Caron Carlson

When Joe Russells broadband access provider suddenly shut off service this spring, he resorted to a wireless link connecting his offices to an access line in a neighboring suite. It was more than a month before he got a new high-speed connection of his own. “I cant afford extended downtime,” said Russell, president and CEO […]

Cisco systems inc.s decision to stop selling NetScout Systems Inc.s nGenius probe under its own private label has lit a fire under rival vendors eager to serve users looking for tools that monitor traffic and prioritize bandwidth. The San Jose, Calif., companys departure from the probe business last week came after NetScout balked at giving […]

Finding lemonade in the lemon that was BroadBand Office Inc., Yipes Communications Inc. last week bought the rights to serve more than 3,500 office buildings previously accessed by BBO. For enterprises seeking MAN (metropolitan area network) links in the buildings covered, Yipes new contract with the real estate owners should mean faster connectivity for less […]

For many road warriors, the workday does not end when the trade show floor closes, the meetings adjourn and the business dinners are over. Theres often more work waiting back at the hotel—e-mail to answer, memos to send and schedules to prepare. The hospitality industry is striving to make in-room business tasks convenient even while […]

As choices among telecommunications service providers dwindle with the tightening economy, incumbent telephone companies are in the best position to thrive. But studies are beginning to show that rival service providers are leaving a mark not only on the customers bottom line but also on deeper sentiments of business propriety. “Before we switched providers, if […]

Dell Computer Corp. will face stiff competition in a flagging market as it embarks on an effort to start selling its own line of low-end networking gear. The Austin, Texas, direct marketer announced last week it will start selling Taiwanese-made network switches under its own brand name in the fall. Dell will continue reselling switches […]

As enterprises continue to watch IT budgets closely, technology and telecommunications companies are turning their attention to providing services for Uncle Sam. But while many vendors wrap public sector wins in the rhetoric of promoting democracy through e-government, most citizens wont feel a direct impact because the lions share of federal technology procurement involves defense […]

NextWave Telecom Inc.s victory in the District of Columbia Circuit appeals court this month forces the newly installed Federal Communications Commission to re-examine a series of regulatory blunders and legal missteps—including the summary cancellation of NextWaves licenses—that began in 1994. But as the FCC ponders its next move, the company, formerly called NextWave Personal Communications […]

Having let go more than 18,000 rank-and-file workers through voluntary and involuntary job cuts since January, Lucent Technologies Inc. is now focusing on reducing the number of managers, with more layoffs anticipated before months end. The cuts reflect a shift in strategy aimed at investors who are demanding less niche product promotion and more streamlined […]

Satellite technology as a WAN platform has always carried an aura of unfamiliarity and space-age connotations that have scared away enterprise customers. However, with the migration toward IP networking, more companies are looking at VSATs (very small aperture terminals), even where digital subscriber line or cable services are available, because of satellite technologys ubiquity, scalability […]

With all the troubles the typical DSL customer endures on the road to Internet connectivity, why would anybody want to deal with two digital subscriber line providers at the same time? For Brian Hauer, systems architect and IT manager at TechEmpower Inc., the answer is twofold: First, two DSL connections together are less expensive for […]

When Aspine USA Inc. merged with Ammtec Inc., of Tokyo, this winter, the small manufacturers operations expanded across several countries, making its spreadsheet/fax machine system of product collaboration and supply chain management inadequate. Not prepared to pay thousands of dollars a month for a traditional client/server or hosting solution, ASpine opted for a new online, […]