Info-Tech Advisor Newsletter articles from June 2003

Info-Tech Advisor Newsletter archives from June 2003

Functional specs for functional products.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (Developer Shed Article, gantthead.com Article, Joel on Software Articles, Whatis.com Article) You have written a brilliant program, only to have it rejected by your customers. Sounds like you might have been writing code without a...

A Windows Server 2003 planning strategy.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (Gartner First Take, Information Security Magazine Article, ServerWatch Article, ZDNet Article) Last month, Microsoft formally released Windows Server 2003, also known as .NET Server. This latest version of Windows Server poses...

Power outlets: gateways to the Internet?
June 10, 2003... Sources: (America's Network Article, ComputerUser.com Article, Power Line Communications Association Web Site, The Register Articles, Wired News Article) The next big revolution in broadband services is near. Broadband over power lines, or...

IP Centrex: the answer to VoIP outsourcing?
June 10, 2003... Sources: (CommWeb Article, IP-Centrex.org Web Site, Network World Fusion Article, The NT Group FAQ, TMCnet.com Articles) IP-based telephony has surely come into its own over the last year, and will continue to spread throughout...

The lowdown on security certifications.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (Certification Magazine Article, Computerworld Article, Contingency Planning & Management Article, CRN Article, searchNetworking.com Article) In IT, many HR decisions are based on whether candidates hold the right certifications....

Why you need a copyright policy.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (Copyright Clearnance Center Guidelines, Dow Jones InfoPro Resource Center Article, Keyt Law Article, Washington State University Web Site) Someone in marketing copies and pastes a graphic into a brochure he's creating. Someone...

The latest in MPLS VPNs.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (Network World Fusion Articles, Telecommunications Online Article) It is possible to use Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology to support a corporate wide area network (WAN). But what about all that past investment your company...

E-mail junkie detox.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (CBSNews.com Article, ClickZ Article, ePolicy Institute White Paper, NACUBO Online Article) Workers consider e-mail an extremely powerful application, to the point where many consider it their lifeline. Yet e-mail messaging is...

The dangers of legacy content migration.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (CMSWatch Articles, EContentmag.com Article, Intranet Focus Blog) You've decided on which enterprise content management system (ECM) to buy. You've also mapped out a strategy for implementing the ECM. There's only one little snag:...

Your enterprise apps home page.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (Info-Tech Research Group Research Center) What do ERP, CRM, and SCM all have in common? They're all acronyms that can turn your company on its head. Getting a grip on these far-reaching installations is a top-level priority for...

Download this employee manual.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (Info-Tech Research Group Template) Every company has rules, and these rules are most frequently collected into an employee handbook. What does this have to do with IT? While the Human Resources Department is the most likely...

Free Delphi code.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (1 Delphi Street Web Site, About.com Tutorial, Advanced Delphi Systems Web Site, Project JEDI Web Site) Created by Borland, Delphi is a Rapid Application Development (RAD) system based on Pascal that allows programmers to create...

Benchmark your IT spending.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (Alinean Calculator) The most important benchmark in managing IT is knowing how your spending compares with that of your peers. If you'd like a quick snapshot of where you stand, take a look at Alinean's Value IT Peer Comparison...

Security modules from the experts.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (CERT Coordination Center Modules) If you didn't know already, the CERT Coordination Center is a leader in the provision of top-notch IT security information. What better than free tools from the experts! CERT offers seven...

Lotus Workplace Messaging 1.0.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (IBM) Lotus is offering a cheap e-mail alternative aimed to undercut Microsoft Exchange Server clients. Following the 80/20 rule, the new offering from Lotus focuses on the 20 percent of e-mail functions that most users use 80...

FatFinger.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (Avaion) Eliminating the need for the stylus used with PDAs, Avaion has introduced a handy new application that lets you use your fingers to interact with handheld devices. The software is called FatFinger. It displays an onscreen...

Eliminate backup risk Windows.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (StorageTek) EchoView from StorageTek is a new way of continuously backing up server data that allows you to eliminate the risk window where data has been created, but not backed up. The device is, "a disk-based protection...

Find Web pages geographically.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (Metamend) The latest search engine innovation offered by Metamend allows businesses to provide data on their physical location to Web search engines. Geomend tags Web pages with properly formatted Geographic Information Systems...

Wi-Fi in a box.
June 10, 2003... Sources: (Airpath Wireless, Boingo Wireless, FatPort, Hotspotzz) With the wireless explosion over the last couple of years, public 802.11 (Wi-Fi) hotspots are becoming a popular offering for many hotels, classrooms, airports, cafes,...

