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An Open Letter to Apple: Begging for a Better iPhone:
IT Administrator Kevin Miller has decided not to support the iPhone on his company's network. Find out why and what Apple could do to change his mind.
By Kevin Miller / Aug 8, 2007

Strategy Session: Transformations:
We're saying goodbye to the standalone print version of Network Computing. But worry not--we're not going gently into that good night. Art Wittmann explains NWC's bold, new initiative.
By Art Wittmann / Jun 18, 2007

Legal Brief: How's Your Forensics Strategy?:
Although forensic products are slow to evolve, new eDiscovery requirements and the increasing sophistication of corporate infosec practices suggest that you re-evaluate your forensic readiness.
By Patrick Mueller / Jun 18, 2007

Cash and Burn: Ruggedized Gear for the Pyromaniac in All of Us:
Survivable gear--hardware and equipment designed to weather extreme situations--is beginning to see more use in mainstream businsess and even consumer markets.
By David Greenfield / Jun 4, 2007

FCoE: The Latest Standard We Don't Need:
FCoE is either the long-awaited common infrastructure that can run standard network and storage applications or the last gasp of the Fibre Channel industry about to drown in the tsunami that is iSCSI.
By Howard Marks / May 21, 2007

Air Time: Understanding 802.11 Interference : The Black, White and Gray
Under conditions of heavy network utilization and co-channel interference, today's wireless LAN products behave unpredictably. Over time, these problems will become more critical.
By Dave Molta / May 21, 2007

How To Keep Hostile Jerks From Taking Over Your Online Community:
Angry people looking for fights will inevitably try to poison successful Internet communities. Columnist Cory Doctorow looks at ways to remove the poison without killing the discussion too.
By Cory Doctorow / May 14, 2007

Legal Brief: Changing the Landscape of Data Breach Notification:
Keeping abreast of multiple federal data-breach bills will help you proactively develop your compliance strategy.
By Patrick Mueller / May 7, 2007

Strategy Session: Security Drives Everything:
Massive data loss incidents (such as the one at T.J. Maxx) seem to suggest that not everyone is quite clear on the simple premise: Understanding your security needs is fundamental to everything you do.
By Art Wittmann / May 9, 2007

Interop Insider: Interoperability Is Still Job One:
With the demand for seamless access to corporate info--regardless of location or device--the Interop show has never been more vital.
By Leonard Heymann / May 7, 2007

Strategy Session: Cell Phones With Real Smarts:
In an ideal world, cell phones--particularly smartphones-- should be able to support at least two numbers.
By Art Wittmann / Apr 25, 2007

Information Strategist: Rightsizing Data Protection:
Substituting a high-availability architecture for conventional disaster recovery seems to be the latest thing, but it's just one approach in a spectrum of potential strategies and is by no means one-size-fits-all.
By Jon Toigo / Apr 24, 2007

Air Time: Neutrality On the Wireless Internet:
IT pros have long enjoyed the benefits of standards-based network device interoperability and the innovation, competition and low prices it spawns. But in today's mobile broadband market, it's like the early days of telephony: Pick a service provider and live with its devices.
By Dave Molta / Apr 23, 2007

Cash and Burn: Of Standards and 'Marketecture':
Without the collaboration of competing vendors, UXcomm's SOMA looks less like a solution to managing the virtualized data center and more like a marketing move at short-lived media attention.
By David Greenfield / Apr 9, 2007

The Next Wave Of Enterprise Smartphones:
Many IT pros have felt the pain of supporting the first wave of smartphones, but you're going to need to learn how to live with these devices--and be prepared for another impending wave.
By Dave Molta / Mar 26, 2007

The Truth About Storage Reliability:
A pair of studies on storage technology reveal some disturbing facts about disk drive performance and reliability.
By Howard Marks / Mar 26, 2007

