Computerworld articles from January 2004

Computerworld archives from January 2004

Agriculture secretary backs national livestock ID system: RFID plan gets boost following mad cow discovery, but funding is uncertain.(News)(Optibrand Ltd.'s technology preferred in livestock identification as compared to the radio frequency identification technology)
January 5, 2004... AGRICULTURE Secretary Ann Veneman last week called for the creation of an automated system for identifying and tracking farm animals to improve the government's ability to respond to emergencies, such as the case of mad cow disease discovered...

Schwab deploys Linux-based grid: hopes to speed up app performance.(News)
January 5, 2004... Charles Schwab & Co. last month went live with a Linux-based grid computing system in an effort to speed up some of its compute-intensive investment management applications. David Dibble, executive vice president of technology services at...

GAO says 'inaccuracies' in 2004 Pentagon IT budget total $1.6b: sloppy IT accounting practices blamed.(News)
January 5, 2004... THE FEDERAL government's General Accounting Office said in late December that sloppy accounting practices by the Department of Defense led to a $1.6 billion discrepancy between two key IT budget reports for fiscal 2004. The GAO said in a...

Novell, SCO fight over ownership of Unix code: SCO warns users about violating copyright laws.(News)
January 5, 2004... The SCO Group Inc. fired another shot across the bows of corporate Linux users last month, sending a letter to some Fortune 1,000 companies contending that their use of the open-source operating system violates U.S. copyright laws. But...

Microsoft settles lawsuit for $60m.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Microsoft Corp. said it has agreed to pay $60 million to settle a patent infringement lawsuit filed in late 2002 by SPX Corp. in Charlotte, N.C. In November, a U.S. District Court jury in Virginia ruled that Microsoft's NetMeeting conferencing...

CA agrees to sell applications unit.(Computer Associates International Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Computer Associates International Inc. announced a deal to sell its majority ownership stake in ACCPAC International Inc. to The Sage Group PLC for $110 million in cash. CA owns 90% of Pleasanton, Calif.-based ACCPAC, which develops business...

Oracle delivers documents to DOJ.(Department of Justice reviews PeopleSoft Inc. takeover bid)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Oracle Corp. said it has provided the U.S. Department of Justice with all the documents that the agency requested as part of its review of the software vendor's hostile takeover bid for PeopleSoft Inc. Oracle expects the DOJ to rule early this...

IBM.(Short Takes)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... IBM introduced an "expansion unit" for adding Serial ATA disk drives to its FAStT midrange arrays.

Parametric Technology Corp.(Short Takes)(software patch for product life-cycle management applications)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... PARAMETRIC TECHNOLOGY CORP. in Needham, Mass., posted software patches designed to fix a coding error that could cause its product life-cycle management applications to become inoperative starting on Jan. 10.

Data security breaches reveal encryption need: technology can help encode info, but management challenges pose hurdles.(News)
January 5, 2004... EVENTS SUCH AS the theft of a laptop PC containing personal information about thousands of a Rhode Island bank's customers have put a spotlight on the importance of encrypting stored data. But IT security professionals said that substantial...

Users turn to Microsoft's SMS for patch management: early adopters of new version find tools easier to use.(News)(Systems Management Server)
January 5, 2004... Patch management wasn't a burning concern for many users of Microsoft Corp.'s Systems Management Server when they purchased earlier editions of the software. But that mind-set is changing. A set of tools for automating the patching process...

100 ways to lead.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)(Computerworld's Premier 100 IT Leaders)
January 5, 2004... WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? Who are these 100 individuals we've singled out for praise and publicity in this special issue? What makes them so unique? That's for you to judge, actually. We devote our first issue of the year to Computerworld's...

The tests of leadership: tough-as-nails IT leaders have managed to move their companies and their IT agendas ahead despite budget battles, aggressive adversaries and sagging staff morale.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)
January 5, 2004... VIRUSES, hackers, unrest in outsourcing locations, employee apathy, a jobless economic recovery and stagnant budgets--these are the challenges that try IT leaders' souls. While 2003 brought a glimpse of economic recovery, few IT leaders...

