This week on Network World Fusion, 02/0705

————————————– 1) Users still bullish on Web services ————————————– We catch up with the companies profiled in last year’s Web Services Early Adopters series (http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2002/0415webservices.html) to see if they’re reaping the benefits promised. Two out of three give an enthusiastic thumb’s up. DocFinder: 5944 http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/0519revisited.html

1) SBC / AT&T seen as only the first act

2) Network World Radio: The SBC/AT&T ripple

3) VoIP vendors to ‘converge’ on show

4) Compliance: Thinking outside the Sarbox

5) Firms bank on identity management

6) Test: Red Hat’s new Linux package boasts power and security

7) Nutter’s Help Desk: Connecting with a VPN

8) Alice and Bob: Security’s inseparable couple

9) Test: Morae promises usability testing for the masses

10) DAS readies buildings for wireless

11) Telecom user groups wield power

12) MIMO products muddle wireless market

13) TeaLeaf strengthening apps management

14) Protecting the military’s global net

15) MCI touts faster repairs

16) New name brings expanded focus for file management company

17) Case study: The art of balancing e-commerce processes

18) Group’s aim: secure VoIP

19) Intrusion, spyware tools highlight show

20) VC investments return slowly to network firms

21) WesCorp ratchets up security services

22) Gateway sets sights on enterprise

23) Grid computing newcomer touts open source approach

24) MCI takes step toward commercial IPv6 service

25) Cloak hides shared folders, files on Windows-based systems

1) SBC / AT&T seen as only the first act

The SBC/AT&T deal could trigger a chain reaction that experts say will forever change the telecommunications landscape. Read our story, plus columns by Johna Till Johnson and John Dix on the deal, then jump into our SBC/AT&T forum to discuss the implications of the deal.

DocFinder: 5748

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705-att-sbc.html

2) Network World Radio: The SBC/AT&T ripple

Allan Tumolillo, COO of Probe Financial Associates, joins the program to discuss the SBC acquisition of AT&T, what it could mean for the rest of the big telecom companies, and how it could impact enterprise customers. Listen in now.

DocFinder: 5749

https://www.nwfusion.com/research/2005/0207radio.html

3) VoIP vendors to ‘converge’ on show

There will be no shortage of VoIP PBXs, phones and gateways on display at this week’s VoiceCon conference, but such infrastructure components could get overshadowed by a slew of announcements about new management tools for converged networks.

DocFinder: 5750

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705voicecon.html

4) Compliance: Thinking outside the Sarbox

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act imposes a heavy burden on IT, but innovative execs are complying with the law and bolstering network security.

DocFinder: 5751

https://www.nwfusion.com/research/2005/020705sox.html

5) Firms bank on identity management

Financial services companies look to automate and protect information accessed by employees, partners and customers.

DocFinder: 5752

https://www.nwfusion.com/research/2005/020705sector.html

6) Test: Red Hat’s new Linux package boasts power and security

We found huge performance gains over previous editions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, beefed up security options and vastly improved hardware detection mechanisms.

DocFinder: 5753

https://www.nwfusion.com/reviews/2005/020705revredhat.html

7) Nutter’s Help Desk: Connecting with a VPN

Nutter helps a user decide whether his company can use an old Linksys VPN or if it needs a newer, more expensive solution.

DocFinder: 5754

https://www.nwfusion.com/columnists/2005/020705nutter.html

8) Alice and Bob: Security’s inseparable couple

The most familiar names in network security are neither vendors nor geeks: Try Alice and Bob.

DocFinder: 5755

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705widernetaliceandbob.html

9) Test: Morae promises usability testing for the masses

TechSmith’s recently upgraded Morae software might provide the combination of features and affordability to bring collaborative user experience testing to a much wider audience.

DocFinder: 5756

https://www.nwfusion.com/reviews/2005/020705revmorae.html

10) DAS readies buildings for wireless

One shared broadband in-building passive distributed antenna system imposes discipline on chaotic environments such as these and therefore enables quality wireless services.

DocFinder: 5757

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/tech/2005/020705techupdate.html

11) Telecom user groups wield power

Vendor-focused organizations influence product development and effect change.

DocFinder: 5758

https://www.nwfusion.com/careers/2005/020705man.html

12) MIMO products muddle wireless market

Vendors all tout extended range and performance, but competing technologies cause a dust-up.

DocFinder: 5759

https://www.nwfusion.com/net.worker/news/2005/020705netlead.html

13) TeaLeaf strengthening apps management

TeaLeaf Technology has released products to help IT managers better tackle Web application performance.

DocFinder: 5760

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705appmgmt.html

14) Protecting the military’s global net

Lt. General Harry Raduege talks about why the Department of Defense needs to better coordinate across the services to protect the military’s network – sometimes referred to as the Global Information Grid – across 65 nations.

DocFinder: 5761

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705yourtakemilitary.html

15) MCI touts faster repairs

MCI says some managed services customers can expect significant cost savings from improvements it has made in its mean time to repair performance.

DocFinder: 5762

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705-mci.html

16) New name brings expanded focus for file management company

Deepfile completed its transformation last week from a maker of file management appliances to a company called StoredIQ that identifies, manages and audits the unstructured data on the network for compliance and security purposes.

DocFinder: 5763

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705ecstorediq.html

17) Case study: The art of balancing e-commerce processes

To continue doing business with Wal-Mart, manufacturer Murray, Inc., needed to upgrade its e-commerce infrastructure. The pressure was welcome, says Tim Bolton, electronic data interchange manager at the Brentwood, Tenn., builder of snowblowers, lawn mowers and recreational gear.

DocFinder: 5764

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705specialfocus.html

18) Group’s aim: secure VoIP

A group will debut this week with the goal of raising awareness and spurring discussion of VoIP security needs.

DocFinder: 5765

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705-voip-security.html

19) Intrusion, spyware tools highlight show

Intrusion-detection and prevention system vendors will be out in force at next week’s RSA Conference in San Francisco, and they are promising a slew of new products.

DocFinder: 5766

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705-rsa-conference.html

20) VC investments return slowly to network firms

Venture investments in network companies began to bounce back in 2004, but not to the extent that they did for the overall IT industry, and still nowhere near the highs of just a few years ago. Read our report and browse through a year’s worth of VC info in our venture database.

DocFinder: 5767

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705-venture-capital.html

21) WesCorp ratchets up security services

WesCorp segments net, runs multiple security apps to protect from attacks

DocFinder: 5768

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705wescorp.html

22) Gateway sets sights on enterprise

Gateway this week is rolling out three new servers that it says rival low cost, high-performance systems from Dell and HP.

DocFinder: 5769

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705ecgateway.html

23) Grid computing newcomer touts open source approach

Start-up promises better performing Web apps on Linux

DocFinder: 5770

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705ecactivegrid.html

24) MCI takes step toward commercial IPv6 service

MCI is providing a direct connection between its commercial Internet backbone and Moonv6, the world’s largest test bed running IPv6, an upgrade to the Internet’s main communications protocol.

DocFinder: 5771

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705-moonv6.html

25) Cloak hides shared folders, files on Windows-based systems

ScriptLogic has released software designed to help corporations manage and secure files and folders shared across Windows-based systems.

DocFinder: 5772

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/020705script.html