Stories by John Dix

Where Do 3Com Users Go from Here?

The life is finally draining out of the Network World Fusion forum about 3Com Corp. retreating from the enterprise network market, but what a tale it told.

Stock Gyrations and What We Can Expect Next

The stock market is an odd creature with largely unpredictable habits, but when you stop and look backward those habits seem to fall into recognizable patterns. That gives rise to predictions about what the market will do in the future.

Network World 200 Market Cap Passes $5 Trillion

If you need any more proof that the world has woken up to the fundamental importance of networking, consider this staggering fact: The stock value of the Network World 200 - the 200 largest U.S.-based public network companies D has passed $5 trillion.

Gigabits on Demand

Some 160 people representing 110 companies went to the second meeting of the Optical Domain Service Interconnect group two weeks ago, a sign that the vendor community sees promise in the intelligent optical network concept being promoted by Sycamore Networks Inc. and other players.

Boldly predicting the Internet is safe

If you want to make a name for yourself, you can't be bashful about making bold predictions. Witness Bob Metcalfe (columnist).

The Implications of the Microsoft Decision

I find it hard to get excited about the Microsoft Corp. antitrust case. The damage has already been done, the market has moved on and, at this point, even the most extreme outcome - breaking up Microsoft - would probably backfire and only serve to strengthen the company.

Sizing Up Voice Over IP

One key to getting ahead in this business is developing a knack for knowing when to invest in new technologies. After all, early adopters get burned, while laggards get whacked upside the head by more nimble competitors.

Telecom On the Cheap

Ever hear of a company called Sosinc (Sensible Office Solutions Inc.)? I hadn't either, nor will we likely hear too much more about it because it came out gunning for our enterprise market but has since washed its hands of it.

Struggling Net Shows Need to Be Tuned Up

A snowstorm ate the recent ComNet show, but what's eating the other big trade events? Although the stalwart network shows still seem to do OK in terms of booth sales, empirical evidence suggests that attendance is waning. Crowds seem to have thinned out over the past two years, vendors seem a bit more cranky about traffic volume, and a few manufacturers simply don't bother to show up anymore.

Ford and Delta See the Light

While I was extolling the virtues of using free services as a way to push the corporate work force into the Internet realm, Ford Motor Corp. and Delta Airlines Inc. were putting the finishing touches on more ambitious plans. The companies independently announced they will subsidize not only the cost of Internet access for employees who want to get online, but also the cost of the PC.

The Raging NOS Debate

In the network community, it is safer to talk about politics and religion than network operating system (NOS) preferences. Nothing brings out the vitriol more than a good debate about the relative merits of Novell NetWare vs. Microsoft Windows. If you don't believe me, log on to Network World Fusion and check out the tongue wagging in the forum that goes with our "King of the NOS hill" review, which ran last week.

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