Stories by Network World staff

Briefs

BellSouth Corp. has chosen Telco Systems' EdgeLink 300 integrated access device as a new customer premises equipment option for its MegaLink Channelized T-1 managed service. The BellSouth service concentrates voice, data and video traffic over a single T-1 link. The EdgeLink 300 also provides the option of a dual T-1 for up to 48 separate 64K-bps voice or data channels. Telco, of Norwood, Mass., is owned by World Access in Atlanta, but is in the process of being sold to BATM Advanced Communications, an Israeli internetworking systems company.

Briefs

Santa Clara startup BoldFish Inc. next month plans to ship a high-volume outbound mail server designed for e-commerce marketing. The SMTP-based server software, which runs on Windows NT or Unix, can blast out 500,000 messages per hour, according to the company. The software can also manage any "bounce-back" messages that don't reach intended recipients, the company says.

Briefs

Newbridge Networks Inc. was in the news again last week - this time denying strong rumors that the company was about to be snapped up by French communications giant Alcatel. An acquisition could be announced by Tuesday, according to published reports. The struggling network company sought the services of an investment banker last year to advise it on possible acquisition strategies. L.M. Ericsson Telephone of Sweden and Germany's Siemens have also been named as potential Newbridge suitors.

Briefs

Compaq Computer Corp. last week launched a Web site for small and midsize businesses that offers online training, business news headlines, stock quotes, and calendar and address book functions.

Briefs

You've seen the firm in court, it's wowed you on your PC, now Microsoft Corp. wants to invade the wires to your house. Microsoft last week said it would take an equity stake in Itran Communications, which makes hardware and software that lets data be transmitted through home power lines. The deal moves Microsoft further into the home network market, which involves linking multiple PCs within the home plus connecting "smart'' appliances, such as refrigerators and microwave ovens that feature Web access. Microsoft said it will collaborate with Itran to develop software to transmit data through electrical wires that are already in homes.

Infrastructure Briefs

IBM Corp. last week enhanced the processor and memory capacity for its 37XX front-end processor family. The company rolled out a 533-MHz Pentium III processor with 128M bytes of memory for the 3745 Models 17A, 21A, 31A, 41A, 61A, and 3746 Models 900 and 950.

Briefs

Atlanta-based EarthLink Network Inc. has completed its $4 billion acquisition of MindSpring Enterprises Inc. Now EarthLink can supplement its dial-up ISP business with broadband access and Web hosting services, according to company officials. Garry Betty, formerly president and CEO of EarthLink, will retain his CEO title, while Mike McQuary, formerly MindSpring's president and chief operating officer, will become president of EarthLink.

Briefs

Network Associates Inc. next month plans to ship a Windows NT-based security management console called the E-Policy Orchestrator. The software lets network managers set individual end user security policies on Network Associates products, such as the desktop Norton Anti-Virus software and the WebShield Internet gateway security device. Pricing for the E-Policy Orchestrator has not been set.

Infrastructure Briefs

Cisco Systems Inc. last week announced new modules for its multiservice 2600/3600 routers. The four new modules offer two WAN Interface Card ports that Cisco says operate up to 8M bit/sec and support integrated DSU/CSU serial connections. The modules offer a choice of one or two 10/100 Ethernet LAN ports and/or a 4/16M bit/sec token-ring LAN port all on one network module. Previously, the same features were only available using two or more network modules. The new interface cards are available immediately. The new modules range in price from $1,500 to $3,500.

Carrier Briefs

Primary Network Communications Inc., a competitive local exchange carrier based in St. Louis, plans to roll out voice over digital subscriber line later this year. The service will initially include only long-distance at 4 to 5 cents per minute, but local phone service will be rolled in later. Primary is basing the service on Accelerated Networks Inc.'s integrated access devices. Primary also supplies Internet access and data services.

Apps Briefs

Microsoft Corp. and VerticalNet have announced a joint effort aimed at delivering business-to-business e-commerce services to small and midsize companies in vertical markets. Under the agreement, Microsoft will invest $100 million in the Horsham, Pa., company VerticalNet, which operates 55 industry-specific vertical trade Web sites, the companies said in a joint statement. Microsoft will also provide VerticalNet with distribution and marketing support through several of its Internet units, including its small-business portal site, bCentral, and the MSN Internet service network. VerticalNet, in turn, promised to speed up its adoption of Microsoft products and technologies, including upgrading its operating system platform to Windows 2000 Professional Edition.

The Snowstorm That Ate ComNet

The weather outside was frightful, and the moods of most attendees at last week's ComNet 2000 weren't too delightful after a monster winter storm threw travel plans into disarray, forced the cancellation of long-planned show events and made a general mess of the area.

Corrections

The chart accompanying a recent story (NW, Jan. 24, page 16) inaccurately depicted the relationship between Lucent and Chromatis. Lucent has invested an undisclosed amount of money in Chromatis, which makes optical access gear.

Reporter's Notebook

ComNet 2000 was dominated by the weather . . . if the snow wasn't falling on your head or you weren't butt-first down in a snow bank, then it dominated all forms of conversation throughout the convention center. Aside from the havoc the blizzard wreaked on the show, the storm provided us with these items:

Briefs

Finisar Corp. has introduced a switch for carriers designed to deliver services directly off optical networks. With the Opticity Service Provisioning Platform, service providers can support switched data services for Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel over fiber rings or point-to-point connections, giving customers faster access at lower prices. An Ethernet speed link, for example, could cost as little as digital subscriber line, which is less than $1,000 per month.

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