Quidquid Latine Dictum Sit, Altum Videtur*: (*Anything in Latin Sounds Profound)
Managers who ask a lot from their charges but never take up their causes are rarely respected.
By Art Wittmann / Mar 27, 2007

Strategy Session: Judging Products:
What makes a product right for one industry could make it exactly wrong for another industry. By exposing our detailed evaluation process, you can more effectively assess products for your own shortlist.
By Art Wittmann / Mar 14, 2007

Cash and Burn: Three Generations of Telephony Failures:
Despite the best efforts of the communications industry, telephony servers have never been a strategic buy. Most VoIP purchases are made to increase business value rather than transform the enterprise.
By David Greenfield / Mar 14, 2007

Talent Shortage? Employers Must Take Some Of The Rap:
Many tech pros are demoralized, thanks to knee-jerk offshore outsourcing and the post-bubble malaise. Employers must move beyond the "you should be happy you have a job" mentality.
By Rob Preston / Mar 2, 2007

Strategy Session: Farewell to the IT Brotherhood:
The new age of IT is upon us and today's IT pragmatists are a different breed. It's time for the "old schoolers" to ditch the attitudes, lose the cloaks and forget the secret handshake.
By Art Wittmann / Feb 28, 2007

Air Time: Informationalist for Hire:
A new breed of professional, informationalists are tech-savvy and focused on helping individuals and organizations function more effectively in an information-driven society.
By Dave Molta / Feb 27, 2007

Information Strategist: Fixing Storage Before It Fixes Us:
Despite advances in archiving, compression and other storage technologies, the unmanaged growth of data isn't going away soon. We have to fix the broken storage model before it's too late.
By Jon Toigo / Feb 27, 2007

Strategy Session: Automate Now! But What?:
Automating policy enforcement is far more effective than attempting to enforce it manually. The impetus for implementing automation has already hit us. Now it's time to figure out what to do about it.
By Art Wittmann / Feb 14, 2007

Cash and Burn: A Storage David Stalks Goliath:
In his new column, NWC editor David Greenfield explores the best and brightest start-ups making pings on our industry's radar. First up, a new Israeli company aiming to be the next EMC.
By David Greenfield / Feb 12, 2007

Legal Brief: Take Heed: FTC Enforcement in Guidance Case:
After the loss of thousands of customer records, Guidance Software has become the FTC's 14th data-security case. How does the FTC choose who to file suit against, and what do the case results mean?
By Patrick Mueller / Feb 12, 2007

Deep Storage: Does Tape Have a Place?:
At this stage of the data back-up game, tape shouldn't be the first line of defense. But it does make an excellent fallback, one you shouldn't be without.
By Howard Marks / Jan 29, 2007

Reality IT: The More Things Change...:
On the surface, IT seems to be in a constant state of change. But beneath the churn of technology, the profession is guided by long-standing principles.
By Hunter Metatek / Jan 31, 2007

Strategy Session: A Tale of Two CIOs:
I recently spoke with the CIOs of two very different businesses, and it got me wondering: How should NWC serve the unique needs of both these vertical industries?
By Art Wittmann / Jan 31, 2007

Legal Brief: Communication Is Key to Security Compliance:
Technology is important, but communication is the key to protecting data, creating policies, and meeting business and legal needs.
By Justine Young Gottshall / Jan 12, 2007

Air Time: IT Support: Who You Gonna Call?:
How do you prevent system providers from becoming totally disengaged from the people who rely on their services? Here are several steps that can be taken to improve the status quo.
By Dave Molta / Jan 16, 2007

A Requiem For Open Standards:
The goodness of truly open standards is universal, and CMDBs and ID management would benefit greatly from them. But sadly, our industry has almost universally given up on them.
By Art Wittmann / Jan 17, 2007

The Big Bang, Astrophysics and You:
The more everyone touches and uses IT, the less they "understand" about why and how it works--this makes your job that much more important, that much more vital to how your business runs.
By John Siefert / Dec 11, 2006

