myCIO.com unveils managed VPN services

myCIO.com unveils managed VPN services

myCIO.com, a Network Associates business, has launched VPN AsaP, a family of

managed security services designed to deliver virtual private network (VPN)

connections. "With our new VPN service offerings, myCIO.com secures VPN

connections from potential malicious attacks and hacker attempts, enabling

e-businesses of all sizes to take full advantage of the internet without

worry," said Zach Nelson, President and CEO of myCIO.com. Additionally, to

streamline the VPN deployment process, myCIO.com is partnering with ISPs, ASPs

and telecom and hardware companies such as Global Crossing NetScreen, PGP

Security and Ramp Networks, to deliver VPN AsaP.

Email comes to submarines

Benthos, a Massachusetts, USA company has developed a way to send emails

using sound energy waves. This will help transmit information through the water

to a relayer buoy that can be up to three miles away. Test signals were sent at

a rate of 2,400bps, slow when compared to 33Kbps and 56Kbps rates of most home

computers, but good enough for underwater transmissions. The tests were carried

off the California Coast by the USS Dolphin.

The technology not only has military applications, but can also be used by

the gas and oil drilling industry, for weather tracking and other underwater

research, said John Coughlin, President and CEO, Benthos. Benthos developed the

technology with a grant from the US Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems

Command Center in San Diego.

Quantum begins volume shipments of latest Atlas drives

Quantum Corp’s hard disk drive group has begun volume shipments of Atlas

10K II 10,000Rpm disk drives to its major original equipment manufacturers. The

Atlas 10K II family offers a 4.7 millisecond seek time and up to 73.4GB

capacity, nearly doubling the available capacity.

"This full capacity offering coupled with leading IO performance enables

us to compete within a variety of applications beginning with high-performance

workstations right up to capacity-hungry, internet-based servers," said

Clark Foy, VP, Marketing, High-storage Division, Qauntum.

Lotus, IBM launch community-based ebiz resource

Lotus Development Corp and IBM have together unveiled two resources for

software developers focused on collaborative technologies. The new collaboration

zone on IBM Developer Works offers objective content on the latest technologies

for developers building open, standards-based and cross-platform collaborative

solutions. Lotus Developer Network (LDN), a new Lotus resource site, offers

developers in-depth information for building collaborative ebusiness

applications and a gateway to the extensive Lotus developer community.

LDN offers developers easy access to one, central repository of information

on Lotus web application products, strategy and development trends. "Lotus

has provided developers with an industry-leading development platform for

collaborative applications, featuring real-time collaboration, teamware and

workflow, upon which developers can build dynamic and secure web

applications," said Bart Lautenbach, Director, Web Applications Marketing,

Lotus Development Corp.

PictureTel launches portal-based videoconferencing

1414c, a subsidiary of PictureTel Corp, has unveiled Conference 1-2-3, its

H.320-based multipoint videoconferencing service. Conference 1-2-3 provides the

general conference market 24×7 web access. Priced at $49 per site per hour

within the US–including port and ISDN network charges–the service reduces

the cost of H.320 videoconferencing bridging service. The service scheduling

also reduces the administrative overhead and time consuming process associated

with set up and testing.

New standard for home networks

A consortium of high-profile tech firms announced they have picked up a

technology that will serve as a common way for connecting electronic devices to

the Net through electrical outlets.

The HomePlug Powerline Alliance has chosen a technology by a little-known

firm called Intellon that will allow consumers to use their homes’ internal

electrical networks as the medium to share internet access, play video games,

talk on the phone, and enjoy movies and music.

"It’s about time there’s an organization that will promote powerline

home networking," Yankee Group analyst Karuna Uppal said.

The ‘powerline’ alliance, made up of 36 companies including 3Com, Cisco

Systems, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, AMD and Radio Shack, represents the latest

effort to create networking standards for the home.

HomePlug hopes to release a final standard by the end of the year.

Corel pushing for Linux

Canada’s Corel is planning to offer free Internet access service to users

of the Linux operating system. Linux users will be able to download the internet

access software from Corel’s www.corelcity.com Website. Corel said it would

offer a strong incentive for computer users to switch to Linux operating system

and applications. Linux OS is free while application software are generally

available at a fraction price of similar software on the Windows and Unix

platforms.

The internet access software was developed by Spinway. Corel also said it

would sell Linux-based office-network software made by Rebel.com.

National Semiconductor partners Samsung for flat panel displays...

National Semiconductor Corp and Samsung Electronics will jointly develop

products for the next generation of thinner, lighter displays initially targeted

at notebook PCs, information appliances and other mobile products.

The development is an outgrowth of a technology licensing deal signed last

summer that gave Samsung the right to use key elements of National’s advanced

digital interface technology in what Samsung has dubbed the Mount Blance

Project. More specifically, these impressive new displays use National’s

power-saving, low-noise reduced swing differential signal (RSDS) technology.

"Among the keys to success for future generations of LCD panels is

simplified design and improved performance. This is particularly true in

portable products where new features are being added continuously, often at the

expanse of power consumption, cost and time-to-market. Together, we will also

speed the migration toward larger and higher-resolution panels that will

eventually replace traditionally bulky and power-hungry displays," said

David Handorf, VP, Interface Product Group, National.

...in global partnership with Liberate

National Semiconductor, which is also a provider of silicon solutions, and

Liberate Technologies, a provider of software for enhanced television content,

have entered a global platform partnership designed to speed up time-to-market

and reduce costs for set-top box manufacturers and network operators.

At the core of the agreement, Liberate and National will pre-integrate the

Liberate TV platform and the National Geode family of microprocessors. This

effort will reduce time-to-market for the set-top boxes network operators

choose, and assure a superior level of performance for the combined

semiconductor and software platform solution. Liberate and National will

continue to consult and coordinate as new products near market.