VoIP / Convergence

What if you can't get to the cloud?

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:28:53 -0400

Encrypted hard drives are a better option in my opinion. At least in my business you can't always get to the cloud; copies of data will be on the hard drive. Encrypting the entire drive is a very reasonable option for enterprises.

RE: Silly Internet Traditions: A Concise History

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:10:48 -0400

First!

Sneak peek at Summer/Fall 2008 Cisco product quick reference guide

Brad Reese — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:51:34 -0400

BradReese.Com already features 10 years worth of Cisco Product Quick Reference Guides, and soon it will be 11 years with the new Summer/Fall 2008 issue which will begin shipping on July 15, 2008. View a Sneak Peek of the Summer/Fall 2008 Guide. What's new in this edition?

	A new high-quality design
	Updated content template
	Current product information
	Two new chapters – Data Center Networking and Cisco Services
	Cisco Nexus Series Switches
	Cisco Application Control Engines (ACEs)
	Cisco uBR7225 Universal Broadband Routers
	Cisco Unified Mobile Communicator
	Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business
	Cisco ASR 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers
	Cisco Catalyst 4500 E- Series Switches
	Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Points
	Cisco Video Assurance Management Solution (VAMS)
	Cisco TelePresence Systems
	Cisco Digital Media Systems

Side Note: Yours truly has had amazing success meeting women at bars by using the Cisco Product Quick Reference Guide as a prop. Invariably the most attractive females will notice your studious behavior and ask what you are reading. Order your very own babemeister guide today, the Summer/Fall 2008 Edition. View Cisco CPQRGs going back 10 years.

Does anyone have a Cisco CPQRG in PDF before 1998? http://www.BradReese.Com


	Michael Kyereme pleads guilty to $6.9M Cisco SMARTnet fraud
	Cisco's immigration law firm audited for improper behavior by U.S. Department of Labor
	Former top Cisco executive becomes new Chairman of enterprise mobility vendor Agito Networks
	AirTight Networks vs. Cisco: Promises are not always kept
	NetFlow is not being used by 77 percent of IT professionals
	Brad Reese on Cisco Story Archives

Cisco Jobs Cisco Repair Cisco Resumes Cisco Power Supplies

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Compliance Concerns: SOX

Matthew Nickasch — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:36:59 -0400

As if managing the day-to-day operations of your telecommunications infrastructure isn't difficult enough, then consider compliance. SOX, HIPAA... you know the drill. Modern-day regulations designed to improve security, confidentiality, and authenticity can mean major headaches for IT managers, especially telecom managers! Today, we'll focus on how SOX can impact your day-to-day telecommunications operations, and what to expect. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was created and enacted into law to minimize corporate and accounting scandals, similar to Enron, Tyco, and WorldCom. Within SOX, there are 11 compliance "titles" that effectively act as an oversight mechanism. So, how does SOX affect telecom managers? Simple answer: in many ways.

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Voice Gateways and Cisco Unified Communications Manager

Dennis Hartmann — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:43:07 -0400

Various gateway protocols are supported with Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM). The gateway protocols include H.323, MGCP (Media Gateway Control Protocol), SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), and SCCP (Skinny Client Control Protocol). Protocol selection should be based on various criteria including the following:

• Cisco IOS proficiency level
• Hardware Selection
• Cisco IOS access level
• Telephony feature support
• Fault Tolerance Requirements
• IOS Revision

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CCIE

Voicemail is just the tip of the iceberg -- the real problem is telephones themselves

CurtMonash — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:43:16 -0400

For once in his life, Michael Arrington understated his point. His recent rant against voicemail echoes my feelings on the subject. But I go even further -- I don't want people to telephone at all without a prior appointment.

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Please hold your call is being transferred to a phreak...(the insecurity of voice)

ronaldxbartels — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:45:59 -0400

Information security largely focuses on data communications, and voice is often ignored. Every successful hack or extortion has a phone involved somewhere in the process, but in most cases the phone is a silent and overlooked component in the forensics.

