FEATURES
Softswitch
Emergence
Kevin Mayer, Editorial Director
Just as complex behaviors
may emerge from interactions among relatively simple
constituents, innovative services may arise from
interactions among the unbundled elements of the
next-generation network. Emergence, however, works
best when constituents may interact freely, and when
network elements may interoperate. In the new
packet-based communications network, and in hybrid
networks that accommodate both packet-based and
circuit-switched elements, the key to interoperability
is the softswitch, sometimes characterized as the
operating system for the next-gen network.
Death,
Taxes, And IP Billing
Kevin Mayer, Editorial Director
Nobody likes paying bills,
but new kinds of bills, presenting charges for usage-
or value-based IP services, may be as certain as death
and taxes. (Apologies to Ben Franklin.) If that sounds
too dark, it might help to consider that the creation
of revenue streams for new services may encourage
innovation, while conveying the preferences of
business and individual users.
E-Document
Delivery Options For All
Mark Malone and Terry Hemphill, Captaris
Fax is an often underated,
yet critical technology that every business requires.
There are several options within the realm of IP fax.
This article weighs the benefits of these options to
help you decide what is the best solution for your
business.
Good
Pitches Can Still Result In VC
Ginger Ehn Lew, TIA
The market is tight. So is
the economy. Think you won't be able to secure funding
for a new venture? Think again. Venture capital firms
are still funding new companies, but companies need a
distinctive pitch. This article explores some
strategies for success.
NEWS AND VIEWS
Breaking News
Letters
To The Editor
Enabling
Technologies
Chris Donner, Contributing Editor
Testing means a lot more
than just passing a test. As networks converge,
bandwidth demands increase, and the economy falters, a
solid testing strategy that guarantees results for
your customers is part of the price of admission.
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PUBLISHER'S OUTLOOK
Optimal
Slack
Rich Tehrani, Publisher
Could injudicious
applications of technology ultimately degrade
productivity, by hastening burnout and compelling
knowledge workers to optimize existing processes,
instead of considering which processes might actually
be worth observing? You might never know, between now
and your company's eventual demise, unless you allow
for some "slack," the capacity to recognize the
distinction between efficiency and effectiveness, the
hidden costs of multitasking, and the importance of
the social dimension of communications.
TOM KEATING'S CC:
IP Address?
It's A Virus Calling!
Tom Keating, Executive Technology Editor
This summer,
the Code Red worm hit computers worldwide. Its
capabilities will certainly have an impact on the
Internet in the future, but what can be done to
minimize these types of attacks? Tom Keating explores
some existing options and hypothesizes an alternate
solution.
REVIEWS
TMC Labs 2001
Innovation Awards
DEPARTMENTS
Analytical Views: Segmenting
CRM
Brian Strachman, Cahners In-Stat Group
The vast CRM market can be
a little confusing to dissect and analyze. This month,
Brian Strachman explains how he segments the market
using an approach inspired by Avaya.
Inside Networking:
The Future Of Packet Switching
Tony Rybczynski, Nortel Networks
Packet switching is
confusing, there's no doubt about it. There's IP
routing, frame relay, and ATM. What about Ethernet
switching and Layer 4/5/6 or 7 switching? Are these
all forms of packet switching? Tony Rybczynski tries
to answer that question.
eBusiness Solutions:
Focusing On The Edge
Karl A. Walder, eshare communications
The edge of your business
is the point of interaction with all of the entities
that enable growth, collaboration, and expression of
corporate brand. Karl Walder maintains that businesses
focusing on the edge will adapt, grow, and prosper
even in an economic slowdown.
On The Horizon: Real
High-Speed Access
Brough Turner, Natural MicroSystems
Everyone is
feeling the need for speed when it comes to their
Internet access. But how quickly is high speed access
being implemented into homes? And who is going to do
it? Brough Turner discusses some community-based
services that are getting fiber into the home.
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