Info-Tech Advisor Newsletter articles from September 2002

Info-Tech Advisor Newsletter archives from September 2002

How to earn the boss's trust.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Booz Allen Hamilton Web Site, gantthead.com Article, Harvard Business School Article, International Leadership Associates Article, SmartLeadership.com Article, Chief Executive Magazine Article) Earning the CEO's trust is the most...

Rein in Excel abuse.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Computer Weekly 360 Article, Darwin Magazine Article, Network World Fusion Article) Few will deny that Excel is the most popular app among end-users for creating budgets and reports. However, problems arise when employees string...

Exorcising the Ghost worker.
September 3, 2002... Sources: Earthweb IT Management, ZDNet Australia Long after individual workers have left your company's employ, their virtual presence may linger in the form of unclosed access to IT resources. These "ghost workers" are a security threat...

Need backup? Say hello to Amanda.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Amanda Web Site, CrossNodes Articles, SourceForge.net Web Site, Storage Mountain Article) Every company requires a large-capacity tape backup utility that is fast, stable, and can scale from a small number of workstations right up...

Offer constructive criticism ... without sounding like a Jerk.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Business Finance Magazine Article, ITtoolkit.com Article, Software Development Magazine Article) Mastering the art of constructive criticism is an essential managerial skill for the simple reason that criticism, when used...

Help your customers help themselves.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Call Center Magazine Article, Customer Inter@ction Solutions Article, supportindustry.com Article, The RBT Agency Article) The quality of your company's customer service is a primary competitive differentiator. A well-structured,...

Get to the point in business writing.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Advertising and Marketing Review Article, ASU Writing Center Article, Purdue University Online Writing Lab, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Article, Speaking Connection Article) Like it or not, putting your ideas into writing is...

Remote access 101: RADIUS servers.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Cisco Systems Web Site, InfoGard Laboratories White Paper, ServerWatch Article) If you're dealing with remote users, then chances are either you or your ISP are using RADIUS servers. Take some time to get back to the basics and...

Fortify your Linux server.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (ComputerUser.com Article, CW360 Article, Linux Security White Paper, TechRepublic Article, The Linux Documentation Project) Migrating to the Linux operating system can bring the benefits of overall savings, reduced TCO, and the...

Two new job descriptions.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Info-Tech Research Group Research Center) Response to our IT Job Descriptions Bank has been overwhelming, and we'll continue to add more templates every two weeks. Based on your feedback, we've included the following two new job...

Learn from history's greatest project manager.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Gantthead.com Article) He was a brilliant and effective project manager who consistently achieved his goals, often confounding both critics and competitors. Through extensive research of potential obstacles--and a deep...

Building forms with flash.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Melonfire.com Article) Web developers use Macromedia Flash technology to create visually interesting ways of displaying information. When it comes to gathering information, however, tried and true HTML forms are the preferred...

A small business router 52 pickup.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Network World Fusion Download) Even a two-PC shop can take full advantage of the Internet with the proper network router hardware. Network World Fusion has put together a buyer's guide table of small office/home office (SOHO)...

Online privacy policy generator.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (DMA Interactive Web Site) If you maintain a public Web site, your clients and customers have a right to know if and how you use any information gathered about them. Your site should include a clear, succinct, and easy-to-find...

Scrub your web services clean with SOAPtest.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Parasoft Corporation) SOAPtest is an automated tool that imitates the SOAP client and SOAP server for testing enterprise Web services. The whole idea is to test application modules early on, focusing on prevention rather than...

Zen and the art of desktop management.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Novell, Inc.) Zenworks for Desktops Version 4 (ZFD4) is a management tool that allows you to administer Windows-based desktops without the need for NetWare servers. Although administrators will still have to run Novell's...

Have an audioconferencing party.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Forum Communications International) Holding conferences via telephone can be a hassle, especially if you resort to pricey dial-up services or bridge reservations. Forum Communications solves all that with its eight-participant...

Linux clustering software.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Veritas Software Corp.) Veritas is now shipping its Cluster Server software for Red Hat Linux, which will provide users of the open-source system high-availability failover services and automatic workload balancing. This move...