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Network World Community

5 Tips For Better Telecom Security

Matthew Nickasch — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:40:09 -0400

Telecom security often goes unnoticed. It's not that security isn't important in PBXes, media gateways, access servers, and other equipment, but security in the Convergence field can be forgotten. Here are 5 Tips For Better Telecom Security:

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Reader Panel

Michael Kyereme pleads guilty to $6.9M Cisco SMARTnet fraud

Brad Reese — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:27:30 -0400

Yesterday, 41 year old Michael Kyereme a/k/a "Michael Appiahkyeremeh" of Piscataway - New Jersey, pled guilty to charges of mail fraud and tax evasion. In his mail fraud guilty plea, Kyereme admitted defrauding Cisco out of $6.9 million in replacement parts by scamming the Cisco SMARTnet Service program. Here is how Kyereme's SMARTnet scam worked: As an independent contractor hired to provide information technology support to the City of Newark, Kyereme was responsible for assisting Newark employees when computer problems arose that required technical support or trouble-shooting by a computer technician. If it was determined that a computer related problem could not be solved without outside assistance or a replacement part, Kyereme was authorized to contact Cisco for technical assistance and if necessary, to request a replacement part under Cisco SMARTnet. Starting in January 2003, Kyereme would falsely claim that certain Cisco parts in the City of Newark's computer systems were malfunctioning and thus required replacement. In response to those numerous requests, Cisco sent approximately 280 replacement parts to Kyereme on behalf of the City of Newark. Instead of installing the parts into the City of Newark's computer system, Kyereme would sell the parts to a third party in California, pocket the illicit proceeds and return parts of lesser value to Cisco. In all, Kyereme failed to return 148 parts to Cisco and of the approximately 132 parts that he did return, only 33 of those parts matched the type of part originally sent by Cisco to Kyereme. Kyereme did not dispute that on or about November 7 - 2006, he requested a replacement part for a one-port optical card, falsely claiming that the part in Newark’s computer system was not responding to his trouble-shooting efforts. According to the information to which Kyereme pled guilty, Cisco then sent Kyereme via Federal Express a replacement part of the exact type alleged to be inoperable – a working one-port optical card, with a commercial value of approximately $260,000 and Kyereme returned a different part – an eight-port adapter worth approximately $2,000. It is interesting to note that upon his arrest by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on March 2 - 2007, Kyereme had $3 million in stolen Cisco parts stashed within his home and car. Kyereme faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the mail fraud offense and a fine of up to $250,000. In his tax evasion guilty plea, Kyereme admitted that on or about April 15, 2007, he filed a fraudulent personal tax return, with the IRS, which stated that his taxable income for the calendar year 2006 was approximately $81,494 and claiming a refund of approximately $4,034 was due to him. In fact, Kyereme admitted his tax return failed to report $1,242,483 of income in 2006 that he illicitly derived from the sale of stolen Cisco parts. He also admitted that an additional tax of approximately $429,826 was due the United States. Kyereme also admitted that he filed personal income tax returns with the IRS for 2003, 2004 and 2005, which understated the amount of taxable income he received for those calendar years. Additionally, he admitted that for tax years 2003 through 2006, a total additional tax of approximately $669,234 was due the United States. He faces a statutory maximum of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000 for the tax evasion offense. Sentencing is scheduled for November 5th - 2008, meanwhile Kyereme remains free on electronic monitoring and a $500,000 bond secured by five properties. View the United States of America vs. Michael Kyereme

Since he is currently free on bond, do YOU think Kyereme will still be around come sentencing time this November 5th? http://www.BradReese.Com


	Cisco's immigration law firm audited for improper behavior by U.S. Department of Labor
	Former top Cisco executive becomes new Chairman of enterprise mobility vendor Agito Networks
	AirTight Networks vs. Cisco: Promises are not always kept
	NetFlow is not being used by 77 percent of IT professionals
	Closer look: sFlow better than NetFlow?
	Brad Reese on Cisco Story Archives

Cisco Repair Cisco VoIP Gateways Cisco Power Supplies Cisco Aironet Wireless

Read more

What is your suggestion at this point in time

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:33:55 -0400

For e-mail archiving verses status quo backup tapes etc.?