Budgets: when your primary job is to ferret out liabilities in IT projects--and minimize them--timing is everything.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)
January 5, 2004... GONE ARE THE DAYS of the slam-dunk, no-brainer IT decision. Every choice a CIO makes in today's painfully cost-constrained business environment is high risk. Delaying or scaling back a pricey CRM project to stay within the corporate budget...

Security: these guardians of the gate have found ways to effectively lock down their companies against ever-increasing threats.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)
January 5, 2004... LIKE AN ARMY UNDER ATTACK, most companies today find themselves surrounded by a growing number of threats, vulnerabilities and regulatory challenges. But the most successful and secure organizations are finding that in a world of limitless...

Partners: to minimize risk in choosing technology and vendor partners, Premier 100 IT Leaders communicate frankly and adhere strictly to agreed-upon strategic plans.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)
January 5, 2004... THE STAKES ARE HIGH when choosing technologies and vendor partners. Get it wrong, and sales can tank or projects can fail. Pair that decision-making responsibility with the ongoing constraints on budgets, and IT executives say the task of...

Competition: quickly recognizing customer needs and using existing technologies to meet them helps these Premier 100 IT Leaders stay a step ahead of rivals.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)
January 5, 2004... ONE OF THE MORE DIFFICULT and risky jobs of an IT leader is to use technology to create a competitive edge. A wrong move can cost a company money, its reputation and market share if a rival gets it right first. To minimize such risks, top...

Outsourcing: it's one of the most politically charged decisions an IT leader can and make equally fraught with risk. Here's how Premier 100 IT Leaders avoid the hazards of outsourcing.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)
January 5, 2004... JOHN GOLDEN doesn't have to look very far to see just what can happen when an outsourcing project goes awry. As CIO and executive vice president at $13 billion CNA Financial Corp. in Chicago, he had to pull the plug last March on a $20...

Hiring: technical training and experience count. But these IT leaders say it's the hard-to-quantify characteristics that seal the deal.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)(qualities the recruiters look in a candidate for a job)
January 5, 2004... AFTER TAKING a long, hard look at commercial CRM packages for use in Humana Inc.'s call center, the company's executives found them too expensive. Then an IT analyst there came up with a creative solution based on in house software, a few...

Communication: IT leaders who encourage feedback foster a frank environment where staff members aren't afraid to speak their minds.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)
January 5, 2004... WHAT HAPPENS when IT leaders turn to their staffs for innovative and cost-saving ideas? In an IT department where the lines of communication are truly open and working, those IT leaders hear a lot of useful feedback, but they also get an earful...

Motivation: these IT leaders keep staffers upbeat during lean times by targeting what drives them: technology and training.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)
January 5, 2004... WITH A LIMITED BUDGET in 2000 for Microsoft MCSE certification and 20 networking staffers to train, Miami-Dade County CIO Judi Zito took a chance oil a proposal she hoped would fly with an IT staff that is passionate about technology. ...

Avoiding project pitfalls: IT leaders face down the same challenges you do, every day. Here's how they disarm common project-busters.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)(related article: Don't Try This At Home)
January 5, 2004... YOU ALREADY KNOW that a million things can go wrong with an IT project. And you can probably name the most common culprits off the top of your head: unclear expectations, lack of executive sponsorship and scope creep. This year's Premier...

IT agenda 2004: which technologies will IT Leaders put to the test this year? Here's a look at the four they say are most promising, plus an inside look at how these leaders separate product hype from reality.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)
January 5, 2004... FOR TODAY'S technology leaders, IT not only matters--it can also make or break a company's competitive advantage. Even with the tight economy, this year's Premier 100 IT leaders vehemently disagree with those who equate information systems with...

Inspiration.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)
January 5, 2004... INSPIRING PEOPLE within an organization to do their best and work hard for the common good is the hallmark of a great leader. For Evon L. Jones, senior vice president and CIO at The Dial Corp. in Scottsdale, Ariz., engaging workers in his...

Innovation.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)
January 5, 2004... As CIO at North Bronx Healthcare Network (NBHN), Daniel Morreale has implemented a voice-recognition system, made a risky network upgrade across a sprawling hospital campus and saved money, all while improving the relationship between...