Software: keep changes under control.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (eHelp Guide, etude inc. Article, Hong Kong Productivity Council Procedure, InformIT Article, R.S. Pressman & Associates Procedure, Software Development Magazine Article) Making changes to pre-launch or in-production applications...

Boosting battery life.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (Crucial Technology Web Site, HardwareZone.com Article, PC Magazine Article, RoadNews.com Article) Compared to Moore's Law for processors, advances in battery technology creep along at a snail's pace. As notebooks and laptops...

Relocation: five technology pitfalls.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (Info-Tech Research Group Analysis) Corporate relocation is a brontosaurus-sized task for an IT manager. Without careful planning well in advance of the move, things can go very badly very quickly at the new facility. Stay one step...

Perfecting patches.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (Microsoft Web Site, Network World Fusion Article, SANS Institute White Paper, searchWin2000.com Article, SearchWindowsManageability.com Article, Security Supersite Article) You're no stranger to patch management. In fact, since...

How to fire someone ... without sounding like a Jerk.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (BusinessWeek Online Article, Emond Harnden LLP Article, Thompson Dorfman Sweatman Article) Terminating an employee is probably the toughest thing you'll ever have to do. Doing it with sensitivity (while protecting your company...

Formalize your server backup policy.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (Dantz Development Corporation Article, Kiesoft Article, Technology Strategists White Paper, TechRepublic Article, Wager & Associates White Paper) Most companies perform server backups. Yet if you don't have a written server...

Microsoft's e-commerce buffet.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (Gartner Group Article, InformationWeek Article, ITworld.com Article, Microsoft Product Web Sites) You're a Microsoft shop-you have made the strategic decision (willingly or not) to base your IT infrastructure on MS products. Now...

Multiple ISPs aid rapid recovery.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (Business Communications Review Article, IETF Internet Draft, Lucent Technologies White Paper) Service level agreements with ISPs aren't as airtight as they used to be, and they're of no help at all in the event of a natural...

Data quality: get it right the first time.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (Computerworld Article, DM Review Articles, Line56.com Article, The Data Warehousing Institute Report) Practically every company in existence has a basic need for high quality data. To get information that is on time and reliable,...

Control desktop TCO with this center.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (Info-Tech Research Group Research Center) Desktop applications are a mainstay of every business. After all, where would your organization be without access to tools like e-mail, word processing, and spreadsheets? Don't take these...

Free Web server benchmarks.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (SecuritySpace.com Web Site) You're writing a report on the security of your Web servers, and need some benchmark data against which you can compare your own findings. Where do you turn? Every month, SecuritySpace.com releases...

Key security tips for Oracle Database owners.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (Application Security Inc. White Paper) If you're using Oracle as your database platform, then keeping it in working order is mission critical. One way to do this is to turn it into an impenetrable security fortress. ...

Tracking down wireless hotspots.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (802.11 Planet Web Site) Wireless hotspots are popping up everywhere. If you're a road warrior, knowing where they are could come in handy. 802.11 Planet has a new Web feature called HotSpotList.com. This great little Web page...

Cable testing: ask for what you want.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (Cabletesting.com Specifications) Talking to a specialist isn't easy if you don't speak their language. Even more challenging is drafting actual statements of work for them which are detailed enough to serve as contractual...

Secure PDAs with SSL VPN.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (Aventail) Companies concerned about sensitive company data being stored unencrypted on PDAs needn't worry any longer. Aventail Corporation recently announced that it is launching the first SSL VPN, capable of supporting secure,...

Low cost IP phone.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (Zultys) Those implementing IP-based phone systems may want to consider the new, economical IP phone from Zultys. The phone supports all commonly-used PBX functions and provides two simultaneous call appearances and three way...

e-GIF help for UK shops.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (National Computing Centre) UK public sector organizations and suppliers required to adhere to the electronic-Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF) specifications will want to take advantage of the compliance assessment...

PDF your documents--everybody's doing it!
June 24, 2003... Sources: (eHelp) RoboPDF from eHelp allows businesses to create PDF documents with ease and at a fraction of the cost of comparable products. Key product features (as advertised by eHelp) include: * Compatibility with Adobe Acrobat...

Lightning-proof your comm gear.
June 24, 2003... Sources: (Andrew Corporation) Protect your communications equipment and cables from lightning strikes with Andrew Corporation's Compact SureGround Grounding Kit. The self-sealing, self-locking, weatherproof mechanism makes for easy...