Cisco's immigration law firm audited for improper behavior by U.S. Department of Labor

Brad Reese — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:16:16 -0400

The U.S. Department of Labor is auditing all the permanent labor certification applications filed by Cisco's immigration law attorneys at Fragomen - Del Rey - Bernsen & Loewy LLP. The purpose of the audit is to determine whether the nation's largest immigration law firm improperly instructed clients to contact Fragomen before hiring apparently qualified U.S. workers. Such activity would be considered improper attorney involvement in the consideration of U.S. worker applicants. U.S. Department of Labor regulations specifically prohibit an employer's immigration attorney or agent from participating in considering the qualifications of U.S. workers who apply for positions for which certification is sought, unless the attorney is normally involved in the employer's routine hiring process.

"The department's decision to further investigate these applications will help ensure the integrity of the permanent labor certification process and ultimately protect job opportunities for American workers," said Gregory F. Jacob - Solicitor of Labor for the U.S. Department of Labor. "The department takes seriously its responsibility to ensure that American workers have access to jobs they are qualified and willing to do and that their wages and working conditions are not adversely affected by the hiring of foreign workers."

The American Immigration Lawyers Association immediately went on the offensive in support of Cisco's immigration law firm - Fragomen - Del Rey - Bernsen & Loewy LLP, by chastising the Department of Labor's use of conclusory statements in its press release. View Department of Labor Q&A on Fragomen Audit (2) What incident/incidents prompted this audit? The Department identified information indicating that in at least some cases the firm may have improperly instructed clients who filed permanent labor certification applications to contact their attorney before hiring apparently qualified U.S. workers. Specifically, several recruitment forms drafted by some Fragomen attorneys instructed their clients that:

"After interview, should any of the applicants appear to be qualified for the position, please contact a Fragomen attorney immediately to further discuss the candidate’s background as it relates to the requirements stated for said position," or some variation thereof.

View the CNN Lou Dobbs video of the above Labor Department audit: At the 1:38 time point in the above CNN video, network engineer David Huber is interviewed about his response to a Chicago newspaper employment advertisement. According to an email message from Norm Matloff - professor of computer science at the University of California - Davis, the unidentified software company/high tech internet company whose ad in the Chicago newspaper David Huber responded to in the above video, was in actuality an ad that was placed by Fragomen's immigration law client, Cisco Systems. Cisco ad that appeared in the Chicago Tribune: View explanation of the Cisco ad above that appeared in the Chicago Tribune. Note: Neither Megan Clarke at Fragomen's Santa Clara, CA office nor Cisco itself responded to telephone inquiries by yours truly for comment. Update: July 8th, 2008

Fragomen Statement And Letter From Ad Agency (appeared online in the Immigration Daily ILW.com) Letter from Miller Advertising Agency FRAGOMEN STATEMENT CONCERNING DAVID HUBER'S ALLEGATIONS View statement David Huber is a committed opponent of immigration. A year before he ever responded to the advertisement in question, he testified in Congress against permitting foreign workers in the U.S. Testimony Before the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims By David Huber March 30, 2006 These are the accurate facts concerning the ad he has publicly described having responded to: The ad Mr. Huber responded to directed him to send his resume to the employer at the employer's street address. It did not refer to Fragomen or direct resumes to Fragomen. The name "M.E. Clarke" -- who is a Fragomen employee -- was used temporarily by the employer's mailroom to identify a mailstop at the employer's request. There was no indication in the ad of any connection between M.E. Clarke and Fragomen. M.E. Clarke provided clerical support to the employer's H.R. function, including collecting resumes to ensure that they would be properly and promptly distributed to the appropriate hiring managers for evaluation. Neither M.E. Clarke nor any other Fragomen employee reviewed or evaluated the resumes received to assess the applicants' credentials. No interview was conducted by any Fragomen employee. No hiring decision was made by any Fragomen employee. Mr. Huber's resume was evaluated solely by the employer, and the employer determined Mr. Huber was not qualified for the job.

