This week in Network World

10/28/02

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Nortel finally set for VoIP charge
Nortel this week will release IP telephony gear that promises to scale the company's voice-over-IP support by a factor of 10 while finally bringing its convergence portfolio up to speed with chief rival Cisco.

Answers to your VoIP questions
If you're seriously considering making the voice-over-IP plunge, you no doubt have loads of questions ranging from the technical to the financial to the political. Part 4 of our convergence series.

Microsoft positions Office as .Net client
Network executives last week got a first glimpse at Microsoft's plans to transform its Office suite into an all-purpose network client that can be used to interact with back-end systems easily.

Reviews/Buyer's Guides

Rolling out remote access
We invited leading IPSec-based VPN vendors to provide their best products for serving up enterprise-class remote access to thousands of users.

IPSec VPN alternatives
"Clientless VPN" technology is catching on as the term that describes products that serve as an alternative to traditional IP Security-based VPNs.

Maturity brings a new face to IPSec VPN products
As the VPN market approaches maturity at a brisk pace, vendors have been forced to rethink the tradition identity of their IP Security-based technology for letting users securely access enterprise resources via the Internet.

Tech Update

Network taps enable passive monitoring
Network taps can function as an access port for any monitoring device used to collect in-line data, including intrusion detection, protocol analysis, denial of service and remote monitoring tools.

Management Strategies

Seeking security skills
Across the country, IT shops that want to beef up network security are having a hard time finding network engineers with security expertise.

The Edge

Redback CEO views industry downturn as opportunity
Redback Networks President and CEO Kevin DeNuccio shares his perspective on the telecom downturn.

The Edge briefs
SONET switch start-up Akara and facilities-based carrier LightWave Communications last week announced the launch of LightWave's 'storage over SONET' managed service offering, which uses Akara's OUSP SONET multiplexer.

Net.Worker

Fiber to the home market in gear
Towns are turning to optical technology for super-fast, future-proof communications.

Net.Worker Briefs
The Internet Home Alliance this week is announcing eight new members, including ADT, CompUSA, IBM, Samsung, Sunbeam and Symbol Technologies.

More news

DDoS attack highlights 'Net problems
Last week's distributed denial-of-service attack against the Internet's root servers underscores that much of the Internet's infrastructure remains vulnerable to these common hacker attacks and more sophisticated assaults that might be on the horizon, experts say.

Vieo looks to automate application management
A small company new to systems management says its hardware appliance will give network managers a real-time, automated alternative to the traditional software tools used to manage complicated application server environments.

NTT/Verio rolls out CDN service
NTT/Verio has expanded its IP services by adding a content delivery feature for customers who want to speed Web content to end users around the globe.

Wireless LAN attacks grow in sophistication
During the past year, wireless LAN security threats have multiplied, according to users, vendors and consultants. There are more attack applications available, the applications are more sophisticated and highly automated and the weaknesses of various wireless hardware and software products are documented more extensively and precisely.

Calendaring standards gain popularity
Calendaring standards gain popularity

The worm that ate the Internet?
Computer-science researchers are predicting that new types of dangerous worms are on their way with the ability to infect Web servers, browsers and other software so quickly that the Internet could be taken down in a matter of minutes.

3Com knows jack - Network Jack
3Com this week is releasing an SNMP-manageable version of its Network Jack that is intended to increase the number of Ethernet ports in cubicles or office faceplates while not requiring company's to pull costly new wires to desktops.

Foundry pushes copper Gig
Foundry pushes copper gigabit, load balancing into midsize businesses

Esrey looks toward level pricing field
Esrey is indeed the only telecommunications CEO with staying power. He recently spoke with Network World Senior Editor Denise Pappalardo.

Storage management, performance wares on tap at show
A handful of big-name vendors - from BMC Software to IBM - this week at Storage Networking World will roll out products for making storage more flexible and easier to manage across networks.

IBM improves autonomic efforts
Last week IBM re-emphasized how much it believes in autonomic computing by forming an autonomic computing division dedicated to expediting the addition of self-managing and self-correcting features throughout its products and services.

Novell might reabsorb caching spinoff
Novell is reportedly close to pulling the plug on its less-than-2-year-old caching spinoff Volera.

Catching up with Veritas on storage
Network World Senior Editor Deni Connor met with Mark Bregman, executive vice president of product operations at Veritas, to discuss how the company views storage and how it competes with other vendors in the market.

Start-ups key in on Web services
Two start-ups last week introduced products that should help corporate customers monitor and manage Web services environments.

Microsoft relents, issues XP patch
Plus: HP braces for another tough year; AT&T will take advantage of tough times; and Premonitia closes up.

enterprise Applications briefs
Nokia and Hewlett-Packard have joined forces to create a product package for remote asset management over wireless links, the companies said last week. The package combines the Nokia M2M Platform, a machine-to-machine communication product, and HP's Open

infra briefs
Stratus believes in Windows.

Cisco acquires Psionic Software
Cisco last week acquired intrusion-detection system software maker Psionic Software for $12 million in stock.

Sun increases blade power
Sun is phasing out its 900-MHz Sun Blade 2000 high-end workstation with a faster-processor model, but the upgrade will not affect the Unix machine's entry-level price, the company said last week.

Verizon president sets sights on AT&T
We recently sat down with Eduardo Menasce, president of Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group, to discuss the evolution of the telecom market.

Service Provider briefs
Infonet announced last week a partnership with Polycom to offer video-over-IP services for its global business customers.

Past issues