Reality IT: Wired or Wireless: Reader Insights:
Reader's give us their take on whether "ACME" should go fully wireless at a new satellite office.
By Hunter Metatek / Nov 27, 2006

NWC's NAC Battleground:
Network Access Control, or NAC, has emerged as the technology approach of choice for securing enterprise assets. Twelve leading NAC vendors entered the NWC NAC Battleground to stake their architectural positions in the NAC market in their own words.
By Art Wittmann / Dec 5, 2006

To BlackBerry or Not to BlackBerry?:
Do I embrace this thing 24/7 and evolve into the genus 'Connected Excessive,' or do I simply throw my BlackBerry in my bag and use it during the workday as I do my laptop?
By Art Wittmann / Nov 29, 2006

Air Time: Tech Market Research: False Forecasts and Pretty Graphs
Industry market projections often do far more harm than good, creating a false sense of reality and stimulating investment in bad ideas.
By Dave Molta / Nov 13, 2006

Let the Good Times Roll:
Our industry evolves incredibly quickly, and that presents a unique challenge that only Network Computing consistently meets.
By Art Wittmann / Nov 15, 2006

Beyond Typical Business Intelligence:
True alignment between IT and the business means both units together define the best direction for the organization to pursue--and IT shouldn't be afraid to take the lead.
By Dr. Norman J. Jacknis / Oct 30, 2006

Strategy Session: Vendor Growth Vs. Satisfied Customers: "So What Else Is New?"
Vendors are focused on growing their companies, while your goal is to make IT operations run as efficiently as possible. This often leads to products that either don't live up to the hype or do things you really don't need or want.
By Art Wittmann / Nov 1, 2006

Strategy Session: The Perils of Simplicity (and the Value of Testing):
Face it: You can analyze any technology to any degree you like, and you'll still be surprised when implementation issues arise.
By Art Wittmann / Oct 18, 2006

Strategic Info Management: Wide Area File Services: Through the Looking Glass
WAFS sound like a good idea. But before you invest, separate fantasy from reality.
By Jon Toigo / Oct 3, 2006

Reality IT: The Auditor: Friend and Foe:
Internal and external audits are about as welcome as dental surgery, but surviving them isn't impossible--and you might even learn a couple of things along the way.
By Hunter Metatek / Oct 4, 2006

Air Time: Mobile Video: The Next Killer App:
Mobile video technologies will be driven by consumer entertainment, but the technical advances required to make this happen will also pay dividends for enterprise users.
By Dave Molta / Sep 27, 2006

Strategy Session: Network General: Duck or Phoenix?:
Having languished for several years as part of Network Associates, Network General attempts a comeback with "Fusion." But can the company overcome its "bad marriage" and win back customers, both old and new?
By Art Wittmann / Sep 27, 2006

Opinion: High-Definition Video--Bad For Consumers, Bad For Hollywood:
Digital rights management gadgetry has turned high-definition video into a lumbering dinosaur that consumers won't want to buy. And a good thing, too--because Hollywood doesn't know what to do with HD, says <b>Cory Doctorow</b>.
By Cory Doctorow / Sep 26, 2006

Reality IT: Wired or Wireless? You Decide:
My company is setting up a new satellite office in a nearby city. One major decision is whether or not to go fully wireless at this remote location, and you can help us make the right choice.
By Hunter Metatek / Sep 20, 2006

Bottom-Up Compliance:
Although compliance with specific regulations certainly requires a good bit more than simple common sense, keeping data safe usually demands exactly that.
By Art Wittmann / Sep 20, 2006

Strategy Session: Armchair Economics:
Vendors are eyeing the state of the economy and the coming fiscal year with pessimism. So what's a well-intentioned IT planner to do?
By Art Wittmann / Sep 13, 2006

Reality IT: Advancing by Degrees:
Returning to school for a master's degree to advance within the IT profession isn't as easy as ABC.
By Hunter Metatek / Sep 1, 2006