At the 0:50 time point in the below video learn more about the Cisco job ad: Professor Norm Matloff describes the Cisco ad:

Now, I urge everyone to see another video (the one directly above), this one by journalist Sue Kwon at the CBS affiliate in San Francisco, there you'll see unemployed programmer David Huber, telling the viewing audience exactly what happened when he applied for a job at Cisco Systems. Turned out that the contact person stated in the Chicago Tribune ad was a lawyer with...Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP. Programmer Pete Bennett is also featured. Dave Huber has given me some details on his adventure with Cisco and Fragomen, permitting me to share here: Regarding speaking with [Fragomen's] Megan Clarke: If you recall, I saw the ad on Sunday, June 3, 2007. On Monday morning, June 4, 2007, I called Cisco's HQ in San Jose and spoke with a random operator. I confirmed that the person I was talking to was working at Cisco in San Jose. I asked the operator something to the effect I was trying to contact a M E Clarke. The operator said Clarke didn't work at Cisco, but that there was a Megan Clarke, who worked at Fragomen. I had never heard of Fragomen. (And, of course, I didn't even know about the C&G [Cohen & Grigsby] seminar.) So I googled Fragomen and found out it was an immigration law firm. I'm getting more curious now, so I decided to contact the closest Fragomen office to San Jose. This office happened to be in Santa Clara. I called the Santa Clara Fragomen office, and actually spoke with a Megan Clarke. I asked her about the ad I saw. I confirmed through my brief conversation with her, that she was the M E Clarke in the Cisco ad. At first, she seemed open, and somewhat willing to answer my questions about the ad. After about 2-3 minutes, I heard a sense of nervousness in Ms. Clarke's voice, and she sort of ended the conversation by saying I should just respond to the ad. My recollection of this was that I was even more perplexed, thinking that something just wasn't right: the newspaper ad; the immigration law firm referenced in ad. Well, I think the mystery was solved for me when I saw that C & G video. After about almost a month (end of June), I decided, just for grins, to respond to the Cisco newspaper ad. I sent my resume, via registered mail, to the Cisco address in the ad. I did get an eventual response from Cisco, which I think was a result of this specific ad I responded to with registered mail. An Indian contracting firm contacted me about a job at Cisco in San Jose, paying the princely sum of about $30 or $35/hour. This compensation was/is a joke, needless to say.

View Professor Norm Matloff's email message in its entirety. View an updated email message from Professor Matloff. Once more, the U.S. Department of Labor specifically states: Where an employer does not normally involve immigration attorneys in its hiring process, there is no legitimate reason to consult with immigration attorneys before hiring apparently qualified U.S. workers who have responded to recruitment required by the permanent labor certification program. Resources: View letter from the Miller Advertising Agency explaining to Fragomen why the law firm has been appearing on the employment ads of Fragomen immigration law clients. U.S. Department of Labor press release as well as Q&A on Fragomen audit. View the American Immigration Lawyers Association Complaint Letter chastising the Department of Labor's use of conclusory statements in its press release and Q&A. Pay special attention to Page 2, 2nd Paragraph, Last Sentence of the AILA letter: "This was a tacit acknowledgement of the role of the attorney in advising employers regarding what elements on those resumes they could or could not take into account when considering applicants." In the opinion of yours truly, the American Immigration Lawyers Association admits in the above statement, that a client could use the services of a knowledgeable immigration law firm to meet the letter of the law, while intentionally pushing away qualified U.S. workers in favor of non-U.S. workers when hiring skilled positions.

Why do YOU think Cisco's immigration law attorneys were the contact for this Chicago newspaper ad, which according to the Department of Labor would be improper attorney involvement? http://www.BradReese.Com


	Former top Cisco executive becomes new Chairman of enterprise mobility vendor Agito Networks
	AirTight Networks vs. Cisco: Promises are not always kept
	NetFlow is not being used by 77 percent of IT professionals
	Closer look: sFlow better than NetFlow?
	Cisco CBQoS delivers powerful QoS policy metrics
	Brad Reese on Cisco Story Archives

Cisco Jobs Cisco Repair Cisco Resumes Cisco Power Supplies

Read more

t-mobil voip

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:51:38 -0400

Magic Stick is the cheapest VOIP at $19 a year

iPhones and Smart phones and Blackberrys, Oh My!