This year's honorees.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)
January 5, 2004... Steven J. Adamo, 43, general manager of business systems development, Panasonic USA, Secaucus, N.J. Austin A. Adams, 60, CI0, Bank One Corp., Chicago Rodney Adkins, 45, general manager, Pervasive and Wireless Computing, IBM. ArmonK...

How they were chosen.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Each year, Computerworld evaluates nominated IT executives in a rigorous survey process. For a detailed look at our methodology, visit our Web site: QuickLink 43549. Special thanks go to our 10 judges, who helped select this year's honorees:...

Worst decisions.(Leader's Almanac)
January 5, 2004... Even the best IT leaders have made blunders in their careers--in fact, those lessons often forge stronger leaders. These are some of the decisions that our Premier 100 IT Leaders would take back if they could. DAN AGRONOW Vice...

Passion.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)
January 5, 2004... MICROSOFT'S .Net development platform was still in beta testing in late 2001 when Patricia Coffey chose it for the front end of a portal site that agents would use to interact with Allstate Insurance Co.'s financial services business. More...

Creativity.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)
January 5, 2004... WHEN THE SALESPEOPLE at Reliant Pharmaceuticals LLC needed an automated system for reporting call activity, they turned to CIO Ronald Calderone. He didn't let them down. The Liberty Corner, N.J.-based company was using an obsolete,...

Determination.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)(Interview)
January 5, 2004... WHEN HE INITIATED a project to bring a corporate portal to Dallas-based convenience store chain 7-Eleven Inc. in 2002, Keith Morrow, CIO and vice president of information systems, took one of the biggest IT risks of his career. From the...

Drive.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)(Interview)
January 5, 2004... EVEN BEFORE Madge M. Meyer was hired as senior vice president of technology infrastructure services at State Street Corp. in 2001, she knew that if she got the job, her top priority would be to save money by running IT more efficiently. ...

Who they are.(Leader's Almanac)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... Premier 100: This year's class 87 are men 13 are women 46 is their average age How they communicate the role and abilities of IT to other business units: * By seeking out opportunities to create synergies...

Candor.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)(Interview)
January 5, 2004... THE SINGLE biggest challenge Randy Cowen has faced over the past few years is learning to do more with less. But it's an art form the CIO of New York-based Goldman Sachs & Co. has mastered quickly. "You have fewer people to do it, and need...

Understanding.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)(Interview)
January 5, 2004... IN SHAPING almost any IT project, the input of the people involved and the validity of the processes must always take priority over the technology itself, says Jeffery C. Almoney, vice president and chief technology officer at The Reynolds and...

Advocacy.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)(Interview)
January 5, 2004... SANJIV ANAND doesn't believe in controlling every aspect of an IT project. Instead, the chief technology officer at Hewitt Associates LLC relies oil his ability to delegate authority after articulating business goals and a vision to his staff....

First jobs.(Leader's Almanac)(Interview)
January 5, 2004... These IT executives weren't born into their leadership roles. Many of this year's Premier 100 IT Leaders started at the bottom and climbed their way up. DAVID JORDAN Chief information security officer, Arlington County Government,...

Influence.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)(Interview)
January 5, 2004... IT WAS A PRETTY BIG task for Dennis Fishback. Not only was he the first CIO at energy producer Calpine Corp., but it was his task to consolidate IT operations and make them more efficient so his organization could support long-term business...

Snapshots.(Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Here are some facts about 2004's Premier 100 IT Leaders The top 5 most hyped technologies 1 CRM * 2 Wireless 3 VoIP * 4 3G * 5 .Net TOP 10: What They're Reading * From Good to Great; Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and...

Staying sane.(Frankly Speaking)(Industry Overview)
January 5, 2004... CORPORATE IT IS A RISKY BUSINESS. That's not new, but it's truer now than ever before. Nothing is guaranteed. Uncertainty is inevitable. Technology, business conditions and strategic requirements change constantly. You can never know in advance...

PeopleSoft at odds with J.D. Edwards user group: software vendor pulls support for conferences being held by independent group of customers.
January 12, 2004... Some users of J.D. Edwards & Co.'s business applications are bristling over new owner PeopleSoft Inc.'s decision not to participate in a regional user group conference that begins today in Chicago. PeopleSoft's withdrawal of support for...

