This week on Network World Fusion, 06/30/03

————————————– 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

Editor’s Note: We’ve revamped our SMB Networks section to bring you more and better resources for setting up and running your SMB and home networks. From the latest convergence and wireless news to links to sample telework policies, you’ll find it all at. Let us know what you think at agaffin@nww.com

https://www.nwfusion.com/net.worker/index.html

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1) Microsoft taking on identity management

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Playing a high-stakes game of catch-up with its major rivals, Microsoft this week is scheduled to unveil a plan to develop a comprehensive platform for managing user identities.

DocFinder: 6539

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/0630microsoft.html

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2) Applications or hardware: Pick your management tool

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The debate over whether to manage networks via software or hardware – or some combination of the two – is an increasingly common one as IT budgets remain tight and a new breed of management appliances hits the market.

DocFinder: 6540

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/0630mgmtoptions.html

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3) California breach-disclosure law raises questions, concerns

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A groundbreaking California law that takes effect this week compels any business or state agency that suffers a computer security breach to immediately notify residents if their personal information is compromised . . . or risk a lawsuit.

DocFinder: 6538

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/0630california.html

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4) Wireless Wizards: Will wireless work with heavy traffic?

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This week, the wizards answer the question: How do I build a wireless LAN that supports converged voice/data services?

DocFinder: 6553

https://www.nwfusion.com/columnists/2003/0630wizards.html

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5) Wireless Notes: A dismal wireless-security picture

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John Cox analyzes a recent report from Jupiter Research: “What’s depressing is that the survey shows how few companies are making use of the full range of security options.”

DocFinder: 6554

https://www.nwfusion.com/weblogs/wireless/003044.html

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6) Security Notes: First IDS, now firewalls?

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Ellen Messmer notes that Gartner, which recently proclaimed intrusion detection systems extinct, is now raising questions about the future of firewalls as well. Read her analysis and a response from Check Point.

DocFinder: 6555

https://www.nwfusion.com/weblogs/security/003041.html

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7) Vertical market: Underwriting XML in insurance

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Insurance companies calculate that Web services are a worthwhile risk for solving their systems integration woes.

DocFinder: 6541

https://www.nwfusion.com/research/2003/0630sector.html

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8) Review: Stepping up to the IP telephony management table

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We determine how well IP PBX vendors are making extra management tasks easier to bear.

DocFinder: 6542

https://www.nwfusion.com/reviews/2003/0630rev.html

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9) Technology Update: SPML eases information exchange

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Service Provisioning Markup Language is expected to establish an open, standard protocol for the integration and interoperability of service provisioning requests.

DocFinder: 6543

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/tech/2003/0630techupdate.html

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10) Management Strategies: Getting the A players

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Borrow a few strategies from this play book for recruiting and retaining winners for your IT team.

DocFinder: 6544

https://www.nwfusion.com/careers/2003/0630man.html

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11) Researchers spawn innovative technologies

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MIT’s Project Oxygen creations include advanced communication systems.

DocFinder: 6545

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/0630oxygen.html

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12) Nutter’s Help Desk: Linksys wireless card problems

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Ron Nutter helps a user get some XP machines all connected to the ‘Net.

DocFinder:

https://www.nwfusion.com/columnists/2003/0630nutter.html

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13) Management standards: Keeping an open mind

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Customer demand for open software is driving countless vendors, such as HP, IBM and Microsoft, to work more closely with industry organizations to develop common protocols, languages and, industry standards for network and systems management.

DocFinder: 6546

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/0630specialfocus.html

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14) Researchers power up server clusters

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Software being developed by a computer science professor at Duke University could help spur so-called utility computing technology that promises to offer users self-managing systems that grow and shrink in response to user demand.

DocFinder: 6547

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/0630cluster.html

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15) Overseas outsourcing gains momentum

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The decision to outsource about 20% of its application outsourcing overseas came down from Aetna’s upper management, and it’s hard to argue that the move hasn’t paid off financially.

DocFinder: 6548

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/0630outsourcing.html

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16) Nortel lays out storage plan

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With the heightened interest in business continuity and disaster recovery, Nortel has a ready-made market for extending storage-area networks over metropolitan-area networks and WANs.

DocFinder: 6549

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/0630nortel.html

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17) Start-up wireless gear circumvents obstructions

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A start-up from the U.K. is coming out this month with point-to-point devices that it says will let users reliably connect remote sites wirelessly even if trees, buildings and other large objects block the way.

DocFinder: 6550

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/0630orthogon.html

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18) Linux marches on despite legal wrangling

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HP, Novell and Oracle last week made Linux-related announcements aimed at making it easier for corporate users to support the open source operating system in their data centers.

DocFinder: 6551

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/0630linux.html

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19) Prices drop for high-end net gear

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Recent Layer 3 and Gigabit switch announcements from Cisco and Nortel, as well as new gear expected this week from Extreme Networks, are pushing down prices for advanced technology. But how many customers need it now?

DocFinder: 6552

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/0630switches.html