Matt Konwiser — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:47:09 -0400

I've already had the discussion about whether Apple can cut it in the Enterprise arena. Whether the facts are there to support the hype or not, they seem to be leading the mindshare department. I'm still a Blackberry user (the Curve now) but I have decided to make the switch to another platform. I was pretty hard core on a Windows Mobile device but with the iPhone release imminent, I may just get one of those.

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Former top Cisco executive becomes new Chairman of enterprise mobility vendor Agito Networks

Brad Reese — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:13:33 -0400

Along with announcing its latest round of funding and a new international strategic investor today - June 30th, Agito Networks also announced a new executive chairman of its Board of Directors. Network World readers will recognize the name of Agito’s new appointee. The latest member of Agito’s Board of Directors is David Leonard, former vice president and general manager of the Cisco Wireless Networking Business Unit and Desktop Switching Business Unit.

While at Cisco, Mr. Leonard helped grow Cisco’s wireless and Ethernet product lines to the number one industry ranking in their respective markets. Mr. Leonard has been gone from Cisco for six months, and we caught up with him recently to see what he’s been up to. When and how did you arrive at Cisco? I joined Cisco in October 1995 through Cisco’s acquisition of Grand Junction Networks. At Grand Junction, I served as an engineering leader charged with developing their first 100 mbs Ethernet switch.
What was your first job at Cisco, when did you get promoted to Cisco VP/GM, and what were your jobs in between? My first job at Cisco was as the Director of Engineering, as I continued to lead the team developing the stackable 10/100 Ehternet switching product line. I became the VP of Engineering for the Wireless Networking Business Unit in 2000. I was later promoted to VP/GM of the Wireless Network BU in 2005. Then, I moved over and became the VP/GM of the Desktop Switching Business Unit in October 2005, the position I had through January 2008.
How would you describe your experience at Cisco? Cisco was an excellent experience for me. It is an invaluable and deeply satisfying experience to achieve the kind of market success that we did, in both the Ethernet Switch and Wireless market places. Cisco is the kind of company that demands high quality solutions that can scale to massive volumes very quickly.
When and why did you leave Cisco and what have you been doing since leaving? I left Cisco in January 2008 so that I could start a new venture that is focused on energy conservation. Specifically it has to do with solid state lighting control. My company will be leading the way by making a control and power solution that will dramatically increase the value proposition for LED lighting and revolutionize commercial lighting. We are very close to closing our first round of funding.
When and how did you hear about Agito Networks? I had been a personal advisor to Agito’s two founders even before they got funding in 2006 as they were friends and former co-workers of mine at Cisco.
Why were you interested in continuing to follow Agito? With my background, I knew I could provide some guidance and experience for the company, as well as help make introductions to some key accounts and partnerships in the industry. I have been interested in making WiFi technology a key part of the voice infrastructure for the enterprise for many years now. Now, with the products that Agito is bringing to the market, this can become a reality. The team at Agito and what they have been able to accomplish has impressed me. With all the talk of FMC over the years from carriers and enterprise providers alike, these Agito guys that I knew while at Cisco have developed the industry’s only eFMC solution that is enterprise grade. This is important because high performance and highly available voice, as well as native integration into directory stores, is critical for today’s enterprise customers. The team at Agito has developed a solution that collects and uses an extreme amount of detail from the wireless networks around mobile users, and ensures that users are on whatever network makes the most sense. It’s this differentiation in the market that has led to numerous customer wins recently, and it’s why partners like Cisco are selecting Agito to partner with over other solutions.
How did you get to become Executive Chairman of Agito’s Board? I have been interested in helping Agito since it was founded. Now that I am not at Cisco, I am free to take on this kind of role for the company. When I was asked by the other board members to do this, I welcomed the opportunity.
How do you think you can help Agito? My experience in bringing wireless and wired networking products to market should be helpful to Agito. I can also help by advising on operational issues, and in recruiting top talent to their already impressive staff.
From your experience and what you’ve seen, what do you think are the prospects for Agito? I am very excited about Agito’s prospects. The Agito solution will make the enterprise cell phone an even better productivity tool. Agito can become a standard capability for most enterprises.
What does Agito need to do to succeed in this tough market? Agito needs to continue developing a deep understanding of their customers’ needs. The current solution is just the beginning. The Agito system needs to continue to increase the value it brings to the telecommunication infrastructure of a company. Key to Agito’s success will be continuing to work hard to make this solution even more valuable, while establishing great customer and partner relationships.
To change subjects here at the end, David, what can you tell us about your current venture? The company is called Redwood Systems. We are a team of networking and lighting professionals that will make LED lighting an incredibly valuable asset to the commercial buildings of the future. Our passion is for energy conservation through intelligent control. We will make workplaces more productive for employees while slashing the use of electricity for lighting by a factor of five.
Why do YOU think so many top executives of Cisco are leaving? http://www.BradReese.Com