Strategy Session: Introducing Holistic Analysis:
To simplify your technology evaluation process, we're pleased to announce NWCanalytics.com, your new home for holistic technology analysis.
By Art Wittmann / Sep 7, 2006

Air Time: A Wireless Education:
Laptops and multipurpose cell phones are rapidly becoming the norm among students on campus. To support all these wireless devices and technology, however, schools must start offering serious network infrastructures rather than a few random hotspots.
By Dave Molta / Aug 23, 2006

Strategy Session: Our Magazine's New Look:
We've redesigned Network Computing magazine to better help you use technology to meet the needs of your business.
By Art Wittmann / Aug 23, 2006

You SURE You Want Your YouTube?:
Online video services like Google Video, YouTube, AOL Uncut and vMix present IT managers and execs with unforeseen liability and bandwidth challenges.
By Pete Tenereillo / Jul 26, 2006

The Art of IT: What IT Controls--And Doesn't:
The control freaks in IT would love to string up anyone who violates the department's policies. But once users are allowed to take their laptops home, the chances of IT controlling the application mix on those machines diminishes.
By Art Wittmann / Jul 12, 2006

Air Time: Wireless FUD--Alive and Well:
The wireless network market is an industry that lives and dies by innovation, so fear, uncertainty and doubt are all things we have to learn to live and work with.
By Dave Molta / Jul 12, 2006

The Art of IT: Tough Times at the Top :
Changes in the leadership of our industry's top companies are becoming the norm these days. Although installing a new CEO may satisfy directors and shareholders, it doesn't always address the root problem.
By Art Wittmann / Jun 28, 2006

Reality IT: Taming the Wild Inbox:
Faced with bloated inboxes, our team realized there are two ways to motivate reluctant users to purge thousands of old e-mails: sticks (threats) and carrots (incentives).
By Hunter Metatek / Jun 26, 2006

Emerging Enterprise: Flex Your Buying Muscle:
We share tips for getting the same deals on IT products and services as companies that can buy in bulk.
By Alice LaPlante / Jun 12, 2006

The Art of IT: The Fall of the IT Control Freak:
Face it: Your users know more than enough about their computers to be dangerous. So let them choose their own systems and offer a very broad array of software. You just worry about keeping all that precious corporate data safe.
By Art Wittmann / Jun 13, 2006

Air Time: Responsible Mobility:
Just as the automobile provided key benefits for widespread physical mobility, mobile information is largely a liberating phenomenon. But the revolution has a dark side, a struggle to ensure that the technology serves our needs rather than controls us.
By Dave Molta / Jun 12, 2006

Reality IT: Flying High -- and Low -- With IT Legal Eagles:
Although lawyers are dedicated to protecting our IT interests, they can also be a hindrance -- sometimes even responsible for scaring off vendors with promising IT solutions.
By Hunter Metatek / May 26, 2006

Wi-Fi: Yesterday and Today:
In the IEEE, technical excellence is valued and often demanded, but increasingly, the process has as much to do with the economics of standards as with the merits of architectures.
By Dave Molta / May 17, 2006

The Art of IT: Three Wise Men of Networking:
Cisco Systems' John Chambers. Juniper Networks' Scott Kriens. Extreme Networks' Gordon Stitt. If you had any illusions that these three view their business in even remotely the same terms, let me dispel them now.
By Art Wittmann / May 17, 2006

The Art of IT: Packaging. The Future is Packaging:
I'm not talking about the carton your latest IT gizmo came in, I'm talking about the features and functions of the gizmo itself.
By Art Wittmann / May 3, 2006

Reality IT: Good Intentions vs. Good Decisions:
Here's a real-world view of how two executives looking to overturn the status quo learned that good intentions don't necessarily lead to good decisions.
By Hunter Metatek / May 1, 2006

Air Time: Wi-Fi and Commoditization: Commoditization's Yin and Yang
There are times when commodity technology impedes progress and establishes an ugly legacy with complex challenges. Wi-Fi is the latest example.
By Dave Molta / Apr 18, 2006

