Microsoft sells ID mgmt. plan
Microsoft last week laid out a model for a distributed identity infrastructure designed to simplify access to corporate resources
and protect user privacy across the Internet.
Energy firm earns net award
A network overhaul that linked corporate locations with optical Ethernet, built in QoS for demanding new applications and
swapped Centrex for VoIP earned PPL Corp. Network World's top honors in the first-ever Renovator Award.
Extortion via DDoS on the rise
Criminals are increasingly targeting corporations with distributed denial-of-service attacks designed not to disrupt business
networks but to extort thousands of dollars from the companies.
A robot in your future?
Today, we've got iPods, X-boxes, PDAs, GPS, DVDs, DSL, Wi-Fi, smart phones, hot spots, laptops and TiVo. But where are all
the robots? Shouldn't we all have robots mowing our lawns, cleaning our houses and catering to our every need by now?
Vendors automate server management
A pair of vendors this week separately plan to announce products designed to help automate the oversight of constantly changing
server networks.
Net overhaul alters engineers work
Psomas earned a top spot in the Network World Renovator Award contest for a network overhaul that involved migrating from
frame relay to Multi-protocol Label Switching and implementing a wide-area file distribution service that changed the way
company en
School district saves with VoIP, open source
The Saugus Union School District reached the Network World Renovator Award finals for a wide-ranging network overhaul that
involved laying a foundation of 100/1000M bit/sec Ethernet, installing IP-based telephony, delivering on-demand video and
migrating
3Com to integrate IPS with switches and routers
3Com later this year will integrate its intrusion-prevention gear with its network equipment in an effort to let customers
quarantine attacks by shutting down switch ports and redirecting users to restricted virtual LANs .
Sun acquisitions fill out grid plans
While struggling to reinvigorate its hardware business, Sun continues to focus on software and services as it aims to change
the way companies buy and deploy IT.
Tools, services help test VoIP quality
Integrate Research and Empirix rollout voice-over-IP testing tools.
In brief: U.S. government seeks bids on huge telecom project
Plus: Indiana man slapped with jail sentence for role in hacking the DoD; Mozilla patches two holes in Firefox; Microsoft
and Sun take steps toward single sign-on; and, Microsoft plans simplified licensing terms.
Nortel's Owens has his work cut out
A year after taking reins, challenges trump accomplishments.
EMC storage router to make debut
EMC this week is expected to unveil its much-anticipated storage router, a hardware and software package designed to optimize
use of storage resources and ease the movement of data across heterogeneous environments.
Ethernet tweaks make protocol fit for factory nets
Several efforts in Ethernet development and add-on technologies to the standard are making it possible for lower-cost Ethernet
gear to be deployed in factory networks, where LAN gear controls the precise movements and actions of machine tools, and a
dropped packet or network delay can be costly.
DWDM is the right RX for New York Presbyterian Hospital
Leasing fiber from a New York-area network consortium for research and educational organizations, rather than buying network
services from Verizon, provides more bandwidth and saves the hospital $151,000 per year.
Roving Planet upgrades WLAN management suite
Roving Planet has rebuilt its wireless LAN authentication software to let customers more easily manage WLANs at multiple sites.
IBM buys open source middleware player
Acquiring Gluecode Software broadens Big Blue's service offerings that may appeal to smaller firms.
Novell snaps up Linux security company
Novell last week said it has acquired Immunix, a 7-year-old company founded in part with money from the Department of Defense's
central R&D organization to develop security software for Linux.
Check Point updates mgmt., security software
Check Point is wheeling out a big software upgrade across its product lines that increases security and makes it easier for
users to manage its platforms day-to-day.
In brief: IBM releases identity manager
Plus: Symantec beefs up Symbian firewall.
Network management goes open source
Open source vendors and developers are bringing a new breed of products to market that could shatter that perception and provide
customers with inexpensive, flexible and easy-to-integrate management tools.
In brief: Microsoft unveils business-objectives beta
Plus: ScanSoft to buy Nuance.
Brokerage firm shaking up insurance industry
The insurance industry is getting a jolt of technological savvy from a company of forward-thinking brokers who have established
the first-ever online auction site focused on selling unwanted life insurance policies.
Start-up tackles server management
After almost three years in stealth mode doing research and development, Symbium officially launched late last month with
the introduction of its Intelligent Secure Autonomic Controller (ISAC). ISAC is a computer on a card that fits into a server's
PCI or PCI-X slot to provide automated, policy-based management for hardware, operating systems and applications.
Apple OS gains Windows hooks
While Weather Central's newspaper division has exploited Apple's advanced graphics features and manageability for years, it
has struggled to integrate the Mac environment with Windows. The latest release of Apple's Mac OS X operating system, code-named
Tiger, should address that concern, says Chuck Sholdt, vice president of operations and co-owner of the daily weather map
provider in Madison, Wis.
In brief: IBM taking orders for Opteron blades
Plus: HP to OEM data protection appliance.
Fiberlink, Skype team to offer VoIP
Fiberlink has inked deals with firms to offer its customers VoIP, 3G wireless and anti-spyware options when traveling worldwide.
In brief: Sprint, Intel to work on mobile WiMAX
Sprint has agreed to work with Intel to help get a mobile form of WiMAX off the ground.
SAP digs in as Oracle revs up
It's become a two-horse race between SAP and Oracle as the two dominant enterprise application vendors vie for greater share
of customers' IT budgets. SAP holds a commanding lead over Oracle in terms of market share, but the latter is increasing its
efforts to narrow the gap.