AirTight Networks vs. Cisco: Promises are not always kept

NetFlow is not being used by 77 percent of IT professionals

Closer look: sFlow better than NetFlow?

Cisco CBQoS delivers powerful QoS policy metrics

Giancarlo vs. Chambers: Former number two at Cisco becomes number one at competitor Avaya

Brad Reese on Cisco Story Archives

Cisco Repair Cisco VoIP Gateways Cisco Power Supplies Cisco Aironet Wireless

Read more

911 and E911

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:18:02 -0400
Is there any information available about 911 and E911 that is more current than 2005? I've been paying for both at my current residence for 11 years, and if I call 911 for emergency service, on a landline, they can't find my house. What's the scoop? (Convergence & VoIP Alert By Steve Taylor and Larry Hettick , Network World , 09/28/2005) What is VoIP? Service in 2005? What happens if my house catches on fire now, in 2008?

Security: From Then To Now

Matthew Nickasch — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:13:10 -0400
Security, in any sense, is an ever-evolving subject. At any "piece" of the puzzle, security standards, practices, and strategies rarely stay the same. When it comes to Unified Communications, Convergence, and VoIP, the same is true. In the last few years, much has obviously evolved. When introducing voice applications and services, those of which are obviously critical, moved to an IP environment, a Pandora's Box of sorts was opened. Telecom managers that were used to operating "closed" TDM and analog voice infrastructures were forced to change, and fast. In the midst of feature deployment, massive endpoint rollouts, and new system management functions, security can easily be forgotten.

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Converged networks challenge Homeland Security

Layer 8 — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:25:33 -0400

Converging networks and data centers is a challenge but perhaps more so to the folks charged with watching over the nation’s telecommunications and cyber framework.

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AirTight Networks vs. Cisco: Promises are not always kept

Brad Reese — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:07:55 -0400

Author's Note: For the sole purpose of initiating technical debate, the following content in its entirety contains the viewpoint of AirTight Networks regarding a recent Cisco technology announcement, and in no way reflects the opinion or offers an endorsement by the Author or Network World.

Thoughts on the Cisco Mobile Vision announcement from Pravin Bhagwat - CTO of AirTight Networks: AirTight welcomes Cisco to the WIPS party! All these years, Cisco has been in a state of denial and thus has missed prime time for the innovations and experience required to build an effective WIPS.
Though four years late, it is a very good development - especially for WIPS vendors such as AirTight. The Cisco announcement can only lead to more clarity in WIPS market landscape and help customers make objective and informed decisions about their wireless security infrastructure investments. For more than four years Cisco has been trying hard to convince their customers that the wireless intrusion detection (WIDS) capability already integrated in its APs, WLC & WCS was good enough protection and that the dedicated sensors and separate appliances sold by WIPS vendors were totally unnecessary.
Change of heart on Cisco’s part is vindication of WIPS vendors’ position all along? Its recent announcement of a Mobile Service Engine (MSE) platform, - an extended WIPS capability as part of Cisco’s Unified Wireless Network (CUWN) - signals a radical change in Cisco’s earlier position on WIPS. The new Cisco message appears to say:
"Mr. Customer, please forget what we told you in the past." "WIPS capability integrated in Cisco WCS isn’t enough." "Please plan on adding dedicated sensors and a separate appliance (for security data aggregation, correlation and event processing) to get equivalent of overlay WIPS protection from Cisco United Wireless Network."