IT execs plan PC replacements; aging systems, rising support costs prod companies to upgrade.(information technology spending outlook)
January 12, 2004... Since the economy began to stumble in mid-2000, many companies have stretched the life cycles of their installed PCs to help trim IT spending. But this could be a big year for refreshing PCs, at least in some IT departments. CIOs at...

Java vendors split on tools effort; interoperability group forms, but IBM and Borland decline to join.(includes FAQ about Java Tools Community)
January 12, 2004... Oracle Corp., Sun Microsystems Inc. and BEA Systems Inc. head a list of 10 vendors that last week formed a joint development group to create and promote standards to make it easier to build interoperable Java tools. By doing so, the new...

QuickPoll results.(Online)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... QuickPoll Results Of the following, which do you think will be the most important IT issues of 2004? Outsourcing 36.6% Privacy 6.1% Security 28.4% Application integration 9.6%...

SEC may charge IBM over IT sale.(At Deadline)(Securities and Exchange Commission)(International Business Machines Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... IBM said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's staff may recommend that civil charges be filed against it in connection with an $11 million sale of used IT equipment to Dollar General Corp. in 2000. The SEC also sent a so-called Wells...

SAP studies apps, mulls code changes.(At Deadline)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... SAP AG said it has assigned a team of developers to analyze its key business applications in search of potential modifications that could lower the company's engineering costs and software integration expenses for corporate users. The project,...

Hacker cops plea in NY Times break-in.(At Deadline)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Hacker Adrian Lamo pleaded guilty to charges that he broke into the computer network of The New York Times Co. in February 2002. Lamo, 22, will be sentenced in April and faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the...

Dell signs deals to expand printer line.(At Deadline)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Dell Inc. said it will "significantly" expand its line of printers and imaging products through sourcing deals with Fuji Xerox Co., Eastman Kodak Co. and Samsung Electronics Co. New products are due this year, said Dell.

Verizon plans faster wireless data network; users say improved throughput could speed synchronization, support e-mail.(News)(also briefly summarizes cellular services from AT&T Wireless, Sprint PCS)
January 12, 2004... PLANS by Verizon Wireless to install a beefed-up cellular data network throughout the U.S. captured the attention of several corporate IT managers, who said the promised throughput levels could support applications such as sales force...

Telecom parent embraces packet switching.(News)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Verizon Communications last week announced plans to shift its nationwide telecommunications network to packet-switched technology as part of a plan to offer new voice-over-IP and multimedia services. The network upgrade, which will include...

IT workers scoff at vendor CEOs' lobbying efforts; calls to help stem U.S. job losses seen as insincere.(News)(outsourcing overseas)
January 12, 2004... A group of influential high-tech CEOs last week released a report that calls on Congress and the Bush administration to avoid protectionist trade measures that could hurt the industry's global competitiveness and lead to a further loss of U.S....

Grids may ease burden on mainframes.(News)
January 12, 2004... Hewitt Associates LLC used IBM mainframe resources for compute-intensive pension calculations that customers entered in through a Web portal. It was a waste of money, and Dan Kaberon knew it. Kaberon, director of computer resource...

Corrections.(News)(Correction Notice)
January 12, 2004... The Dec. 15 story "CRM to Go" indicated that DecisionOne Corp. had ended its entire outsourcing relationship with Electronic Data Systems Corp. in fact, DecisionOne had brought back in-house some IT duties and changed its CRM outsourcer, but it...

Auto parts maker outsources IT.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Key Safety Systems Inc., a Sterling Heights, Mich.-based maker of automotive safety equipment, has signed a 10-year IT outsourcing deal with Perot Systems Corp. Financial details weren't disclosed. The companies said Perot will relocate Key's...

IBM trims more software jobs.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... IBM said it has cut about 300 jobs in its software group and another 100 in its IT services unit, continuing a series of small workforce reductions that began last September and have primarily affected software developers. The latest cutbacks...

Dell adds low-end Gigabit switches.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Dell Inc. announced a line of three unmanaged Gigabit Ethernet switches designed for file sharing and multimedia uses at remote offices, academic institutions and small or midsize companies. Pricing for the PowerConnect 2600 devices starts at...