Daily Spin: After the Fox:
Firefox fans may walk around with rose-colored glasses, but the truth is that their browser of choice is no more safer or reliable than that one coming out of Mordor -- er Redmond.
By Tom LaSusa / Apr 17, 2006

The Art of IT: Get Out of the House:
Insular environments can lead to insular thinking. The only cure is to get out of the glass houses we've built for ourselves. This is critically important to guiding our organizations.
By Art Wittmann / Apr 5, 2006

Reality IT: An Open Letter to Your Users:
Whether through ignorance, blatant disregard for corporate policy or sheer unwarranted self-confidence, users have a boundless ingenuity for screwing things up.
By Hunter Metatek / Apr 3, 2006

Air Time: Your TWE Pocket Field Guide:
Technical White Elephants, or TWEs, are the product of an ill-informed imagination that postulates a simple solution to a complex problem. Here's a field guide to help keep you out of trouble.
By Dave Molta / Mar 27, 2006

Daily Spin: Fear, Dread and Vista Delays:
Big shock -- Microsoft has announced that the release of Windows Vista has been postponed. It's hard to repress a nagging sense of fear and dread -- now inflamed by the latest delays -- that any transition to Vista has the potential to be a painful one.
By Richard Karpinski / Mar 22, 2006

Reality IT: Quelling The Boss' Open-Source Fears: Open Source? You're Soaking
Executives may not realize it, but today's enterprises run open-source software throughout the network. When they do find out, it usually leaves them in need of reassurance.
By Hunter Metatek / Mar 6, 2006

The Art of IT: Keeping It Real:
Network Computing editors are committed to creating the most comprehensive tests -- and therefore the most thorough analysis -- of technology anywhere.
By Art Wittmann / Mar 7, 2006

The Art of IT: Baby, I'm Back!:
Network Computing's new editor in chief is no stranger -- Art Wittmann returns to the NWC family and shares his grand plans.
By Art Wittmann / Feb 22, 2006

CRMinally Negligent:
In this edition: A tale of CRM migration gone wrong. It's a good object lesson for IT project managers not to ignore key stakeholders -- including end users -- who might be affected by the change.
By Hunter Metatek / Feb 6, 2006

Get Online: Welcome to the New NetworkComputing.com: The Site Never Sleeps
NWC's technology editors -- all IT professionals with real-world work experience -- drive our revamped Web site. Read about some of our big changes.
By Rich Karpinski / Feb 8, 2006

Is Application Security Training Worth the Money?:
Look for training that focuses on identifying and expunging problems in the software itself. (courtesy: IT Architect)
By Gary McGraw / Jan 17, 2006

The Need To Freeze Out The Bad Guys:
Security visionary Eugene Kaspersky sees Internet crime as tomorrow’s biggest threat. (Courtesy: Security Pipeline)
By Wayne Rash / Jan 31, 2006

Air Time: The Challenges of Scalability: Good Idea--But Will It Scale?
Scalability is the most enduring IT problem, resurfacing in every discussion about new technology.
By Dave Molta / Jan 24, 2006

Down to Business: Keep Your Eyes Open: Offshore Outsourcing Isn't Just Eyeing IT Jobs
Whether you think the center of tech innovation will move to developing countries such as India or you think India is just a low-cost up-and-comer, let's all agree on one thing: It's not going away.
By Rob Preston / Jan 25, 2006

The IT Agenda: IT Pros: Get the Props You Deserve: What Have We Done for You, Lately?
If law enforcement agencies hype their accomplishments to the public, why shouldn't you? It's time to prove to management that they're getting good returns on dollars invested in your IT department.
By Jonathan Feldman / Jan 10, 2006

Down to Business: Back to Security Basics: Define and Enforce or Identify and Punish?
Let's go back to Security 101: creating formal policies on accessing, distributing, storing and transporting critical data. And, of course, define severe consequences for failing to follow the rules.
By Rob Preston / Jan 11, 2006

