Network Computingwww.networkcomputing.com

Of all the announcements at MacWorld Expo, the most relevant to the networking world is Apple's new Rendezvous technology. This auto-IP-services discovery protocol is based on open IETF standards. The goal is to allow the computer to discover printers, file shares, instant message users and other network entities automatically, with no user intervention or configuration needed. Take a compatible printer and plug it into the LAN, and users can print to it. Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark and Epson have all said they would adopt Rendezvous.

Applications of Rendezvous will range from cute to serious -- from sharing MP3 play lists to autodiscovery of IM names. For example, you can discover and send IMs to anyone in a meeting or office space without altering your buddy lists. This technology will be a godsend to remote office locations that don't have an onsite administrator. Just plug in a network printer, and it works. Of course, you must be using a Mac.

Because Rendezvous is based on open standards, there's a good chance you'll see this functionality in Windows and Linux in the future. If the tech works as shown, there is great promise and simplicity. However, some questions linger: Will this cause a flood of broadcast traffic? How does the technology account for privacy? How will it keep out rogue users? Will there be support for password protection or user authentication? Finally, can this effectively work on a network with multiple subnets and WAN links?

Still, if privacy and security concerns don't freak out the users and administrators, Rendezvous will make maintaining a network much easier by reducing administrative overhead and lowering user training/notifications.
--Michael J. DeMaria, mdemaria@nwc.com