Info-Tech Advisor Newsletter articles from March 1999

Info-Tech Advisor Newsletter archives from March 1999

People Management Skills: A Key to Success.
March 9, 1999... (The United States Navy & Ragan Communications) While making technical decisions and designing infrastructure are critical activities, time spent managing your staff has the potential to realize far greater returns. Managing people is...

How Far will Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 Scale?
March 9, 1999... (A Windows NT Magazine Article & Compaq Corp) Maintenance and administration of multiple Microsoft Exchange Servers can be a labor-intensive task for administrators. As a result, it is an attractive proposition to "consolidate as many users...

The International Y2K Concern...
March 9, 1999... (The World Bank Group) While the Y2K problem has commanded the attention of First World countries, a recent World Bank survey of 139 developing countries indicated only 54 of the 139 had a national Y2K policy, and "just 21 were taking...

Comparing your VPN Options.
March 9, 1999... (Tolly Networking Journal and GartnerGroup Articles) If you're investigating an in-house VPN (virtual private network), there are two major VPN alternatives to keep in mind: purpose-built VPN devices and multi-purpose devices with VPN...

Planning to Keep New IT Hires?
March 9, 1999... (A Datamation Article) It's no secret that there is a shortage of highly qualified IT labor. What is concerning, yet potentially fixable, is that turnover rates of IT employees are highest among those who have been with an organization for...

What's the Value behind an Enterprise Information Portal?
March 9, 1999... (InfoWorld Electric and InformationWeek Articles) The enterprise information portal (EIP), the latest and greatest buzz concept to pop into data management strategies, has been subject to varying definitions and general misinterpretation....

The Human Resources Department as an IT Advocate.
March 9, 1999... (A USWeb Guide) Many Human Resource departments are bogged down by routine tasks that prevent them from making headway on strategic company-wide initiatives. According to research by Coopers and Lybrand, "the traditional HR department...

I/O: The Next Generation.
March 9, 1999... (An AberdeenGroup White Paper, an Intel Corporation White Paper, and a Compaq Computer Corporation Technology Brief) You may have noticed that input/output (I/O) performance has been bringing up the rear for some time now. Compared to other...

The Ultimate Project Management Guide.
March 9, 1999... (Project Management Institute) As an IT Manager, planning, implementing, and overseeing IT projects is a significant part of what you do. Without a doubt, managing a project - be it large or small - is a highly complex balancing act of...

A Y2K Solution Manual.
March 9, 1999... (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) Y2K can be just as significant a problem for small organizations as it is for large ones since many small companies are forced to address the problem without the benefit of a full...

Internet Traffic Report.
March 9, 1999... (An Andover News Network Feature) The Internet Traffic Report Web site monitors the flow of Internet data traffic around the world, breaking it down by continent and even specific routers on major Internet backbones. The site gives...

Layer 3 Switching: A 101 Introduction.
March 9, 1999... (An Andover News Network Feature) 3Com has produced a comprehensive "101" article called "Layer 3 Switching: An Introduction," available at http://www.3com.com/technology/tech_net/ white_papers/500660.html. Self described as "a map through...

Assess Your Knowledge Management.
March 9, 1999... (A KPMG Consulting Module) Your company has taken steps towards implementing knowledge management across the enterprise, but how effective is it really? The Knowledge Management Framework Assessment will provide you with some answers to...

Pentium III's Best Feature: Reduced Pentium II Prices.
March 9, 1999... (PC Computing, Windows Magazine, and PC Week Articles) An army of Pentium III systems will be debuting within the next few months, including some desktops targeted at the corporate market. A number of systems have already gone through...

SOFTWARE -- CONNECT:Manage Eases Mobile PC Management.
March 9, 1999... A. CONNECT:Manage Eases Mobile PC Management (Sterling Commerce, Inc.) Sterling Commerce has released an upgrade to its remote systems management software, CONNECT: Manage 2.0. CONNECT:Manage is optimized for remote user populations,...

SOFTWARE : Nuance Releases Enterprise-Level Speech Recognition Server.
March 9, 1999... B. Nuance Releases Enterprise-Level Speech Recognition Server (Nuance Communications) Nuance 6.2 is an advanced natural language speech recognition server for enterprise-level, voice-enabled e-commerce applications and...

SOFTWARE : Caere Upgrades OmniPage Pro.
March 9, 1999... C. Caere Upgrades OmniPage Pro (Caere Corporation) Caere's has upgraded its desktop optical character recognition (OCR) software, OmniPage Pro. The world's best-selling OCR application, OmniPage Pro 9.0 converts scanned paper documents...

INTERNET/INTRANET : Intranet-in-a-Box.
March 9, 1999... A. Intranet-in-a-Box (IntraNetics, Inc.) IntraNetics has released an upgrade of its out-of-the-box intranet building package, IntraNetics 2.0, an ideal solution for those IT shops with a limited intranet development budget. ...

