Info-Tech Advisor Newsletter articles from May 2003

Info-Tech Advisor Newsletter archives from May 2003

Maximizing the ROI of RFPs.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (Baseline Magazine Article, Bud Porter-Roth Article, Oracle Magazine Article, Torys LLP Article) RFPs (requests for proposal) are essential tools in the purchase of IT hardware, software, and services. But are your RFPs achieving...

Catch the wave with WLAN Analyzers.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (Network Computing Articles, Network Magazine Article, Network World Fusion Article, searchNetworking.com Article) Let's face it--wireless LANs (WLANs) are more complicated to design and secure than traditional wired LANs. Given...

Fire-proof your server room.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (Info-Tech Research Group Guide, SANS Institute Article, SBCScomputers.com Article) In the event of a fire, employee safety comes first, followed closely by corporate information. How well is your server room or data center...

Mitigate creeping frame relay costs.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (Gartner Article, In-Stat/MDR Market Alert, Network World Fusion Article, Yankee Group Research Note) Many companies are beginning to see a hefty rate increase for their low-speed frame relay connections. Does this sound familiar?...

Stop wasting time: analyze your help desk logs.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (Baseline Magazine Article, Compass White Paper, STI Knowledge White Paper, TechRepublic Article) If you have any experience running a help desk, you know that end users tend to ask the same questions again and again. What are you...

Software solutions for storage management.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (InformationWeek Article, SearchStorage.com Article, StorageSearch.com Article, ZDNet Article) The amount of data that corporations need to store is growing by 80 percent per year. You probably can't afford to grow your raw...

Get under-performing IT staff to buck up.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (Center for Applied Motivation Articles, Ivey Business Journal Article, Maricopa Community Colleges Web Site, Network World Fusion Articles) Just because an IT staff member is under-performing, this does not automatically mean...

The future of random access memory.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (Computerworld Article, HowStuffWorks Article, PC Magazine Article, ZDNet.com Article) Save your work! As long as there have been desktop PCs there has been a need to transfer data from volatile memory (RAM chips) to hard memory...

Build-it-yourself collaboration tools.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (@stake White Paper, Network Computing Article, Optimize Magazine Article, ZDNet Tech Update Article) The benefits of proprietary collaboration tools are well documented: reduced travel expenses, shortened production cycles, and a...

New deposits in the Job Descriptions Bank.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (Info-Tech Research Group Research Center) Info-Tech's IT Job Descriptions Bank continues to be a very popular destination for subscribers to Info-Tech Advisor. If you are looking for just the right job description information for...

Tips for cutting telecom costs.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (BizInk Article) In spite of all the developments made in information technology in recent years, the most important network device for most organizations remains the telephone. Telephony also represents a major cost for your...

Getting a grip on 3G.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (TechRepublic Article) Over the past four years, the definition of the third generation (3G) wireless standard has gone through a number of changes. There has also been a considerable amount of myth and vendor hype about exactly...

Solutions for Windows pet peeves.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (Annoyances.org Web Site) Like it or not, Microsoft Windows remains the standard for most desktop computing environments. Even fans of Windows will admit that mysterious Windows glitches are annoying sometimes, and even experienced...

Server-based computing TCO.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (Butler Group Infrastructure Journal Article) In large and complex IT environments, where applications must be shared over multiple computing platforms and multiple locations, the server-based application model has a lot going for...

Spam blocking ... guaranteed?
May 13, 2003... Sources: (Mailblocks) Mailblocks is a new anti-spam service provider founded by Phil Goldman, a former VP of Microsoft. Mailblocks is a unique offering amid an onslaught of spam-suppression products flooding the market today. Here's how it...

A laptop for everyone.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (AlphaSmart) The Dana, from Alphasmart, is a mobile computer that runs on a PalmSource operating system. What makes the Dana an interesting device is that it works as a stripped-down laptop that can exchange data with a PC or a...

Automatic update notification.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (New Boundary Technologies) Prism Deploy 5.0 is a software product designed to enable desktop computers to automatically notify network administrators when the client needs updating. As opposed to the net admin scanning desktops...

New patch management tool.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (GFI Software) With more than 2,500 new vulnerabilities emerging in 2002, it's understandable that resource-tight IT departments are having difficulty keeping up with patches. GFI Software's LANguard Network Security Scanner...

Prepaid cards for online purchases.
May 13, 2003... Sources: (AT&T) As paid digital content becomes more prolific, companies will need a secure method for making these purchases online. AT&T has partnered with several online content providers to develop PrePaid Web Cents: cards with...

