802.11a/b/g/pre-n Wireless AP. Aruba Networks squeaks out a surprise
win in this category with its family of small, lightweight, multipurpose Access
Points (APs) that meet the needs of any enterprise wireless LAN (WLAN) deployment.
Aruba APs include single-and dual-radio 802.11a/b/g models with a variety of
fixed and detachable-antenna options. Aruba APs provide converged voice, video,
and data connectivity—perfect for campus environments, branch offices,
and remote locations. Aruba APs automatically configure themselves across any
IP network, allowing easy upgrades when new features, capabilities, or standards
emerge, thus increasing their lifespan. These APs are small enough to be securely
deployed on walls, in cubicles, on desktops, and in the ceiling.
See associated figure
Fax Gateway. In this category, Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS)
2003 takes the top spot over its more specialized competitors for the second
straight year. Small-to-midsized businesses (SMBs) increasingly need to conduct
their business better, faster, and with tighter resources. SBS 2003 provides
many technologies and tools to help SMBs become more productive and efficient—including
reliable fax functionality. The product's Microsoft Shared Fax Service lets
users fax from their desktop any time without the need for multiple telephone
lines and spools documents from the client computer to the server. Users can
receive faxes through Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services, email, or a printer.
Switch. Looking to establish a strong foundation for easy-to-manage,
resilient, intelligent SANs? Check out the QLogic SANbox fibre switches, which
edged by big-time competitors Cisco and HP in this category. QLogic switches
are interoperable with other Fibre Channel switches from Brocade, Cisco, and
McData for easy integration into existing SAN infrastructures. You can implement
the switches as standalone units or multistage fabrics. The QLogic SANbox fibre
switches also offer a cost-effective way to implement a new SAN, and they feature
auto-sensing, self-configuring ports.
See associated figure
Keyboard/Video/Mouse (KVM) Switch. IOGEAR posts a convincing victory
with its Symphony multifunction four-port KVM switch, which lets you use one
VGA monitor, USB keyboard, and mouse to control four computers. In addition,
the Symphony has a built-in USB 2.0 hub, an Ethernet 10/100 switch, and audio-sharing
capabilities. You can share your USB peripherals and transfer data at speeds
as fast as 480Mbps. In addition, the audio ports let you connect one set of
speakers and a microphone, then share them among your computers. The built-in
Ethernet switch lets you easily network and share Internet access. The Symphony
is fully compliant with the 802.3 networking standard.
See associated figure
VoIP Solution. With the convergence of voice and data networks comes
new security vulnerabilities. The value of the NetIQ VoIP Security Solution
is that it provides security assurance across your IP telephony infrastructure,
protecting voice and data environments. The product protects your network from
the most worrisome threat scenarios, including Denial of Service (DoS) attacks,
viruses, eavesdropping, and toll fraud. It lets you monitor your VoIP environment
in real time to detect security threats, correlate and log security events for
audits, automate alert notification on possible attacks, and perform forensic
reporting to analyze call usage patterns to spot abuse.
See associated figure
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