INTERNET/INTRANET : Remote Web Editing with JustEdit Plus 1.0.
March 9, 1999... B. Remote Web Editing with JustEdit Plus 1.0 (Mainstay) JustEdit Plus 1.0 from Mainstay is a Java applet that lets you quickly edit Web pages from a remote location using only a Web browser. This is a great tool for IT managers and Web...

UTILITIES & TOOLS : Check Tech Skills with TeckChek.
March 9, 1999... A. Check Tech Skills with TeckChek (TeckChek) Ever wondered if your IT staff's technical expertise is up to snuff? If you're looking for a great tool to help you in your recruiting, training, and resource management efforts, TeckChek...

UTILITIES & TOOLS : DirectManage Suite Anticipates Active Directory.
March 9, 1999... B. DirectManage Suite Anticipates Active Directory (Entevo Corp.) Even though Windows 2000 is still to come, Entevo is staying ahead of the game. Currently shipping is Entevo's NT management suite, DirectManage, which simplifies...

UTILITIES & TOOLS : Norton Ships SystemWorks 2.0.
March 9, 1999... C. Norton Ships SystemWorks 2.0 (Symantec Corp.) Norton SystemWorks 2.0 offers a highly comprehensive system utility package featuring five powerhouse components: Norton Anti-Virus 5.0, Norton Utilities 4.0 problem-solving tool, Norton...

PROCESSORS : AMD-K6-III Processor Challenges Pentium III.
March 9, 1999... A. AMD-K6-III Processor Challenges Pentium III (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.) Intel's major competitor in the processor arena has just released its latest offering, the AMD-K6-III featuring 3DNow! multimedia enhancing technology. The...

DATABASE : Wired for OLAP Adds SQL Support.
March 9, 1999... A. Wired for OLAP Adds SQL Support (Appsource Corp.) Appsource has released the latest version of its award-winning business analysis and reporting tool optimized for OLAP (On Line Analytical Processing) server capabilities, Wired for...

OPERATING SYSTEMS : IBM Revamps its OS/390.
March 9, 1999... A. IBM Revamps its OS/390 (IBM Corp) IBM has announced an upgrade to its flagship mainframe operating system, OS/390. OS/390 Version 2 Release 7 features a number of new capabilities including enhanced Web page processing ability,...

LEISURE : The Dilbert Zone.
March 9, 1999... If you haven't already found your way to Dilbert's on-line site consider checking it out! With an invaluable "Weekly Career Tip", a daily mental workout and Dogbert's regular newsletter it's worth the visit. Make sure you also check...

The External Focus of IT...Begin Now or Sooner.
March 23, 1999... (A Forrester Research Report) Looking into the not so distant future, it is important to anticipate the actual impact of business-to-business e-commerce as well as what will be expected of the IT department as a result. According to...

How to Buy a Portable...
March 23, 1999... (A Portable Computing Article) When buying a portable computer, there is the standard list of decision and tradeoffs, which exist between processor speed, RAM, weight, durability, price and other technical specs. However, when choosing...

The Hassle Free Future of Network Administration: Neugents.
March 23, 1999... (A PlanetIT Article) If you can hardly wait for a cool new technology to revolutionize how you administer your network, Computer Associates (CA) may have exactly what you've been waiting for: neugents. Neugents, or neural networking...

Improve Web Results with a Simple "Call Me" Button.
March 23, 1999... (An eMarketer Article) Most organization with strong e-commerce drives are now offering a wider range of customer service options that integrate new Web site initiatives with traditional call centers. E-mail request features and enhanced...

E-Commerce: How to Develop Trust.
March 23, 1999... (A Cheskin Research and Studio Archetype/Sapient Study) Most people see online purchasing as risky business, so building customer trust is critical to your e-commerce strategy. If a customer doesn't trust your company, they'll hesitate to...

The FCC will not Regulate the Internet.
March 23, 1999... (A Wired News Report) "As long as I am chairman of the FCC, we will not regulate the Internet" - William Kennard, FCC Chairman. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has settled the compensation dispute raging between phone...

What Exactly is Fibre Channel?
March 23, 1999... (A SunWorld Feature Article) Storage Area Networks (SANs) are becoming increasingly popular components in today's distributed networks because they promise what every network administrator really wants to hear: significant overall...

Beware: Trademark Theft is an Effective Online Advertising Strategy.
March 23, 1999... (A Forbes Article) "Companies must either independently police their own trademarks on the web or lose them" - Heidi Tandy, Ruden McClosky Smith Schuster & Russell Did you know that your competitors could be reaping big benefits from...

Breaking Down the Costs & Complexity of PKI...
March 23, 1999... (Aberdeen, Giga, Network Magazine, Entrust & Verisign) "A public key infrastructure (PKI) is probably the most critical enterprise investment a company will make in the next three years." A public key infrastructure can facilitate...

Margins for Computer Resellers: Are they Really that Slim?
March 23, 1999... (Computer Resellers' News) Given the amount of the IT budget that is spent working with vendors and VARS, it is important to spend time managing these accounts and relationships. Here is some food for thought: * According to a...

