Our live "Reality Check" series expounds on recent cover packages, digging into real-world issues such as reliability, intergration, business justification and vendor viability.

11:30am - 12:30pm
Configuration Management
Speaker: Bruce Boardman, Executive Editor, Network Computing
Configuration management of heterogeneous network devices, such as routers, switches, and other network appliances has long been the Achilles heel of network management. Open networks connect well together, but managing all that openness is another story. In fact, it is one of the significant reasons for buying all your gear from a single infrastructure vendor-avoiding the headache of configuration, by avoiding the configuration differences that each vendor presents. In this Reality Check session, we'll discuss the features and failures we've experienced with our most recent testing.

12:45pm - 1:45pm
Web Services Security
Speaker: Lori MacVittie, Senior Technology Editor, Network Computing
Web services continue to be a hot item in 2004. And as you get down the implementation road, serious security considerations remain. In this Reality Check session we'll examine the security issues associated with Web Services, with a focus on best practices. We will examine WSSE (Web Services Security Extensions) 1.0 and how to protect yourself given its shortcomings. We'll also discuss common attacks and other web services vulnerabilities, as well as authorization and authentication.

2:00pm - 3:00pm
Next Generation Wireless LAN Infrastructure
Speaker: Dave Molta, Senior Technology Editor, Network Computing
The market for enterprise WLANs is at a crossroads. Most IT professionals see wireless as a valuable extension of their wired LANs, but concerns about security, architecture, standards, and cost make planning and implementation very challenging. In this Reality Check session, we'll examine the key issues associated with this rapidly evolving technology, including an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of a range of different enterprise WLAN solutions. We'll also gaze into the crystal ball to address some key WLAN-related technologies and standards coming to market in the next year.

3:15pm - 4:15pm
Desktop Management
Speaker: Michael J. DeMaria, Associate Technology Editor, Network Computing
Desktop Management can be a never-ending, time-consuming, frustrating and complex task -- especially if you're managing your desktops by hand. In this Reality Check session, we'll discuss the current state of the market in desktop management suites. Specifically, we'll examine the disciplines of managing desktop software, installing software revisions, tracking hardware and monitoring software license compliance based on what we've experienced with our most recent testing.

Previous Events

Where	Networks for Business at TechXNY
Date & Time	September 16 and 17, 2003

Download and learn from the actual PowerPoint Presentations presented by Network Computing editors at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York.

• Does the Enterprise Need 3G Wireless? by Andy Dornan, Network Magazine (7.6MB)
• Network Management on $1.19 a Day by Bruce Boardman, Network Computing (376Kb)
• Outsourcing Network Management by Bruce Boardman, Network Computing (1MB)
• Network Intrusion Prevention by Mike Fratto, Network Computing (512Kb)
• Information Technology Testing and Analysisby Mike Fratto, Network Computing (256Kb)
• Wireless LANs: Can Users Have Freedom and Security? by Andy Dornan (3.7MB)

Where	Storage World Conference 2003 in Anaheim California
Date & Time	Monday, May 5, 2003

Download and learn from the actual PowerPoint Presentations used by Network Computing editors as they presented the following in-depth and hands-on presentations this May.

• Nice, Neat Storage: The Reality of Virtualization (1.3MB)
• Storage Management: Beyond SRM (2.2MB)
• Buying Smart and Getting What You Need in Data Storage (1MB)

Audio Portions Provided By: Networld+Interop conference sessions are available for purchase in audiocassette and audio CD formats as well as MP3 CD-ROM with available powerpoint presentations.

• Network Management: Managing What Really Matters for Less Than $10,000
If you're not careful, the cost to maintain, monitor and keep your network in peak performance can skyrocket. In this session we'll give you some practical tips of what works if you're on a budget.

• What Can Web Services Do for You?
Are you also confused about Web services? In this session we'll examine Web services in practice, what they can (and cannot) do, the licensing issues as well as some specifics on the different implementations.

• Security Policy Management
Monitoring your security policy is no easy matter. You've got the client and the desktop to consider. And don't forget about the need to stay in compliance. In this session we'll examine what it all means, the product architectures, processes and functions to assist you and in the end, if it's all worth it.

• Next Generation Backbone Infrastructure
Whether it's CRM or ERP, VoIP or adding wireless to the mix, if you're considering these applications, a backbone upgrade may also be in your future. We'll help you to cut through the hype and examine single-vendor network infrastructure.