Communications News back issues from August 2007:
I wish I had an iPhone.(Apple Inc. new product iPhone)(Viewpoint essay)
Aug 01, 2007; ... By press reports, Apple's iPhone is all the rage. Lines of people were outside of stores waiting to purchase the expensive smart phones ($500 for the 4-GB model) when they were introduced in late June. Of course, such purchases meant also signing a two-year AT&T contract ($1,700 ...
Employees bogging down networks.(Network Optimization)(misuse of enterprize network affecting the work environment)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Recreational use of enterprise network resources is soaring. Employees' instant messaging, downloading of music and video, and visiting social networking sites and news/sports sites are impacting the performance of business-critical applications--despite the fact that most organizations ...
County communications.(SHORT TAKES)(Smith County, Texas uses new communication network)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Smith County, Texas, is using a new countywide communications network based on Avaya Communication Manager telephony software. Avaya $8720 and $8500 Media Servers and Avaya G250, G350 and G650 Media Gateways run the software and power communications for ...
Security improved.(SHORT TAKES)(Fairfax County public schools looks into security measures)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2007 ... The nation's 13th-largest school district, Fairfax County Public Schools, is stepping up to the challenge of securing user identities and simplifying access to technology resources for its 164,000 students, their parents and almost 22,000 employees. The school district chose several Novell ...
Mesh in Virginia.(SHORT TAKES)(Radford University)(Proxim Wireless )(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Radford, Va., has deployed hundreds of Proxim Wireless ORINOCO AP4000 mesh access points as the communications platform for Radnet, the city's new wireless network, "The final choice of Proxim mesh equipment was based on price, performance, functionality, feature set and reliability," says ...
DWDM for library.(SHORT TAKES)(Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2007 ... The Library of Congress is using Level 3 fiber-optic links to provide the underlying infrastructure to the National Audio Visual Conservation Center (NAVCC). The NAVCC supports the preservation and digitization of the national copyright collection of films, television, radio and recorded ...
iPhones to test networks.(Wireless)(market analysis of iPhones)(Statistical data)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Now that the iPhone hype has settled down, network administrators can start to strategize on how to manage the newest end devices on their networks. According to Matt Bancroft, CMO of Mformation, managing and securing the iPhone presents a number of challenges. According to ...
ShoreTel tops again?(Convergence)(rankings for telecommuincation industry)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2007 ... ShoreTel is tops again, at least in the latest ratings of IP PBXs from Nemertes Research. The report calls ShoreTel's operational start-up costs the lowest among the four vendors included in the survey of 300 IT professionals--Cisco, Avaya, Nortel and ShoreTel. Notably excluded in the ...
Events.(Calendar)
Aug 01, 2007 ... 2007 BICSI Fall Conference, Sept. 10-13, LasVegas, offers educational courses for IT professionals, and an exhibition featuring cabling and infrastructure products for the enterprise, www.bicsi.org VMworld 2007, Sept. 11-13, San Francisco, targets the virtualization industry by ...
Cisco Express Forwarding.(PUBLICATIONS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Cisco Express Forwarding, by Nakia Stringfield, Russ White and Stacia McKee, clarifies the internal workings of Cisco routers and ...
Security Convergence: Managing Enterprise Security Risk.(PUBLICATIONS)(Dave Tyson talks on the security measures with the organization)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Security Convergence: Managing Enterprise Security Risk, by Dave Tyson, explores the movement in business to combine the roles of physical security and security ...
Customer data: still not top priority.(Security)(organizations must deal in the database security )(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2007 ... With more than 150 million data records exposed in the past two years, organizations face serious challenges in securing sensitive data. A recent survey by the Ponemon Institute underscores these challenges. The survey also highlights an organizational disconnect between the realization of ...
Now they are 'virtual' workers.(Remote Computing)(IT executives are intended to grow their company)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2007 ... The number of "virtual" workers and telecommuters is growing substantially, according to Nemertes' latest poll on the subject. The study, based on five months of in-depth interviews with 120 IT executives, finds 62 percent of participants are planning to increase the number of their branch ...
Lost their focus.(Feedback)(Letter to the editor)
Aug 01, 2007; ... Well stated in your July Viewpoint ("Techies gone wild"). I am a techie and for years loved the content in Network Computing. I enjoyed the "fun" that they put into the magazine, along with covering good topics with good technical details. However, with the new editor came a new ...
A big amen.(Feedback)(Letter to the editor)
Aug 01, 2007; ... The July 2007 issue of Communications News magazine is filled with great material. The articles on page 24 and 38 are especially valuable for data center people. The Viewpoint ("Techies gone wild") calls for a ...
Power point made.(Feedback)(Letter to the editor)
Aug 01, 2007; ... I particularly enjoyed your "Enough electricity?" Viewpoint in the June edition of Communications News. This economic revelation for data storage facilities and the communities they are located in comes as a welcome realization to public power systems in the United States. Public power ...
Cabling nightmare.(Feedback)(Letter to the editor)
Aug 01, 2007; ... Wow! Who took the photo of the cabling nightmare behind Mr. DePietro (June cover photo)? This is one of the areas of expertise lacking in the IT realm today and responsible for innumerable problems ...
The bulletproof network: Filtrona Extrusion implemented a network redesign to guarantee uninterrupted business processes at sites across the United States and Mexico.(company overview of Filtrona Extrusion)(Virtela Communications Inc. looks aftet it's IT solutions)(Company overview)
Aug 01, 2007 ... When Jeff White joined Filtrona Extrusion as corporate IT director, the company was operating a single threaded network with mixed traffic--mission-critical and non-mission-critical traffic running side-by-side, with no way to separate or prioritize the two. In addition, the company ...
Cabling brings building up to speed: Category 6 network provides performance improvements for corporate headquarters.(Cabling Infrastructure)(Range Resources Corp. gives contract to KRK for designing it's building)
Aug 01, 2007 ... In 1976, the Fort Worth, Texas, skyline changed with the construction of the first of the Tandy Center's twin 20-story towers. Two years later, the second tower was erected. The buildings were constructed to serve as the headquarters of RadioShack (formerly the Tandy Corp.), but also ...
Cabling improves TCO.(Cabling Infrastructure)(Total cost of ownership )
Aug 01, 2007; ... Data networks with minimal latency, high reliability and easy scalability enable more work efficiencies, faster response times and minimal service disruption. New bandwidth-intensive multimedia applications, server consolidation, link aggregation, collaboration tools and technologies such ...
Reduced-size CAT 6 cable.(INFRASTRUCTURE PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Designed to be light and easy to install, LANmark-6, a Category 6 UTP cable without the center spline, has a diameter of 0.195" to provide extra headroom and an increased bandwidth of 250 MHz. The cable is available in both CMP and CMR, is ...
Telecom enclosure.(INFRASTRUCTURE PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... The wall-mounted Mighty Mo Telecom Enclosure features a brush cable exit to prevent dirt and debris from entering the enclosure and facilitate rearrangements of exiting cables to accommodate moves, adds and changes. Able to support up to 48 users and accept active and ...
Access point enclosure.(INFRASTRUCTURE PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Featuring fiberglass construction and aluminum mounting plates, NEMA 4X/IP66-rated PANZONE wireless access point enclosures provide protection against environmental conditions such as corrosion, dust and water, and include provisions for padlocks to provide protection against tampering and ...
Redefining the data center lifecycle: blade servers offer the flexibility to upgrade the network without using a forklift approach.(Blade Servers)
Aug 01, 2007; ... Blade servers have been gaining significant ground in the data center since their introduction about six years ago. As a result, data center managers are benefiting from the improved power, cooling efficiency and serviceability of the blade form factor. They are able to upgrade and repair ...
Hosted IT infrastructure.(NETWORKING PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... BlueLock Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) provides a scalable service that allows organizations to pay a monthly fee for precisely the amount of computing capacity, storage, bandwidth and disaster recovery needed at any given time, with the flexibility to scale those ...
KVM switch.(NETWORKING PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... The 8-port KVM switch KH98 monitors the sensors inside servers and reports any abnormal conditions, and it also features IPMI 2.0 monitoring for the management of multiple servers from a single console. A single KH98 can manage up to eight computers, but through cascading, up to 73 KH98 ...
Managed switch.(NETWORKING PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... The DGS-3612G Stack is a fully managed Layer 3 switch that provides 12 SFP ports and four combo 1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet ports. The fiber-based core switching solution also provides virtual stacking functionality, allowing up to 32 units to be managed via ...
Managed switches.(NETWORKING PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Delivering 15.4 W of DC power on either eight or four ports, Transition managed switches provide reversed polarity cross, PD signature sensing, SNMP power-monitoring features per IEEE 802.3af standard, over-current protection and under-current detection. The MIL-SM8TXAF2GPA is a DC- or ...
E-mail keeps fuel flowing; maintenance tool provides management capabilities for Exchange environment.(Storage Technologies)(Port Consolidated)
Aug 01, 2007 ... For Port Consolidated, a leading distributor of high-quality motor fuels, lubricants and additives for markets that include Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America, e-mail is not merely a convenient way of communicating, it is at the center of its business, and critical to the company's ...
Network storage.(STORAGE PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Powered by a 400-MHz Intel 80219 processor, the four-bay Ethernet Disk RAID 4TB serves as a file-sharing server and central backup storage for multiple computers. The system includes four hot-swappable disks, RAID 0, 1, 5, 5+spare, and two USB 2.0 ports for adding storage to the network ....
Disaster-recovery solution.(STORAGE PRODUCTS)(Double-Take)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Double-Take provides real-time data replication and failover to protect and recover business-critical data and applications--in both physical and virtual environments--from outages, natural disasters and other disruptive events. Double-Take provides protection via data replication to ...
Data cartridge.(STORAGE PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Offering a transfer rate of up to 240 Mbps and a storage capacity of up to 1.6 TB, the LTO Ultrium 4 tape cartridge is designed for securely transporting, storing and backing up digital information. Data encryption technology and WORM functionality enable secure backup and storage of ...
Secure portable hard drive.(STORAGE PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... The Aegis Bio is a hardware-encrypted biometric hard drive that allows users to securely access files with a fingerprint biometric sensor instead of a password. Available in 80-, 120- and 160-GB capacities, the cross-platform-compatible, bus-powered hard drive features real-time 128-bit ...
Green storage gaining ground: power consumption, ventilation layouts, new technologies help ease data center costs.(Storage Technologies)
Aug 01, 2007; ... There have been some impressive developments in green technology recently for communications and networking, both in terms of innovation and adoption. This is not necessarily because of an increase in idealism, but rather economic necessity, especially where power consumption is concerned ....
Storage array.(STORAGE PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Configurable up to 10.8 TB, ftScalable features end-to-end redundancy, including hot-swappable RAID arrays, power supplies and fans, as well as environmental monitoring, rolling firmware upgrades and online RAID expansion. The system's 2U chassis accepts up to 12 low-profile ...
Storage service.(STORAGE PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Utilizing a variety of geographically diverse data centers, Peak 10 E-Vaulting service offers secure data backup to at least two of Peak 10's data centers. Automated data transfers are monitored as they are sent ...
Centralized data protection.(STORAGE PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Veritas NetBackup 6.5 offers a single approach to agents, policy management, recovery processes, security, backup reporting and the data catalog. To protect UNIX, Windows, Linux and VMware environments, NetBackup unites data-protection offerings, including tape, virtual tape libraries, ...
Data backup system.(STORAGE PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... For unattended backup and rapid file recovery of up to 2 TB of data, the REO 1500 appliance offers disk-based backup, recovery and virtual tape library (VTL) options. The system is available with any combination of six VTLs, 32 virtual tape drives and ...
Data loss prevention.(STORAGE PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Designed to monitor, block, quarantine and encrypt sensitive data, McAfee Data Loss Prevention (DLP) offers complete visibility and control over data transfers to prevent accidental and malicious loss of confidential data at network and desktop levels. DLP allows administrators to monitor ...
