For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Infrastructure And Operations Professionals: Must-Read Research In An Economic Downturn

by Simon Yates, November 7, 2008

The global economy stands on the brink of a complete meltdown, but the impending threat to the 2009 IT budget is nothing new to infrastructure and operations (I&O) professionals: For years now, you've been asked to do more with less. However, this . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Role Overview: CMDB Manager

Take Charge Of Managing And Maintaining Your IT Configuration Items

by Evelyn Hubbert, July 9, 2008

The configuration management database (CMDB) is still a central theme for today's infrastructure and operations (I&O) professional. Organizations are making significant improvements in mastering CMDBs and implementing this as a central process discipline . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Topic Overview: IT Consolidation

Rationalizing Data Center Infrastructure Investments For Greatest Efficiency

by James Staten, April 14, 2008

The majority of IT infrastructure and operations professionals today are rationalizing IT to some degree. This leads to IT consolidation projects for most large organizations, as the finite resources must do more and as nearly everyone faces space, power, . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Topic Overview: Help Desk/Service Desk

by Chip Gliedman, April 7, 2008

Technology has become an integral underpinning of virtually all business interactions. However, just as a smoothly running infrastructure can enable business users to succeed, flaws in this technology or training can impede business progress. To support . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Topic Overview: Green IT

by Christopher Mines, Euan Davis, November 26, 2007

Environmental responsibility is emerging as an important topic for corporate IT organizations and their technology suppliers. Corporate IT will go green in the coming years, driven by a combination of cost efficiency, regulatory compliance, and corporate . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Topic Overview: IT Management Software

by Natalie Lambert, November 13, 2007

Today's organizations are trying to keep up with the continuous pace of technology change and growing business requirements. The importance of management technologies to monitor and manage the wide array of hardware and software systems deployed in the . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Mobile Evolution: Moving Toward An All-Wireless Enterprise

by Chris Silva, September 19, 2007

Enterprise mobility is an area of much interest and great uncertainty. Thirty-two percent of enterprise respondents to Forrester's Business Data Services Enterprise Network And Telecommunications Survey, North America And Europe, Q1 2007 cite "mobile . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Topic Overview: The Extended Internet

Getting Smarter With RFID And Sensors

by Christine Spivey Overby, Ellen Daley, April 4, 2006

Using a foundation of sensors and wireless networks, the Extended Internet (what Forrester calls the "X Internet") connects physical things like assets, products, and even people to the Internet and IT systems. With improved information on the identity . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

IBM Tivoli Redefines Network Management

IBM Acquires Network Management Heavyweight Micromuse

by Thomas Mendel, Ph.D., Frank E. Gillett, December 22, 2005

IBM announced that it will acquire Micromuse for $865 million, which provides IBM Tivoli with a carrier-class network and performance management product, as well as several technology components in application and service management. Because IBM also . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Cisco/Scientific-Atlanta Drags Cable Toward IP

by Josh Bernoff, Robert Whiteley, November 18, 2005

Cisco's acquisition of Scientific-Atlanta (S-A) will propel cable operators more quickly into an IP-based infrastructure. Look for S-A to use Cisco's Linksys brand to get into retail, while the combined company will create a full-on push on US telcos . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Cisco Buys Sheer For Network Management

How Cisco Plans To Become A Holistic Systems Management Vendor

by Robert Whiteley, Galen Schreck, August 1, 2005

As network gear commoditizes, Cisco's weak network management — previously an afterthought to its big iron gear — looms as a problem. But its acquisition of Sheer Networks changes all of this. How? By creating an abstraction layer that simplifies the . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Citrix Strengthens "Access" Strategy With Net6 Acquisition

by Robert Whiteley, November 29, 2004

This past week, Citrix Systems put more muscle behind its access strategy with its acquisition of Net6, an emerging SSL VPN and IP telephony vendor. With respect to the SSL VPN space, this is a smart move. It signals Citrix's commitment to push beyond . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Cisco Snaps Up Perfigo, Seizes Network Quarantine Lead

by Laura Koetzle, Robert Whiteley, October 27, 2004

Last week, Cisco announced its purchase of network quarantine startup Perfigo for $74 million. With Perfigo, Cisco gets two things: 1) a standalone, port-based quarantine appliance for the midmarket, and 2) the server-based quarantine solution it previously . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Relax: Cisco And Microsoft Won't Clash On Network Quarantine

by Laura Koetzle, Robert Whiteley, October 19, 2004

Score one for customers — Cisco's and Microsoft's different approaches to network quarantine will interoperate. Cisco gets the biggest benefit today: The joint announcement weakens Cisco's competitors' argument that it doesn't play well with others and . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Avaya And Spectel Join Forces

Plan New Conferencing Capabilities For SIP Platform

by Elizabeth Herrell, August 4, 2004

Avaya announced its intent to purchase Spectel, a leading audio conferencing vendor to broaden its portfolio of SIP-based applications. This purchase adds conferencing capabilities to Avaya's SIP-based Converged Communications Server, which provides a . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Cisco Scores With Twingo And Riverhead

by Laura Koetzle, Robert Whiteley, March 30, 2004

With cash outlays of only $44 million, Cisco Systems acquired Twingo Systems and Riverhead Networks. Integration of Twingo's technology will place Cisco's features on par with most of the SSL VPN market and just behind leaders NetScreen Technologies, . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Internationalized Domain Names

Good Idea; Shame About The Execution

by Thomas Mendel, Ph.D., March 10, 2004

Companies have been demanding the ability to represent domain names in local language characters for years — and, as of March 1, 2004, it's now possible. Unfortunately, the incompatibility of Web browsers and email programs with local character sets will . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Managed Content Delivery Networks: Finally Becoming a Viable Alternative to Enterprise CDNs

by February 6, 2004

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

NetScreen Ignites The SSL VPN Market

by Vijay K. Bhagavath, Ph.D., Ted Schadler, Robert Whiteley, October 15, 2003

NetScreen gives the SSL VPN market a huge boost by acquiring Neoteris. Our take? Firms on the fence should take notice, as the SSL VPN market will shake out by 2005. Either go with NetScreen, wait for Cisco, or ask your key supplier for a road map.

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Microsoft And IBM Will Disrupt The VoIP Industry

by Vijay K. Bhagavath, Ph.D., Ted Schadler, Angela Tseng, September 11, 2003

Microsoft and IBM are racing ahead of the VoIP vendors to bring the power of live communications to enterprise desktops. Instead of battling the two, VoIP vendors should leverage the duo's software solutions to develop apps that marry live communications . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

3Com-Huawei: Cisco In The Crosshairs

by Charles Rutstein, Galen Schreck, March 21, 2003

On Wednesday, 3Com announced a new joint venture with Huawei Technologies, the leading networking firm in China. It's a bold, smart move that will pay dividends in the long run and begin putting Cisco on the defensive in the short run.