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John Dix

John Dix

Editor in Chief

Network World, Inc.

Long time follower of all things networking, having joined IDC in 1980 to write about developments in distributed processing, then shifting over to Computerworld in 1984 to chronicle new developments in LAN and WAN technologies, and then helping launch sister publication Network World in 1986 where I've been ever since.  

As Editor in Chief of Network World I'm responsible for setting the strategic direction of our online and print products but also enjoy learning about new companies, new technologies, and anything the network changes or is changed by the network.

Outside of work I'm an avid woodworker, building everything from garages and sheds to cabinets and furniture.

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  • jdix@nww.com
  • 492 Old Connecticut Path
  • Framingham MA 01701

Recent articles by John Dix

Why don't risk management programs work?  

May 20, 2013

When the moderator of a panel discussion at the recent RSA conference asked the audience how many thought their risk management programs were successful, only a handful raised their hands. So Network World Editor in Chief John Dix asked two of the experts on that panel to hash out in an email exchange why these programs don't tend to work. 

SDN coming ... soon

May 20, 2013

Software defined networking was a hot topic at the recent Interop conference in Las Vegas, where enthusiasm for the emerging technology overpowered any lingering doubts.

View from inside Verizon's security SWAT team

May 14, 2013

Bryan Sartin is director of Verizon's RISK Team, the communications provider's computer forensics practice, which is also the group that helps create the annual Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). Network World Editor in Chief John Dix caught up with Sartin to learn more about the RISK Team, get his take on the state of enterprise security, and discuss new findings from the recently published DBIR report.?

Understanding Software Defined Networking

May 13, 2013

If you aren't intimately familiar with Software Defined Networking, don't fret.  Only 10% of 450 IT practitioners at a recent Network World event raised their hands when asked if they understand SDN.  But if the emerging technology lives up to its promise to redefine networking as we know it, there is no time like the present to dig in and learn more.

Time is now for Internet retail tax

May 06, 2013

On the face of it, the bill the Senate is considering to levy taxes on Internet retailers simply makes sense. The states are strapped for cash and we have a bifurcated system that requires local brick and mortar outlets to ante up while letting out of state online retailers off scot free.

Clarifying the role of software-defined networking northbound APIs

May 02, 2013

With software-defined networking the control of the network is pried out of the data handling devices and centralized on a controller that uses a common protocol, OpenFlow, to direct the switches on the southbound side. That much has been established. But what of the oft-mentioned northbound APIs that will let applications tell the controller what they need from the network? What kind of progress is the Open Networking Foundation making on that front? Network World Editor in Chief John Dix put the question to Robert Sherwood, CTO of Big Switch Networks and head of the ONF's Architecture and Framework Working Group, which is responsible for multiple things, including the creation of these northbound APIs.

Gauging BYOD acceptance

April 22, 2013

The debate about the bring-your-own-device movement (BYOD) has quieted down, mostly because, it seems, while IT has been over in the corner arguing the pros and cons, employees have been streaming into office with their shiny new toys and using them to get work done.

The SDN incubator

April 08, 2013

A speaker at a recent Network World event asked the crowd of 450 IT practitioners if they were familiar with software-defined networking (SDN) and only about 10% raised their hands.

Land O'Lakes CIO shares keys to success at IT Roadmap conference

March 25, 2013

Despite all the talk about the economic recovery, the IT purse strings are still pretty tight, at least based on an informal poll of practitioners at the recent Network World IT Roadmap conference in Chicago.

Who has responsibility for cloud security? A Network World roundtable

March 25, 2013

As more organizations leverage the cloud for critical business applications, they are discovering one of the greatest challenges is combining existing internal controls with cloud protection efforts. Highly regulated business and government organizations in particular must maintain comprehensive security and compliance postures across these hybrid systems. Network World explores the issue in-depth with: