Phil Hochmuth

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell is planning a global VOIP rollout with tens of thousands of IP phones that will ultimately run off of a mostly Microsoft-based server platform.

Cisco says it is not releasing its NAC client software code to the open source community, nor does the company have plans to exit the endpoint security client business, despite a Cisco executive telling the contrary to the media earlier this month.

3Com says its Open Services Network strategy rivals Cisco's approach for running advanced services at the network layer but allows IT executives more flexibility in choosing such services.

Telecom and IT administrators charged with supporting telecommuters have as many product and technology options as users have reasons (or excuses) to work from home.

An array of VOIP and hybrid IP/digital technology options exist for tying home-office workers to a corporate voice. But IT executives should consider how much in-office features available in the office should be extended to those at home, and at what cost.

Cisco over the next five years plans to radically change how it sells and delivers router and switch software, in part by making that software more virtualized and modular.

Like many distributed businesses, Virgin is consolidating voice and data traffic onto one IP network to save costs. The company is also using its WAN as a tool for delivering digital content, such as music clips and video, to kiosks in the stores, as well as multimedia content to digital displays and screens.

Cisco recently announced it is buying Orative Corporation, a maker of cell phone software that ties mobile phone users to corporate IP PBXs and messaging systems.