3M Co.(Short Takes)(Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. to acquire HighJump Software Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... 3M CO. in St. Paul, Minn., said it plans to buy HighJump Software Inc., an Eden Prairie, Minn.-based developer of supply chain execution software. The purchase price wasn't disclosed.

Kana Software Inc.(Short Takes)(to acquire Hipbone Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Menlo Park, Calif.-based CRM vendor KANA SOFTWARE INC. agreed to acquire Hipbone Inc., a maker of online collaboration tools in San Carlos, Calif.

Apple nibbles at new markets ...(On The Mark)
January 12, 2004... ... with its upgraded server and RAID systems as well as new clustering and grid technologies. What's stunning isn't that Apple Computer Inc.'s engineers can, say, design a server with two 2-GHz G5 processors, 1GB of memory, storage capacity of...

3Com to roll out high-speed LAN switch.(News)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... 3Com Corp. today will announce its highest-performance LAN switch to date, as it continues to woo large corporate users through a joint venture with Chinese vendor Huawei Technologies Co. The 3Com Switch 7700R, made by Huawei, supports...

Siebel results for Q4 top projections.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Siebel Systems Inc. said its financial results for last year's fourth quarter will top its projected figures. The company now expects fourth-quarter revenue to total $365 million, with new sales of its CRM software amounting to about $150...

Novell adds SUSE support to Ximian.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Novell Inc., which is buying SUSE Linux A6 [QuickLink 42677], said its Ximian applications for Linux-based PCs now work with SUSE's latest client-level operating system releases. Novell added support for SUSE Linux Desktop and SUSE Linux 9.0 as...

IBM teams up with SUSE on retail IT.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... IBM said it plans by midyear to ship a Linux-based point-of-sale system that uses a version of SUSE Linux's server software customized for retail uses. The new technology is being designed to work with IBM's servers, middleware and SurePOS cash...

SBC Communications Inc.(Short Takes)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... SBC COMMUNICATIONS INC. said it has acquired Callisma Inc., a Palo Alto, Calif.-based consulting firm that plans, designs and installs corporate networks. Financial terms weren't disclosed.

RSA Security Inc.(Short Takes)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Bedford, Mass.-based RSA SECURITY INC. said it expects to report fourth-quarter revenue of about $70 million, beating a prediction of up to $67 million.

Business objects sets sights on integrating analysis tools; plans to blend Crystal products with its business intelligence apps by next year.(News)
January 12, 2004... BUSINESS OBJECTS SA last week said it plans to release a unified set of data analysis and reporting tools next year, combining its business intelligence software with the products developed by Crystal Decisions Inc. San Jose-based Business...

Netegrity to give users provisioning capabilities: acquisition of Business Layers bolsters offerings.(News)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Users implementing identity management projects traditionally have been forced to deal with multiple vendors and products with overlapping functionality to meet their security requirements. But some security technology vendors have begun to...

GAO audit recommends EDS contract be revoked; findings back Lockheed Martin claim.(News)(Electronic Data Systems Corp.)(General Accounting Office)
January 12, 2004... The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's decision last August to award an $860 million IT services contract to Electronic Data Systems Corp. was unreasonable and the contract should be revoked, according to an audit by the General...

Federal CIOs breathe easy over MCI's reinstatement: GSA ends contract suspension for telecom provider.(News)(General Services Administration)
January 12, 2004... The U.S. General Services Administration's decision last week to drop a proposal to bar MCI from competing for federal contracts was a relief to some government IT managers, who now can avoid the costly and time-consuming process of switching...

Flaws raise red flag on Linux security: but many users remain confident about security of open-source environment.(News)
January 12, 2004... A REPORT last week of a critical flaw in the Linux kernel was the latest in a series of recently discovered security problems with the popular open-source operating system. But many users were unfazed by the report and said Linux remains a...

Veritas plans to buy virtualization vendor to boost utility computing: Ejasent's UpScale supports app transfers between different servers.(News)
January 12, 2004... Veritas Software Corp. last week said it plans to buy a small vendor of application virtualization technology in a bid to shore up its utility computing product line, which currently includes server provisioning and performance management...