Survivor's Guide to 2006: Publisher's Privilege: A True Original
Here at Network Computing, we pride ourselves on taking risks with new kinds of products and content to serve our readers.
By John Siefert / Dec 14, 2005

Reality IT: When a Security Project Hurts Network Performance, Pull the Plug!: No Safety Without a Net
Stuck between a "critical" security technology project and a saturated network? The bottom line is that a network isn't much help if nobody can log onto it.
By Hunter Metatek / Nov 28, 2005

Down to Business: Are Patents for Software and Business Processes Reasonable?: Patent Pending?
To be granted a patent, inventions must be novel, useful, non-obvious and not based on "prior art." But these criteria are sometimes forgotten when it comes to software and business processes.
By Rob Preston / Nov 30, 2005

Don't Fear Commoditization: Commodity Products Are Stable and Reliable
The commoditization of tech products will let IT pros focus on what their employers value most: competitive advantage and profits.
By Rob Preston / Nov 16, 2005

Heads Up, IT: Out of Touch--Out of Work
There's a perception that IT pros are disengaged from business objectives and counterproductive in their resistance to change. If we don't change that distortion, the consequences could be dire.
By Rob Preston / Nov 2, 2005

Reality IT: BPR Revisited: IT Strikes Back
When choosing processes and software, it pays to get IT's two cents.
By Hunter Metatek / Nov 2, 2005

Natural Born Microsoft Killers: The New Battle Is Joined
Where and when necessary, Microsoft adapts to all its Web rivals, proving that healthy paranoia still runs deep in Redmond.
By Rob Preston / Oct 19, 2005

Changing the Face of Wireless: The Latest Battleground
If your goal is to transmit lots of data over a wireless network at maximum distance, multipath is good.
By Dave Molta / Oct 19, 2005

Reality IT: Business Process Reinvention: Taking Back the Process
Hunter deals with an egotistical VP who thinks he knows all the answers regarding a project for converting legacy inventory/warehouse systems to ERP.
By Hunter Metatek / Oct 3, 2005

Innovation Is Alive and Well: The Sky's the Limit
Just because budgets are tight and too many venture capitalists are chasing too few entrepreneurs doesn't mean innovation is moribund.
By Rob Preston / Oct 5, 2005

The IT Agenda: Katrina's Harsh Lessons: No Matter How Much You Prepare, Is It Ever Enough?
Hurricane Katrina leaves us a nation with families torn apart and billions of dollars in damage. It also leaves us with unwelcome but essential lessons.
By Jonathan Feldman / Sep 21, 2005

It's All About the Connections:
The momentum of enterprise information delivery may be moving from complex applications like ERP and CRM to Web portals.
By Rob Preston / Sep 16, 2005

Mired in IT Incrementalism: Meeting the Challenges
Front-line support staffers who've lived through botched upgrades are risk-averse. Instead, they muddle.
By Dave Molta / Sep 14, 2005

Develop a Patch Management Strategy: Substitute Management for Madness
It's more critical than ever to test patches. Unfortunately, most IT organizations are forced to simply slap on fixes.
By Rob Preston / Sep 7, 2005

The IT Agenda: Required Reading: Three Books You'll Want to Pick Up
We offer a trio of tomes that serve as a prime source of excellent IT and management resource material.
By Jonathan Feldman / Aug 24, 2005

Cisco Security Flap: Much Ado About Something: The Networking Giant Doth Protest Too Much
There's no surer way to call mass attention to a sensitive subject you're trying to downplay than to tell the public to mind its own business.
By Rob Preston / Aug 10, 2005

Air Time: The Internet as a Legacy System: No Simple Solutions
The private sector alone is not capable of addressing the Internet's architectural flaws. Government and quasi-governmental organizations must play a bigger role.
By Dave Molta / Jul 27, 2005

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