* Welcome to the afternoon edition of Network World Daily News.
In depth
BREAKING NEWS
Cisco blade boosts security control
Cisco this week released a new Supervisor module for Catalyst 6500 switch, aimed at injecting traffic security at the wiring closet layer of a LAN.
Microsoft wins patent ruling in case with AT&T
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that Microsoft is not liable in a patent suit with AT&T in a case that had implications for U.S patent enforcement overseas.
REVIEW
NAC passess basic tests
With a virtual lock on the Ethernet switching market, any enterprise IT manager has to consider Cisco’s product line as at least one network-access control option. But how does a Cisco-controlled NAC deployment hold up against the more industry standards-based one offered up by the Trusted Network Connect (TNC) working group of the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) and backed by Cisco competitor Juniper Networks?
FROM THE BLOGS AND FORUMS
John Obeto joins us this week with a new blog – John Obeto on Microsoft. As managing partner and chief technology officer of Logikworx, an SMB solution provider based in California, Obeto brings a unique perspective to the world of Microsoft.
Paul McNamara blogs about a blog day of silence for Virginia Tech victims. Brad Reese wonders: CCIE vs. employer: Whose interest does the CCIE serve? Users also debate the value of certification.
Users discuss experiences with Cisco AnyConnect VPNs and tell us whom we left of our list of the networkiest TV characters. Jeff Riddell takes a look at the future of PacketCable. Mark Kadrich wonders whom you can really trust when it comes to security. Greg Royal considers an “application services gap” between hosted and CPE VoIP implementations. One user tries to figure out why there’s no easy way to report vicious spam.
IN DEPTH
When appliances get out of hand
As appliances proliferate across data centers and branch offices, network managers are questioning whether the benefits of these specialized devices outweigh the management burden they create.
Application-performance tools for SOA
Organizations are adopting service-oriented architecture to ease the integration of applications, map business processes to software IT structures and establish interoperability among diverse systems.
HOW TO
Ron Nutter helps a user figure out a naming scheme for his growing number of network devices.
VIDEO AND AUDIO
Don’t take DNS for granted
How is DNS and other core network services like an offensive line in football? If you hear about them, they’re not doing their jobs properly. Unfortunately, we still hear quite a bit about DNS security and architectural issues. On this audio program, Cricket Liu, author of “DNS and Bind” and vice president of architecture at InfoBlox, joins Network World’s Jason Meserve to discuss some of the threats to DNS and what corporations can do to better protect their core network services.
Harvard Business School shores up security and saves money
This will make the MBA candidates coming out of Harvard Business School happy: When the school shored up security through a number of means, it ended up saving $220,000 a year in bandwidth charges. John Arsneault, director of network operations at HBS, explains how on this edition of Voices from IT Roadmap.
MORE NEWS
A newcomer’s challenge to antivirus establishment
Start-up Robot Genius claims that it has a new way to fight malware and that established vendors have some catching up to do.
CA details plans to connect products
CA this week revealed details around its multiyear plans to better connect its disparate product suites so that customers can automate more complex activities, reduce costs and keep IT humming in tune with business objectives.
Carrier equipment market sees IPO rebound
One of the hottest segments of the network IPO market has been carrier equipment because prudent investors again believe in the growth potential of this market after a long pause following the telecom bubble. Here are five carrier-equipment IPOs making recent headlines.
