from Toshiba.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (Toshiba) The new Toshiba Portege 2000 ultralight sets a record with a height of only 0.73 inches (18.5 mm). With an attractive magnesium-alloy chassis that has silver and black accents, it combines beauty and function with its...

APC UPS Sports New Features.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (American Power Conversion Corporation) American Power Conversion has expanded its SurgeArrest Panelmount Surge Protection Device (TVSS) to include remote monitoring and e-mail event notification capabilities with the new...

Palm i705 Wireless PDA: Always-On E-mail.
February 5, 2002... Sources: (Palm, Inc.) Palm is delivering AOL's Instant Messenger service and other AOL services, along with always-on "push" e-mail, on its newly-released Palm i705 wireless handheld. In addition, Palm's wireless portal provides mobile...

Agility: A Critical IT Discipline.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (Business 2.0 Articles, CIO Insight Article, CIO Magazine Australia Article, Computerworld Article, ITworld.com Article, Software Magazine Article) Agility is the ability to sense changes in your environment and respond to them...

Web Services May Choke a 10-Mbps LAN.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (InternetWeek Article, Nova Southeastern University White Paper, TechRepublic Article, XML.com Article, ZDNet Articles) Web services will be the predominant mode for new application development in this decade. Here is the bad news:...

Software Contracts: Negotiate Fair 'Right to Audit' Clauses.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (Business Software Alliance Web Site, Computerworld Article, ExtremeTech Article, ITworld.com Article, vnunet.com Article) Right to audit clauses entitle a software vendor to verify that you're using their software within the...

Wireless Survival - Help to Get Through 2002.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (Federal Communications System Web Site, GartnerGroup Report, Network Computing Review, Network World Fusion Review, Synchrologic White Papers) "3G" (Third-Generation) wireless systems could finally make the promise of wireless a...

Preparation Guide For Great Speeches.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (CIO Magazine Article, Toastmasters International Article, Premier Presentations Article, Uncommon Knowledge Article) Great speeches are written, but not always read. You need to invest time first on writing a speech that best...

Pros and Cons of Server Appliances.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (CIO Magazine Article, InformationWeek.com Article, InfoWorld Article, InternetWeek Articles, GartnerGroup Article, PC Magazine Article, Tricord Article) If total cost of ownership is an issue for your company, then consider...

Moving? Check Your Power Infastructure Carefully.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (Canadian Copper and Brass Development Association Web Site, Eon Commerce Ltd. Web Site (UK), Transcat Web Site, ZDNet Review) The average office building experiences 106 power quality problems in a month - transients, surges, sags...

SyncML - The Future of Wireless File Synchronization.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (IBM developerWorks Article, Internet World Article, NetworkWorldFusion Article, SyncML.org Web Site) It's a traveling manager's dream! A Palm V Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) with an OmniSky wireless cellular modem is perfectly...

Does Anyone Have a Problem With Free Technical Support?
February 19, 2002... Sources: (ask dr. tech Web Site, CompInfo Web Site, ENT News Article, Guardian Computer Support Web Site, Microsoft Web Site, Jacob Richman's Hot Sites Web Site, PCWorld Article, Realtor Magazine Review, Tech24 Web Site) Knowing your...

Application Development Decision Guide.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (Info-Tech Research Group Decision Guide) Application development, one of the foundational practices of Information Technology services, has seen huge changes in the past 10 years as it has absorbed new programming languages as...

Diagnostic Tool for IT/Business Alignment.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (CIO Insight Framework) "You need to align IT with business goals" is a lot like saying "You need to eat less fat" or "You need to burn fewer fossil fuels" - easier said than done. CIO Insight, a Ziff-Davis publication, has a...

Code Library Speeds PHP Development.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (Pear.php.net Database, PHP Web Site, PHP Everywhere Web Site, O'Reilly Network Article) Code libraries - repositories of reusable code available to all developers - can save you time. If you are using the free Hypertext...

Managed Security for Web Services.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (DevX Web Site) Web Services technologies are a "should be on your radar" issue, especially for long term enterprise development strategies. But before you take any concrete steps toward Web Services solutions, you need to have a...

Free Intrusion Detection System.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (Snort.org Web Site, SANS Institute Articles, Linux Journal Article) Small enterprises looking to open source software for their servers can also benefit from open source code in securing those servers. Snort is a popular...

Enterprise Configuration Management from Eroca.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (Ecora Software Corporation) The time associated with configuration documentation puts essential IT continuity information out of the reach of many IT managers. Fortunately, Ecora Software's Configuration Auditor can make this...

Cisco PIX 515E Firewall Designed for the SMB Market.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (Cisco Systems Corporation) The Cisco PIX 515E Firewall is an enhanced version of their popular 515 platform that provides more bang for the buck for cost-conscious, yet security-minded, small and medium businesses (SMBs). ...

Mondo for Mandoforms: Collecting Data with Ease.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (Mandoform) Online forms are everywhere - whether you're downloading trial software or applying for a mortgage. Clients find them to be a tedious nuisance, while companies find the vast number of incomplete forms a frustrating...

Cookie Cop 2: The Return to Privacy.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (Ziff-Davis Publishing Holdings Inc.) Get a grip on your private information with Cookie Cop 2, the latest version of PC Magazine's popular Cookie Cop software. This suite of utilities gives you full control over your personal...

Get Your Personal Digital Documents Under Control.
February 19, 2002... Sources: (Mirror Worlds Technologies Inc.) Managing your digital documents on your desktop has become a full-time job that many believe cannot be achieved effectively with the current system in place - desktop file folders. Mirror Worlds...