Dive into think tank.(Opinion)(2004 AD)(Column)
January 12, 2004... READING THE SEASONAL RAFT of predictions about the IT industry for the coming year always makes me a little cross-eyed. That's probably because they're often so ridiculous, so obvious, so wrong or just so useless that I wonder why the industry...

Open-source revs IT engines.(Opinion)(Column)
January 12, 2004... A BOAT with a big Mercury outboard motor from Brunswick Corp. is so retro. What's hot is the company's open-source business integration engine. Brunswick's technology division, dubbed WDI, built a BIE to connect Brunswick's dealers to its...

Information protection isn't about cost; it's about business value.(Availability & Protection)
January 12, 2004... IN THIS EDITION: See how companies are evolving from the traditional notion of disaster recovery as part of a discrete storage and business continuity operation to a more holistic view of information protection and recovery that's rooted in...

U.S. trails world in mobile tech.(Opinion)(United States)(Column)
January 12, 2004... I SPENT AN enormous amount of time traveling last year, much of it outside the U.S. Here are my thoughts on how the U.S. stacks up against other regions of the world for road warriors. First, technology continues to make life easier and...

The 'Dilbert' test.(Readers' Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 12, 2004... THE "ALREADY GONE" ARTICLE in Dec. 8 issue [QuickLink 43001] provided suggestions for assessing the risk that middle management may be ready to exit. But I think the author overlooked perhaps the least expensive option: taking a walk through...

Stick to computers.(Readers' Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 12, 2004... DAN GILLMOR'S column "IT Economy: Half-Empty, and Leaking" [QuickLink 43071] was a political statement with no place in your magazine. Gillmor writes, "The recklessness of current fiscal policy is astounding." Save your liberal ramblings for...

Java can't take the place of Cobol.(Readers' Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 12, 2004... LUCAS MEARIAN'S article "IBM Pushes New Bank Apps" [QuickLink 43037] presented a balanced look at the challenges facing banks as they seek to expose Cobol legacy applications to contemporary platforms, and it's correct that replacement costs...

Merging mainframes: it took a three-year effort, but DaimlerChrysler Services hung on to successfully integrate financial systems at its Chrysler Financial and Mercedes-Benz Credit companies.(Technology)
January 12, 2004... BY ALMOST ANY MEASURE, it was a big IT project: a price tag of $80 million; a project team of 350; 9,000 users; 90 major systems; and countless subsystems converted, enhanced or rewritten. Now, the project at DaimlerChrysler Services North...

Displays go for sharper image: outlook: new display technologies offer sharper pictures and support for 3-D in some devices. But price and performance issues will limit them to specific niches in the near term.(Emerging Technologies)(new display technology's organic light-emitting diodes)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 12, 2004... COMPUTER VENDORS are always introducing faster processors, bigger disk drives and more memory, but monitors have been fairly stable. LCDs are slowly replacing CRT displays on the desktop, but both technologies are actually decades old. Now two...

System, cure thyself: self-healing software and hardware are on the way.(Future Watch)
January 12, 2004... SOME YEARS AGO at an insurance company, a server's file-locking process kept failing, and the vendor couldn't produce a patch to prevent it from happening. As a result, a file could be accessed by more than one user at a time. The...

Priority scheme aids prevention efforts: continuous monitoring and escalation of vulnerability priority levels helps focus IT security efforts as the quantity of issues increases.(Security Manager's Journal)(information technology)
January 12, 2004... I'VE HEARD many metaphors for information security, but one of the more interesting ones compares IT security to the field of dentistry. Dentists used to spend all of their time fixing cavities, and information security professionals did...

Security bookshelf.(Security Log)(Critical Incident Management)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 12, 2004... Critical Incident Management, by Alan B. Sterneckert, Auerbach Publications, 2004. Just about every book on incident management covers the subject from the angle of preparing for, identifying, responding to and recovering from incidents....

TrueActive adds privacy protection.(Security Log)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... TrueActive Software Inc. has added employee privacy controls in the newly released version of its computer activity monitoring software, TrueActive Monitor 5.0. The software, formerly called WinWatWhere, can be configured to not capture...