Wanted for dead or alive PCs: Intel vPro technology
05/05/08
Sometimes it takes a few years for a new technology to reach critical mass - that point where there are enough customers and third party supporters for the product to show real value to the general market place. Intel's vPro processor technology is just such an example. Gartner analysts now recommend the technology to buyers of new business PCs. Are you on the bandwagon yet?

Consolidate your logs and find golden nuggets
04/28/08
Unless you are a real geek (or trying to cure your insomnia), you probably don't spend much time pouring through log data. I mean, what could be more boring under ordinary circumstances, looking at line after line of cryptic time-stamped crumbs of information? Of course, if there's a problem on your network, that log data is pretty useful in helping to discover and resolve the problem. It gets even better when all your log data from all your sources is consolidated and analyzed to give you deep insight on what’s really happening.

Symantec is definitely a company to watch
04/21/08
I'm just back from Symantec's ManageFusion event in Las Vegas. You may recall that ManageFusion was started by Altiris, the systems management company acquired by Symantec just about a year ago. Needless to say, the Symantec executives spent a lot of time talking about the progress in integrating the two companies, and how the synergies are beginning to pay big dividends for customers. Let me share some of my notes with you.

Get a holistic view of your security and compliance posture
04/14/08
Enterprise security and regulatory compliance are joined at the hip. Now there's a tool that yields a holistic view of both, and it's all based on one true set of data.

Virtual 3D modeling is embedded with intelligence
04/07/08
When I started my career almost three decades ago, I worked in the project control department of a major engineering firm. One of my company's projects was the revamp of a huge petrochemical plant in Texas. The building I worked in had an entire floor full of 3D scale models of every unit of the industrial plant. In order to retrofit the new facilities into the old, the engineers had to know precisely what existed already, and that's what the models represented. If this project were to be done today, it's likely that those space-hogging physical models would be replaced by a few ordinary PCs hosting virtual 3D models embedded with intelligence.

It slices! It dices! It stores your data securely
03/31/08
Previously identified by Network World as "One of 10 Open Source Companies to Watch," Cleversafe has just released a commercial version of its Dispersed Storage Network (dsNet). In 2007, Network World called dsNet one of six advanced-technology open source projects likely to become the "Best of the New Data Center." With glowing reviews like that, how can you not be curious about what Cleversafe now has to offer?

Go 'green' when you retire old equipment
03/24/08
Does your Green IT initiative include a plan for recycling all your old computer equipment? It should, and it's easier than you think. A few months ago I wrote about options for getting rid of old computers piling up around your office. Since then I have learned about a high volume company that can take those computers off your hands in a safe (i.e., data compliant) and green (i.e., environmentally friendly) way. Even if you have hundreds or thousands of computers ready for disposal (i.e., recycling), this company can handle the load.

'Mobile security' is not an oxymoron
03/17/08
This week, Fiberlink Communications announces enhancements to its Extend360 Mobile Platform that make it even easier to manage users and devices that are on the move. Best of all, it's all offered as a service, so there's no infrastructure investment on your part.

Google researchers study the delivery of malware
03/10/08
Google researchers studied more than 66 million URLs to understand the delivery of malware. As it turns out, your Web surfing habits have little to do with how likely you are to get hit. For the most part, it's out of your control.

Google says the scope of drive-by malware is 'significant'
03/03/08
When you surf the Web, do you feel lucky? New research by Google suggests you shouldn't. In fact, "vulnerable" might be the appropriate feeling.

Combine biometrics and token technologies for more secure laptops
02/25/08
How would you like to be the corporate security officer awakened in the middle of the night with news that laptops containing your company's critical information were stolen? One way to keep your stomach from turning (and to hang on to your job) is to use good endpoint security to make sure the data isn't vulnerable. Now there's a new twist on how to secure your laptops.

Profiler for VMware is new tool to manage virtual environments
02/18/08
As Neal Weinberg pointed out in January, VMware isn't just hot - it's on fire. If your company is one of more than 20,000 that have bought into the VMware mode of server virtualization, you may be interested in a new management tool just announced last week.

White Castle satisfies its craving for user authentication
02/11/08
Employee turnover in the fast food industry is not unusual. What is unusual, however, is saving money on processing the paperwork for new hires as well as existing employees. See how White Castle Management Company chops costs as well as onions at its 410 restaurant locations.

