Caron Carlson

Security executives from some of the countrys largest IT vendors and telecommunications carriers came to Capitol Hill last week to nip in the bud any plans federal lawmakers might be harboring for regulating private data networks. Having been caught off guard by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Congress is eager to avoid appearing unprepared […]

Cash-starved states throughout the country are looking to the Internet as a source of new tax revenue, but the U.S. Congress, fearing that taxes will cut Internet use, is trying to hold them back. States could reap revenue from the Internet in two ways: by taxing access and by taxing online retail sales. Access taxes […]

To simplify security efforts for enterprises that want to deploy IP communications across far-flung operations, Avaya Inc. this week is rolling out five security gateways with integrated VPN and firewall support. The security gateway technology from Avaya, based in Basking Ridge, N.J., allows a network administrator to manage all virtual private networks and firewalls with […]

Evidently unfazed by being the sole state still battling Microsoft Corp. on the antitrust front, Massachusetts insisted Wednesday that the software maker is getting off too easy when it comes to bundling middleware with the operating system and when it comes to being punished for trying to thwart Java distribution. Massachusetts filed a brief with […]

The federal government put its money where its mouth is on the matter of IT security and awarded a $90 million contract to Microsoft Corp. to provide the Department of Homeland Security with desktop and server software. The five-year contract, which the new department announced Tuesday, establishes Microsoft as the primary technology provider to DHS […]

Videoconferencing systems—hardly easy to use, even in well-appointed conference rooms—are often more trouble than theyre worth in cubicles, home offices or on the road. In an effort to make the experience less aggravating for the full panoply of enterprise workers, vendors are making incremental advances in video quality. Polycom Inc. has introduced ViaVideo II, a […]

Lawmakers are getting less subtle with their demands that vendors and network operators do everything possible to make the nations cyber-infrastructure secure. Even legislation dictating IT security requirements—regarded as a last resort—is in the works and slated for introduction by years end. Advising corporations to “get their house in order” and demonstrate that regulation is […]

The nations overwhelming response this month to the federal Do Not Call lists promise of telemarketing relief has given Congress added impetus to finally act on another unasked-for nuisance: spam. Spam is not a partisan issue, but it is nevertheless embroiled in politics. In past years, turf battles between the House judiciary and commerce committees […]

Microsoft Corp., which was widely viewed as a triumphant victor last year in settling the penalties for its antitrust violations, appears to be dragging its feet in implementing some of the settlement terms, according to the U.S. Department of Justice and the states that agreed to the deal. Out of the 18 states plus the […]

If there was any lingering doubt, Massachusetts, the sole state refusing to sign on to a Microsoft Corp.-crafted federal antitrust settlement, has now made it clear that it will not ease up in the pursuit of tougher remedies. The Bay State, which is investigating whether Microsoft already has violated the settlement, set up a Web […]