Enforce e-mail confidentiality with Omniva.
September 3, 2002... Sources: (Omniva Policy Systems) Security is always a concern, but e-mail messaging is one of the more difficult holes to patch. Omniva Policy Systems has addressed the demand for secure messaging with the release of Policy Manager...

Windows XP security lockdown.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (InformIT Articles, ITworld Article, LabMice.net Web Site, Microsoft Product Support Services Web Site) If you're planning to implement or upgrade to Windows XP Professional, there are some security matters you will need to...

Hunting down media files.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (Computerworld Article, GeoFoto Paper, Online Magazine Articles, Red Herring Article, Search Engine Watch Article) Nearly every company produces or requires some form of multimedia, be it audio, video, or graphic images....

Employee ... or saboteur?
September 16, 2002... Sources: (Access360 Article, CIO Magazine Article, Network World Fusion Article, The Employee Sabotage Homepage) According to a CIO Magazine survey, more than half of respondent companies do not have internal protection for crucial data...

A leaner, meaner BIND alternative.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (CrossNodes Articles, djbdns home page Web Site, D.J. Bernstein's djbdns Web Site) If BIND security holes are getting you down, there is a DNS (domain name system) server alternative: djbdns. Developed by D.J. Bernstein, djbdns...

The micromanager and the mountain.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (Adams-Hall Publishing Book Excerpt, gantthead.com Article, PaperAge Magazine, TechRepublic Article) Sometimes, if you want to see the job done right, you have to do it yourself. So you took the project from your subordinates and...

Two NICs are better than one.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (All Media Electronics Web Site, eWeek Article, techguide.com White Paper, TechRepublic Article) Server-based network interface cards (NICs) play an integral role in overall network performance, yet they can sometimes pose a...

UPS: don't get caught with your power pants down.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (About.com Article, Contingency Planning & Management Article, ExtremeTech Feature, ITworld.com Article, Nick Christenson FAQ, PC Guide Web Site) Rolling blackouts, weather anomalies, and electrical surges can shut down your...

The Goods on tech recruiting agencies.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (AppleOne Article, Electronic Recruiting Exchange Article, InformIT.com Article, TechRepublic Articles) The effectiveness of outsourced recruiting processes depends largely upon your preparation and diligence in securing the right...

Louts Notes/Domino 6: a sneak preview.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (Advisor Magazine Articles, Key Enterprise Solutions Web Site, Lotus Developer Domain Web Site) Lotus Notes/Domino 6 will be moving from beta to commercial release any day now. Before you make an upgrade decision, ensure that you...

A merger primer for IT folk.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (CIO Insight Tool) Mergers are always portrayed publicly as win-win situations. Productivity will go up, and efficiency, as well as shareholder value, will increase. The reality can be much different with fleeing talent, decreased...

A new use for P2P: kill Spam.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (CloudMark Web Site, CNET Article, JSOnline Article, ZDNet Article) Peer to peer networking got something of a bad name thanks to the now defunct Napster music-sharing network. Now P2P is being used to stop another Internet...

Test your capacity management capability.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (Network Computing Tool) Capacity planning was a much bigger issue back in the 1970s when a disk drive costed thousands of dollars, yet held little more data than a floppy disk holds today. As processing speeds and storage capacity...

Free relational database management tutorials.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (ExtremeTech Features, InformIT Articles, PHPBuilder Article) If you have a large-scale, enterprise-dependant database project in the offing, you will need to go to the Oracles and Microsofts of the world for help. But what if you...

Help with buying the right video card.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (ExtremeTech Feature) We have come a long way from the days when low-end video was green text on a black screen and the high end was four whole colors. Still, while all computer video is graphical today, there are still degrees of...

Online lost and found.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (BoomerangIt, Inc.) If you've managed to lose your PDA, cell phone, or laptop, BoomerangIt can help your property find its way back to you. BoomerangIt's asset tracking system involves a national registry of cataloged goods, plus...

Multiple network defense.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (IntruVert Networks, Inc.) IntruVert Networks sells a series of intrusion detection appliances that differ greatly from typical IDSs currently on the market. The IntruShield 2600 and 4000 models scan for and detect over 1,300 known...

A real stand-up mouse.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (Evoluent LLC) Evoluent's VerticalMouse brings welcome relief to the repetitive stress damage sometimes caused by traditional pointing devices. Because the VerticalMouse stands upright with the buttons on its side, your arm is...

