Caron Carlson

As new voice-over-IP services emerge on a weekly basis, a tug of war is growing in Congress over how the emerging technology fits into the traditional telecommunications regulation and taxation schemes. Newly introduced legislation would protect the services from being hit with access charges from entrenched telephone companies and taxes from states and cities. Rep. […]

WASHINGTON—In an ongoing effort to avoid legislation that would mandate more strict cyber-security practices, a task force of companies working with the government issued a set of guidelines Monday encouraging corporate leaders to take responsibility for network security. Because the private sector operates most of the countrys cyber-infrastructure, the government so far has refrained from […]

Three former financial executives at Computer Associates International Inc., including the ex-chief financial officer, pleaded guilty Thursday to criminal charges related to a federal investigation of the companys bookkeeping. Former CFO Ira Zar pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in New York to charges of securities fraud conspiracy, substantive securities fraud and obstruction of justice […]

WASHINGTON—Recognizing that Microsoft Corp. has a significant role to play in securing cyberspace the world over, CEO Steve Ballmer came to the capital this week to meet with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and other government officials. Security is now Microsofts top priority, according to Ballmer, who outlined some of the companys plans […]

With Web site applications becoming increasingly critical to enterprise customers and their internal users, traffic management is no longer the exclusive purview of network administrators. Systems managers have a growing stake in how traffic is routed over the Internet. RouteScience Technologies Inc. this week will launch software that can improve the availability and performance of […]

Internet voting in a U.S. presidential election is gone, but it is not forgotten. The security concerns that last month forced the Pentagon to cancel a project allowing some military personnel and other U.S. citizens to vote online from overseas in November dampened the Internet voting initiative, but it did not deter enthusiasts. The Michigan […]

While they take issue with European sanctions, the litany of pro-Microsoft Corp. statements from the Bush administration and a handful of members of Congress are aimed at this side of the Atlantic as much as they are the European Commission, antitrust experts say. “Part of the rhetoric is directed at the D.C. Circuit [Court of […]

Microsoft Corp. could spend the remainder of the decade embroiled in a European legal battle over its trade practices, but the events of the next 90 days could prove critical in determining the impact of the case. If Microsofts request to stay, pending appeal, a European Commission order to unbundle Media Player from Windows and […]

The Voice on the Net Conference opens in Santa Clara, Calif., this week amid a redoubled VOIP buzz spurred in part by the federal governments interest in regulating Internet telephony. The momentum has numerous vendors offering simpler, less costly, standards-based alternatives to the major manufacturers voice-over-IP offerings, targeting the lower end of the market. Focusing […]

Microsoft Corp. is appealing the sanctions the European Commission imposed today on Microsoft for anti-competitive behavior, giving the company 90 days to offer a version of the Windows operating system without Media Player and 120 days to disclose greater interface information so rival servers can interoperate with Microsoft products. /zimages/5/28571.gifFor more on the EUs decision, […]

A little over a year after the Federal Information Security Management Act went into effect, government agencies continue to be dogged by network vulnerabilities and slow reform. To point agencies in the right direction, the U.S. General Accounting Office last week enumerated 18 technologies in five categories to better protect networks. With the GAOs advice […]

Despite a last-ditch settlement attempt by its CEO, Microsoft Corp. once again finds itself facing protracted litigation and possibly stiff sanctions—this time in Europe. Rivals hailed the development as a victory for software interoperability and competition. CEO Steve Ballmer dropped plans to speak at Microsofts Management Summit in Las Vegas last week to fly suddenly […]