Intrustion detection: the Essential Buyer's Guide.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (Info-Tech Research Group White Paper) Most companies have firewalls, but these solutions don't do much in terms of helping you spot suspicious activity as it's happening. If a more comprehensive, layered security approach is what...

Managing 'creepy' projects.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (gantthead.com Articles, Standish Group Press Release, TenStep.com Web Site) Project managers have long been conditioned to treat scope creep as the enemy; however, this may not always be true. You can substantially increase your...

Jazz up your graphics library.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (Comstock Web Site, Consumer WebWatch Report, Info-Tech Research Group Analysis, Getty Images Web Site) If you're using clip art, cheesy artwork, or unlicensed images on your Web site, promotional brochures, or other media, then...

Exchanging Exchange: e-mail server alternatives.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (Ferris Research White Paper, IT-Analysis.com Article, Network World Fusion Articles) Microsoft Exchange is one of the most widely deployed e-mail servers in the world, but it is not the only option available to you. If recent...

Encryption patch for WEP holes.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (802.11 Planet Article, CNET.com Articles, Microsoft Knowledge Base Article, SQM Magazine Article, ZDNet Article) Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a new encryption protocol that you can use to fortify a WLAN and help make wireless a...

So, you've found the perfect hire ...
May 27, 2003... Sources: (Employment Law Advisory Network Article, Recruiters Network Article, WomanOwned.com Article) After making many phone calls and holding a countless number of interviews, you have finally found the one "perfect addition" to your IT...

Getting started with cable testers.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (Cabletesting.com Web Site, Network Cabling Help, Article, Network Computing Article, Network Management Buyer's Guide Web Site) Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cabling is the backbone of any LAN, and a considerable portion of...

Manage your IT policy portfolio.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (George Jenkins et al. Book, Stephen B. Page Book, PolicyMatter White Paper, SC Infosec Article) Policies define how your organization does business and set expectations for employee behavior. Nearly every organization has...

Apps that kill.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (Consumer Web Watch Article, Maine State Government Article, N2H2 Press Release) Users on your network have likely customized their workstations in many ways, including the installation of free, downloadable applications. While...

Designing database blueprints.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (Computerworld Article, DM Review Articles, SQL Server Magazine Articles, Tim McLellan Article) So, you're designing a database. To make sure the end product functions like it's supposed to, best practice dictates that you start...

Prep guides for disaster readiness.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (ASIS International Guides) When it comes to disaster recovery planning, there's no such thing as too much help, especially if it's from the experts. ASIS International was founded in 1955 in order to improve the effectiveness...

Test drive IT books.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (McGraw-Hill Web Site) IT books are very expensive, but they're a necessary evil if today's IT professionals want to increase their knowledge and get a leg up on the competition. If you're tight on cash (and who isn't?), then...

Catalog your IT processes.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (InformIT Article) As your department grows, the volume of processes and procedures governing IT operations can become unmanageable. Get your IT organization organized with this resource. "How to Create and Organize an IT...

200 free IT tutorials.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab Web Site) Whether you need to train a junior IT staffer or bring a business decision maker up to speed on a specific technology, having a collection of comprehensive IT tutorials...

Load balancing tool for Apache.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (The Johns Hopkins University Tool) It's no secret that Apache is the most commonly used Web server in the world. As with any Web server, high availability is of the essence. If Apache is running in your enterprise, then take a...

MS real-time IM server.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (Microsoft Corp.) Formerly named "Greenwich," Microsoft's new Real-Time Communications Server (RTC Server) will enable more secure and manageable enterprise-level instant messaging. * The RTC Server takes advantage of standard...

The Swiss army knife of firewalls.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (Ranch Networks) RN20 acts as a firewall, along with the additional functionality of a traffic shaping box, a load balancer, and a layer 2/3/4 switch. Through the use of 12 independent zones, the device allows network architects...

Leave your business cards at home.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (nTag Interactive) nTags Interactive has come up with badges that can trade personal data. Suited for trade shows and conferences, these tags are worn around the neck and communicate with each other via infrared, and with a...

Centrino chip uncovered.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (Intel Corp.) Intel's new Centrino chips are the latest in integrated wireless technology for laptops. With Centrino-enabled laptops (starting at around $1,500), users can connect to the Web via wireless LAN networks and hotspots...

Cyber-snitching.
May 27, 2003... Sources: (Anonymizer) SECtips.com from Anonymizer allows companies to comply with the tenet in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that requires corporations to have an anonymous system in place whereby employees can report corporate fraud. *...