Feature: Shoot For the Moon By Peter Morrissey
You can get good deals for your infrastructure dollars, but you must do your homework first. Investigate standards compliance and decide if you want to take the single-vendor or best-of-breed approach.
Feature: Premium Network, Four Ways By Peter Morrissey
CradletoGrave, our fictional insurance company, is in the market for an end-to-end infrastructure that will help it outmatch the competition. Foundry filled the bill, and its standards compliance earned top marks.
Workshops
Workshop: How SLAs Are Used By Jon Saperia
When every dollar counts, IT managers look for ways to boost their enterprises' profitability and competitive position while spotlighting the business value IT adds to the organization. Service-level agreements fill this bill to a T.
Buyer's Guide: Network Management on the Cheap By Bruce Boardman
Cheap is a relative term, especially when it comes to network management. Spending a few grand on a monitoring tool can be a bargain compared with the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars strategic network-management solutions cost when you factor in implementation and maintenance.
Apple Xserve Is a Tasty Server By Steven J. Schuchart Jr.
The Xserve is a full-featured little machine that's easy to manage, configure and install.
Mass Management By Michael J. DeMaria
Vector Networks' PC-Duo desktop-management application is an affordable alternative for most networks.
WebInspect Detects Site Defects By Michael J. DeMaria
Keeping your Web servers up to date with the latest patches is vital to your network security. SPI Dynamics' WebInspect is a plug-and-play Web site vulnerability tool designed to discover potential site problems.
Departments
Quick Takes
In this edition we look at Redline Networks E|X 3250, Reliable Software Code Co-op 4.0, Shavlik Technologies HFNetChkPro 4.0 and Alcatel OmniPCX Enterprise.
Last Mile
This edition: Top 11 jobs 'on the outside' overlooked by Kevin Mitnick; ripped from today's press release headlines; and MSN Bork edition.
Letters
"New technologies must be taken on according to gut feel because it's possible to make ROI calculations dance in the wind." --Doug Finner
Career Coach
With many older workers putting off retirement, how do cash-balance plans affect those still looking to climb the corporate ladder? Plus, for industry-accepted wireless certification, check out the Certified Wireless Network Professional (CWNP) program offered by the Wireless LAN Association.
Columns
On Location at McCarran International Airport: First Impressions (Online Only)
Go Behind the scenes with NWC editors David Joachim and Jonathan Feldman as they prepare for their upcoming April 17th "On Location" story on McCarran International Airport, and their efforts to network each and every electronic device throughout the complex.
• David Joachim: Carrier flexibility through Windows terminals at McCarran
• Jonathan Feldman: Controlling chaos through information dissemination
BuzzCut: WLAN Standards, Cisco-Style By Dave Molta
Cisco needs to avoid even the appearance of thwarting standards, and by that measure, Cisco Compatible Extensions is a bad idea.
BuzzCut: FUDBusters By Lori MacVittie
In this edition we "bust" Microsoft's proposal to end DLL hell through strong bonds between applications and DLLs.
Down to Business: What Internet Slowdown? By Rob Preston
"As we muddle through the depths of this downturn, it's tempting to write off the Internet and its tech offspring as the poster children of 'irrational exuberance.' But don't judge the current state of the Internet relative to the inflated market caps of dot-com mania."
Industry Insight: The Case for Small Vendors By Mike Lee
"You've heard the adage 'No one was ever fired for buying [insert name of vendor with largest market share here].' And in the current economic climate, it may be difficult to defend choosing small or less established IT software and hardware providers. If you can manage the risks, however, there are advantages to going small."
BuzzCut: Security and Sensationalism By Mike Fratto
Where do you get your security updates? In the past few weeks, several nonissues have exploded in the media as security scares, only to be debunked quickly by technologists.
BuzzCut: Telco Monopolies Back in Style By Ron Anderson
The FCC recently attempted to clear up many elements of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. In doing so, it has created an even bigger mess.
REPORTS
Analyize In-Line NAC strategies and products.
ANALYTICS Plan and design your enterprise blade server deployments
2009 IT Salary Survey: Meager Raises, Solid Prospects
Though raises are notably smaller than a year ago, and job security’s shrinking, IT careers are looking safer than many others in this economic downturn. Get all the findings in InformationWeek's 2009 IT Salary Survey. Available FREE for a limited time.
REPORTS
ANALYTICS
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