Marketing vision ≠ technical execution Cisco has done a very good job of articulating the business benefits of adopting wireless and enabling a mobile enterprise for which we applaud them. The vision is great, but don’t expect its system to automatically deliver what Cisco marketing has promised. Verify each claim through 3rd party tests, analyst reports and your own bake-off before making a BUY decision. Cisco has a track record of making preemptive marketing announcements and then failing to deliver on the promise. Remember the Cisco Structured Wireless Aware Network (SWAN) announcement in 2004! The promise of SWAN remains unfulfilled even after four years and multiple technology acquisitions.
Functionality gap for Cisco vis-à-vis WIPS vendors is too wide to be filled at this point of time! Overlay WIPS vendors have been innovating, building, delivering and enhancing their offerings relentlessly over the last 6 years! AirTight Networks Patent Information The functionality gap between overlay WIPS (such as AirTight) and what Cisco is now repackaging as adaptive WIPS is too wide to be bridged with marketing messages alone! Functionality gaps reported in an independent Tolly report test two years ago still persist. With the exception of a new adjective adaptive, nothing else seems to have changed.
A blind spot in vision? Aside from protecting WLAN infrastructure from all sorts of attacks and intrusion attempts, another equally important problem is to control wireless mobile clients from connecting to neighbor networks. The increased usage of Wi-Fi enabled iPhones, Blackberry, mobile phones make keeping a mobile workforce compliant with security policies increasingly difficult. Cisco’s adaptive WIPS announcement is totally mum about how the proposed architecture would tackle this challenge. Since traffic from these devices would not even flow through wired infrastructure, neither 802.1x, nor wired side control nor MFP would solve this problem.
Separation of Church and State The biggest selling point of Cisco adaptive WIPS is that it is integrated with Cisco’s Unified Wireless Network (CUWN). Of course, Cisco would like to act both as Church and State, but it is not in the best interest of the customers, auditors and risk managers to depend on Cisco’s architecture where flexibility to combine the best of the breed functionality from multiple technology providers is compromised.
Conclusion If you are serious about security, will you wait another 2-3 years till Cisco delivers a weak solution or do you want to be secure today? Do you want the best technology for wireless intrusion prevention which has been tried, tested, hardened and is ready to deliver and surpass the future promise which Cisco has laid out in its recent announcement?
Do YOU agree that promises are not always kept? http://www.BradReese.Com

WildPackets bombards competition with SuperCore announcement at Cisco Live! 2008

ADC demonstrating energy efficient data center solutions at Cisco Live! 2008

NetFlow is not being used by 77 percent of IT professionals

Closer look: sFlow better than NetFlow?

Cisco CBQoS delivers powerful QoS policy metrics

Brad Reese on Cisco Story Archives

Cisco Repair Cisco VoIP Gateways Cisco Power Supplies Cisco Aironet Wireless

Read more

Cisco updates available

Cisco Subnet — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:47:05 -0400
See Cisco Security Advisory: Cisco Unified Communications Manager Denial of Service and Authentication Bypass Vulnerabilities Go to Cisco Subnet for more Cisco news, blogs, discussion forums, security alerts, book giveaways, and more.

Padmasree Warrior cries: Innovation through collaboration!

Cisco Subnet — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:34:57 -0400

The next wave of IT innovation must meet the demands of a mobile, urban planet, said Cisco CTO Padmasree Warrior at her CiscoLive! keynote address in Orlando this week. And this demographic will collaborate globally to innovate, which means IT vendors must innovate so they can collaborate, Warrior said. IT up to now has been a catalyst for globalization; but it is now a major influencer of innovation, she said.

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	WildPackets bombards competition with SuperCore announcement at Cisco Live! 2008
	ADC demonstrating energy efficient data center solutions at Cisco Live! 2008
	NetFlow is not being used by 77 percent of IT professionals
	Closer look: sFlow better than NetFlow?
	Cisco CBQoS delivers powerful QoS policy metrics
	Brad Reese on Cisco Story Archives