"Virtually" stackable switches.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (Allied Telesyn) Allied Telesyn is the vendor of AT 8000, a series of three Layer 2 "virtually" stackable switches. The switches don't have to be physically stacked, as they are managed by Enhanced Stacking software, which allows...

Microsoft's new tablet PC.
September 16, 2002... Sources: (Microsoft Corp.) On November 7, Microsoft plans to begin shipments of its new Tablet PC. Perhaps the most notable difference between the Tablet and a regular laptop is its screen. The 10.4-inch display can be swiveled 180 degrees...

Tips for IP-PBX security.
September 30, 2002... Sources: (CommWeb Article, National Institute of Standards and Technology Publication, Network Computing Article) With the revival of legacy PBX systems through VoIP technology comes a renewed interest in hacking into them. Because IP-PBXs...

Is your vendor viable?
September 30, 2002... Sources: (Network World Fusion Magazine Article, TechRepublic Article) Your key IT vendors--the vendors that are fundamental to the health of your organization--could be in serious financial trouble. While the financials of the major...

Your privacy policy: friend or foe?
September 30, 2002... Sources: (BBB OnLine Web Site, Intelligent Enterprise Article, iVillage.co.uk Article, The DMA Web Site, TRUSTe Web Site, ZDNet Article) If you're collecting information from your customers via your Web site, you must have an online...

Zap voice app glitches.
September 30, 2002... Sources: (Customer Inter@ction Solutions Article, TMCnet.com Article, VoiceXML Review Article) Self-service voice applications, such as interactive voice response (IVR), are a lot cheaper than using live customer service agents. But these...

Use "Security Barometer" for benchmarking.
September 30, 2002... Sources: (InformationWeek Tool) An Internet worm was responsible for bringing down your Web server for an hour last week. As you devise a strategy to make sure this doesn't happen again, you will want to know how likely these occurrences...

A consultant services buyer's guide.
September 30, 2002... Sources: (Network Computing Feature) A head-to-head features table is a handy way to compare software or hardware products. Network Computing has applied the same method to comparing the offerings of technology consultants. "Hire...

Help for the C++ developer.
September 30, 2002... Sources: (Network Computing Interactive Buyer's Guide) Network Computing has a new Interactive Buyer's Guide that compares five C++ development/programming packages across 33 different purchasing criteria. Use the guide's Customizable...

Software license tracking: get organized!
September 30, 2002... Sources: (TechRepublic Tool) Keeping track of the software licenses owned by your organization could save thousands of dollars in fines should the organization ever be audited. The most important thing in keeping track of your software...

LAN management tools go head to head.
September 30, 2002... Sources: (PC Magazine Buyer's Guide) LAN management continues to be a "bread and butter" task for many IT organizations. LAN management tools offer the ability to do many management tasks from your desk rather than physically visiting each...

Bandwidth boosters!
September 30, 2002... Sources: (Peribit Networks, Inc.) Peribit's Sequence Reducers compress repetitive data patterns to dramatically increase WAN link capacity. Peribit's SR-50 and SR-55 modules scan data streams at T3 speeds (45 Mbps) and chop out the bulk of...

Ensure Java reliability with this audit tool.
September 30, 2002... Sources: (Teamstudio, Inc.) If debugging Java projects is getting you down, then you should take a serious look at Teamstudio's Analyzer for Java. This audit tool is designed to support coding best practices for Java applications in...

Database access on the fly.
September 30, 2002... Sources: (Microsoft Corp.) Microsoft SQL Server CE 2.0 is a relational database that expands a company's data management capabilities to Palm and smart-phone devices. CE 2.0 allows you to develop mobile applications, such as online or...

Make voice and data sing in harmony.
September 30, 2002... Sources: (NetIQ Corp.) With VoIP market shares climbing, the need for management products rises also: enter NetIQ's VoIP Manager 2.0. This VoIP network monitoring and management tool is designed to give diagnostics, data collection, and...

UML 2.0 spec on the way.
September 30, 2002... Sources: (Rational Software) As most developers know, the Unified Modeling Language (UML) is an industry standard specification for blueprinting software design, and its latest incarnation will be submitted to the OMG this fall. UML...