This week: Big test of SSL VPNs and more

1) Hospitals’ patch fears on the wane 2) Online retailers ready for holiday crush 3) Take our advice: Top tips for network execs 4) Network World ITVideo: Bit9 in The Hot Seat 5) Nutter’s Help Desk: Connecting a remote office 6) Citigroup controls network resources 7) VoIP scheme gets big backers 8) Lucent gaining momentum behind IMS 9) Start-ups seek to shake up multiprocessor server market 10) Cyberattacks shift to apps, net devices 11) Security still top IT spending priority 12) IT Borderlands: Doing things right online 13) Quest extends Windows-Linux integration 14) Microsoft opening up document format 15) But wait, there’s more!

1) Review: 11 SSL VPNs dissected

2) Security experts urge a ‘say yes’ mindset

3) Standards would lock up data on disk, tape

4) Network World ITVideo: Red Hat’s Matthew Szulik

5) Nutter’s Help Desk: Networking a military field unit

6) Want to blog? We’ll set you up

7) New podcast: Daily breaking news

8) Sun’s T2000 lets UltraSPARC ride again

9) Companies curb shopping online

10) IBM offering content management for SMBs

11) Top outsourcing deals focus on business processes, ‘multisourcing’

12) NTT launches IPv6 firewall service

13) Case study: Fireman’s Fund rescues remote users

14) Start-up focuses on standards-based grids in data centers

15) Is BellSouth next for Whitacre, AT&T?

16) But wait, there’s more!

Editor’s Note: A quick reminder that, starting Jan. 8, this newsletter goes twice-weekly. On Mondays, you’ll get a roundup of the top articles posted on NetworkWorld.com. On Fridays, you’ll get listings of the top articles clicked on by readers.

1) Review: 11 SSL VPNs dissected

Since we tested this class of products nearly two years ago, vendors have packed them with application support, security options and end-user presentation glitter. The upshot is that comparing SSL VPN devices side by side uncovers more differences than similarities. Our exclusive, exhaustive tests of 11 devices tell you what you need to know to buy the right one.

DocFinder: 1374

http://www.networkworld.com/reviews/2005/121905-ssl-test-intro.html?tw

2) Security experts urge a ‘say yes’ mindset

Being an IT security specialist requires a close understanding of business goals, a dose of salesmanship and a willingness to say yes to projects even if it means dealing with new risks, top network security professionals told attendees at last week’s inaugural Interop New York.

DocFinder: 1372

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2005/121905-interop.html?tw

3) Standards would lock up data on disk, tape

Proposed standards for protecting data on disk or tape are gathering steam within the IEEE and could be supported in products as soon as next year, according to proponents.

DocFinder: 1373

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2005/121905-storage-encryption.html?tw

4) Network World ITVideo: Red Hat’s Matthew Szulik

Where do IBM and Red Hat differ on open source operating systems? Find out in this 5-minute interview with Red Hat chief Matthew Szulik.

DocFinder: 1375

http://www.networkworld.com/video/121905hs-redhat.html?tw

5) Nutter’s Help Desk: Networking a military field unit

Nutter helps a 140+-person Army Field Artillery Company in Iraq fix its network issues – and volunteers to help link anybody Stateside with surplus networking gear with military units in Iraq that could use it.

DocFinder: 1376

http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2005/121905nutter.html?tw

6) Want to blog? We’ll set you up

Our Community platform makes it easy to blog – and you’ve got a built-in audience of network professionals with whom to discuss enterprise issues. All you really need to do is create a free account in the Community area and you get a blog. Or just drop Executive Editor Adam Gaffin a line at agaffin@nww.com

DocFinder: 1377

http://www.networkworld.com/community

7) New podcast: Daily breaking news

IT Newscast is a daily audio summary of the day’s top news from the IDG News Service.

DocFinder: 1378

http://www.networkworld.com/podcasts/newscast.html?tw

8) Sun’s T2000 lets UltraSPARC ride again

Clear Choice Test evaluates Sun Fire T2000, showing the UltraSPARC chip is ready to ride again.

DocFinder: 1379

http://www.networkworld.com/reviews/2005/121905-sun-fire-test.html?tw

9) Companies curb shopping online

Companies takes steps to curb online shopping during work hours.

DocFinder: 1380

http://www.networkworld.com/careers/2005/121905man.html?tw

10) IBM offering content management for SMBs

IBM is responding to demands from smaller companies for low-cost, ready-to-go software with a new content management offering packaged on its eServer iSeries systems, the company announced last week.

DocFinder: 1381

http://www.networkworld.com/net.worker/news/2005/121905-ibm-smb.html?tw

11) Top outsourcing deals focus on business processes, ‘multisourcing’

An examination of the biggest deals shows more companies lately are inking business process outsourcing deals, in which they turn over responsibility for a functional area such as human resources or logistics to a vendor. The rise in BPO deals is offset by a decline in traditional IT-centric outsourcing services.

DocFinder: 1382

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2005/121405-outsourcing.html?tw

12) NTT launches IPv6 firewall service

NTT continues its role as a pioneer of IPv6 technology in the United States with its recent announcement of the first managed firewall service for the long-anticipated upgrade to the Internet’s main communications protocol. 

DocFinder: 1383

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2005/121905-ntt-ipv6-firewall.html?tw

13) Case study: Fireman’s Fund rescues remote users

Insurance company finds low-bandwidth gateway perfect for pumping data into field

DocFinder: 1384

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2005/121905-firemans-fund.html?tw

14) Start-up focuses on standards-based grids in data centers

Univa, a start-up formed to bring the standards-based Globus grid software to corporate data centers, plans to release its first product into beta this week, with general availability expected in the first quarter of next year.

DocFinder: 1385

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2005/121905-univa.html?tw

15) Is BellSouth next for Whitacre, AT&T?

Many in the telecom industry expect the new AT&T – the carrier formed from the merger of the old AT&T and SBC – to continue to acquire companies and assets. One target that is named frequently is BellSouth, a prospect that inevitably would raise regulatory and antitrust concerns.

DocFinder: 1386

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2005/121905-bellsouth.html?tw

16) But wait, there’s more!

Our This Week page also has: App acceleration is food for thought; Savvis launches security service; Powering up a new breed of batteries; Aventail aims to secure IP conferencing; Microsoft cuts price, still lags in CRM; State CIO envisions shared IT services for departments; UMA enables dual-mode handsets; Telework thrives at AT&T; VoIP cures agency’s telecom ills; When speed rules: online games; Microsoft gains government approval.

DocFinder: 1387

http://www.networkworld.com/news/thisweek.html?tw