Software

Some companies operate finely tuned environments with network packets humming along at a disciplined pace; others operate at a halting cadence on shared media and cabling from the 1980s. Whichever camp you're in, check out these tips from corporate IT veterans and industry experts for kicking the network up a notch.

Enterprise network threats are escalating in both speed and magnitude, and IT staff, no matter how able they may be, cannot respond quickly enough to today's attacks. In response, Cisco Systems Inc. has developed a new program that the company says will protect computer networks from attacks better than point solutions like intrusion detection systems and firewalls.

As 2003 winds to a close, it's interesting to ponder just what this year will be most remembered for in the world of networking and IT. In looking back at recent years, each one was defined mainly by one trend or event that overshadowed all others.

Any expectations that Intel Corp.'s next-generation Prescott processor will make an appearance in 2003 are fading fast as the year winds to a close. The chip had been expected to make its debut in the fourth quarter, but only a select number of PC manufacturers will get their hands on Intel's first 90-nanometer processor before 2004.

A commonly heard complaint when real time IT implementations are being considered is the apparently prohibitive cost - that the return on investment is too small to justify the hefty up-front expense. But for two companies, this perception turned out to be untrue.

Red Hat Inc.'s decision to stop supporting its free Linux distribution has caused two Canadian universities to rethink their directions when it comes to the open source operating system.

Update on dicey spec The IEEE 802.20 working group's last meeting devolved into chaos, further calling into question the wireless standard's...

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) researchers on Tuesday revealed details of how their company plans to build processors using the next-generation 45-nanometer process technology that AMD hopes to have in production by as early as 2007.