Best practices for VoIP security: one technique for a converged network is to virtually separate voice and data traffic.(VoIP Security)
Aug 01, 2007; ... The ability to converge the view of network and security information is no longer just "nice to have" in the fight against application-layer attacks, worms, hacking, spyware and data theft. These days, situational awareness of internal and external threats is needed to protect an ...
Communications system.(VOICE PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Used for voice, data and wireless networking in one device, the Xcelerator IP integrates a SIP gateway and IP phone system that supports up to 24 IP2007 SIP telephones, a SIP carrier and proxy services, integrated voice mail and auto ...
Managed VoIP service.(VOICE PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... To ensure VoIP quality and reliability, Proactive Voice Quality Management (PVQM) provides an around-the-clock managed service for real-time QoE and QoS to every IP handset. PVQM service provides the staff, processes and tools for call monitoring to pinpoint problems, real-time ...
Wireless headset.(VOICE PRODUCTS)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Designed for both traditional and IP desk phones, the CS70N Professional Wireless Headset System features a boom and a noise-canceling microphone, along with an integrated base and charging cradle. Users can take calls and talk hands-free up to 300 feet away from the base ....
Why VoIP security matters; the answer to privacy concerns with VoIP is TLS and SRTP (sorry about those acronyms).(VoIP Security)
Aug 01, 2007; ... Converged IT infrastructure is one of the main reasons companies decide to deploy voice over IP (VoIP). VoIP enables unified messaging by incorporating phone traffic, e-mail and file servers on the LAN. While this can increase employee productivity and provide cost savings, it also means ...
VoIP becomes target.(VoIP Security)
Aug 01, 2007; ... Most enterprises implementing voice over IP (VoIP) are initially concerned about voice quality, latency and interoperability. The focus on these quality-of-service concerns, however, often results in security risks associated with VoIP being overlooked. In 2006, the SANS ...
Data center monitor.(Product Spotlight: Testing & Monitoring)
Aug 01, 2007 ... Allowing remote monitoring in real time from any Web-enabled computer, the Liebert vEM-14 combines environmental monitoring with power management to help prevent overheating and power overload in the data center. The rack-mounted unit is equipped with four sensor inputs, a built-in ...
Alien crosstalk test.(Product Spotlight: Testing & Monitoring)
Aug 01, 2007 ... The N2648A alien crosstalk test solution enables field-testing of 10GBASE-T conformance and displays test results directly on the Wire-Scope Pro cable/fiber tester. The system also features tracking and troubleshooting modes for fast ...
Network traffic analyzer.(Product Spotlight: Testing & Monitoring)
Aug 01, 2007 ... To provide in-depth visibility into network traffic, NetFlow Analyzer Enterprise Edition can scale to manage thousands of switching and routing devices and several million flow records per minute. The collector component receives NetFlow records from the devices, applies compression ...
Portable network analysis.(Product Spotlight: Testing & Monitoring)
Aug 01, 2007 ... The GigaStor Portable mobile forensics system can troubleshoot intermittent network, application and security problems wherever they occur. The device collects and saves packet-level data, which it then decodes, analyzes and displays. With time-based navigation, GigaStor Portable can sift ...
Wi-Fi analyzer.(Product Spotlight: Testing & Monitoring)
Aug 01, 2007 ... The hand-held Yellowjacket 802.11b/a/g Wi-Fi analyzer demodulates, sweeps and analyzes Wi-Fi network packets, including 802.11b (2.4 GHz), 802.11g (2.4 GHz) and 802.11a (5 GHz) packets. The analyzer is accurate to within +1 dB and measures RF energy, enabling it to read 2.4 and 5 GHz ...
Cable verifier.(Product Spotlight: Testing & Monitoring)
Aug 01, 2007 ... The MicroScanner2 Cable Verifier displays cable length, wire map, cable ID and distance to break or short as visual representations on a single screen. The device also recognizes and displays what types of services are available at the outlet being tested, such as 10/100/1000 Ethernet, ...