"What Every CEO Needs to Know about E-business".
March 23, 1999... (A Businessweek Feature) If you've been looking for the right way to get senior management and the CEO excited about both the potential of e-business and the threat it poses, this Business Week resource is what you've been waiting for. ...

Management Accounting 101.
March 23, 1999... (Edge Online Resources) The ability to interpret and understand financial accounting statements is a basic skill that every manager is required to understand. Simply stated, accounting is the language of business and every member of your...

Consider an IP based PBX.
March 23, 1999... (A Data Communications Tech Tutorial) If you're looking into PBX systems, you may want to consider the latest thing in telephony technology, IP PBX. The benefits of IP PBX make it an attractive option for many organizations, especially...

Dueling Databases.
March 23, 1999... (AberdeenGroup and INPUT Studies) If you're considering a new or departmental database solution, the two big vendors you'll likely scrutinize the closest will be Oracle and Microsoft. Checking the total cost of ownership (TCO) for each...

SOFTWARE : QuickVideo OnDemand Delivers Unparalleled Streaming Video.
March 23, 1999... A. QuickVideo OnDemand Delivers Unparalleled Streaming Video (InfoValue Computing, Inc.) QuickVideo OnDemand (QVOD) - a software product that delivers high-performance streaming video to networked users - is now shipping in version 4.0....

SOFTWARE : CB Predictor Forecasts Business Performance.
March 23, 1999... B. CB Predictor Forecasts Business Performance (Decisioneering, Inc.) CB Predictor from Decisioneering is a historical data analysis and forecasting add-on to Microsoft Excel that helps predict and optimize future performance and...

SOFTWARE : Clarify eFrontOffice Streamlines CRM.
March 23, 1999... C. Clarify eFrontOffice Streamlines CRM (Clarify, Inc.) Clarify has announced its comprehensive front office solution designed to streamline customer relationship management, eFrontOffice. Clarify eFrontOffice integrates multiple...

INTERNET/INTRANET : Build E-Commerce Catalogs with Catalog Architect.
March 23, 1999... A. Build E-Commerce Catalogs with Catalog Architect (IBM Corp.) IBM has enhanced its line of e-commerce products with the introduction of Catalog Architect. Catalog Architect "helps online businesses easily create, update, and manage...

NETWORKING : Lucent Releases Latest in Wireless LAN Gear.
March 23, 1999... A. Lucent Releases Latest in Wireless LAN Gear (Lucent Technologies) Lucent Technologies has added to its family of wireless LAN products with the introduction of its WaveLAN IEEE Turbo network card. The WaveLAN IEEE Turbo offers...

NETWORKING : LiveVault Offers Continuous Backup.
March 23, 1999... B. LiveVault Offers Continuous Backup (Network Integrity, Inc.) Does your shop still run all of its backups at night so as not to suck up valuable system resources and bandwidth during peak business hours? E-commerce demands for...

APPLICATION SERVERS : Sun's NetDynamics 5: Portal-Friendly App Server.
March 23, 1999... A. Sun's NetDynamics 5: Portal-Friendly App Server (Sun Microsystems) Sun has released a highly scalable upgrade to its NetDynamics application server. NetDynamics 5 has been specifically designed to support the high traffic flow and...

UTILITIES & Y2K TOOLS : Trimaran 2000 Offers CompleteY2K Kit.
March 23, 1999... A. Trimaran 2000 Offers CompleteY2K Kit (Systemic Solutions) Geared towards small-and medium-sized businesses, Systemic Solutions Trimaran 2000 covers the A-Z of Y2K compliance from helping you organize your tasks, to running checks, to...

UTILITIES & Y2K TOOLS : MessageVault Manages Corporate E-mail.
March 23, 1999... B. MessageVault Manages Corporate E-mail (StorageTek) StorageTek has announced the release of MessageVault system for quickly archiving and retrieving e-mail messages. Given the high percentage of e-mails that contain business-critical...

OPERATING SYSTEMS : UnixWare 7 Operating System Linux Compliant.
March 23, 1999... A. UnixWare 7 Operating System Linux Compliant (The Santa Cruz Operation) SCO has enhanced its UnixWare 7 operating system with Release 7.1, adding an integrated Webtop browser-based interface for easier administration and Linux...

SMART CARDS : Cryptoflex Smart Card Now Windows 2000 Compatible.
March 23, 1999... A. Cryptoflex Smart Card Now Windows 2000 Compatible (Schlumberger Smart Cards & Terminals) Schlumberger, the "grand daddy" of smart card technology, has announced the release of a Windows 2000-compliant Cryptoflex smart card....

LEISURE.
March 23, 1999... Forget about next year's car models! The hi-tech machine of your dreams is probably in prototype right now. Believe it or not, voice-activated response systems, smart highways that do your driving for you, and cutting edge in-car entertainment...