Get data security and compliance monitoring as a service
02/04/08
One of the best things about the Software-as-a-Service model for IT services is that it brings sophisticated, high-value IT capabilities to small and midsized companies that otherwise wouldn't be able to afford such services. Now these companies can get critically important data governance and compliance monitoring in the form of an easy monthly service.

5 critical security questions that IT and corporate leaders are asking
01/28/08
Who, what, when, where, and why? When it comes to network security, these are the five critical questions that IT and corporate leaders are asking. A patchwork of siloed security tools paints a partial picture. Now there's a tool to connect the dots for a more complete picture.

Disposition of old computers
01/21/08
Ah, the start of a new year. Out with the old, in with the new. Easier said than done, especially if "the old" refers to old computers piling up around the office. What can you do about them?

Top 2008 spending priorities for one customer advisory board
01/14/08
At the start of a new year, everyone likes to make predictions about what will be "hot" in the months ahead. Rather than consult the crystal ball, Altiris (now part of Symantec) consulted its customer advisory board to find out their top spending priorities for 2008. See what's on their list.

Presence a big trend for unified communications
01/07/08
Is your company implementing unified communications? If so, consider how "presence technologies" can add value to your enterprise applications. Dave Hart, CTO of systems integrator Presidio Networked Solutions, says presence technology enables collaboration and mashups in ways that weren't possible before.

Get your roadmap to a virtual infrastructure
12/17/07
Has your organization gotten on the virtualization band wagon, or are you still wondering whether or not a virtual infrastructure is right for you? Either way, your company can benefit from a documented roadmap that outlines practical implementation strategies. The roadmap is gleaned from the real experiences of VMware customers, who collectively have virtualized more than a million server workloads on a VMware platform.

New video compression technology really delivers
12/10/07
A recent technology advancement by Broadcast International and IBM may change the way we view broadcast video. In mid September, the two companies demonstrated a joint solution for video compression that vastly reduces the amount of bandwidth required to transmit broadcast-quality video. The announcement comes at a time when new sources of content are proliferating and the number users and devices that demand that content is skyrocketing.

Cemaphore's Exchange disaster recovery tool is aimed at SMBs
12/03/07
If you work for a very large enterprise with a multi-million dollar annual budget for disaster recovery systems, you've probably already got your DR system in place for your Microsoft Exchange application. If, however, you work for a smaller organization and DR for Exchange is still on your "to-do" list, then I have a quick, easy and relatively cheap solution for you to look at.

Find your Web app vulnerabilities...please
11/26/07
The busy holiday shopping season is upon us. Every day, millions of people log in to Web applications to make purchases. As long as they see the "yellow lock" icon on the bottom of the screen, they figure their transaction is safe, but that's not always the case. As the use of Web applications becomes more prominent, so, too, does the number of security incidents involving Web apps.

Unless you're printing money, here's how to save money on printing
11/19/07
I've always thought that any company that wants to sell you something should be willing to use that product or service itself. This is especially important for information technology vendors. It's always good to see a vendor that puts its money where its mouth is. In this case, HP just published the details of how it managed to save nearly $7 million in annual costs by following its own advice on addressing imaging and printing infrastructure costs.

Alianza delivers a SaaS platform for unified communications
11/12/07
If you’re lucky enough to live in an area of the country that is served by multiple broadband service providers, you’ve probably noticed how intensely they are competing for new customers. Most of the service offerings seem to be around Internet, digital phone and maybe television access. If Alianza has any say, the competition and the range of broadband services is about to explode.

Secure Web gateway is aimed at SMB, education markets
11/05/07
Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA seem to grab all the headlines as legislative mandates force changes in IT operations. But unless you have school-age children, or you are an IT administrator for a school district or library, you might not be aware of the IT demands legislated by the Federal Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) issued in December 2000. CIPA dictates that schools and libraries that receive federal funding (i.e., pretty much all public institutions) must implement policies and technology measures to block or filter access to inappropriate content such as pornography and other materials considered harmful to minors. To comply with the mandate, school districts all across the country scurried to implement URL blocking and content filtering.

More articles  »