Caron Carlson

In what is expected to be the first in a long line of legal challenges, the Regional Bell Operating Companies took the Federal Communications Commission to court today over new rules governing telephone competition. Given that the FCC chief himself last week denounced the rules as “chaotic” and “a litigation bonanza,” a court filing one […]

In the hands of a government preoccupied with security, data mining technologies raise the specter of bureaucratic intrusiveness of Orwellian proportions. But data mining researchers in the private sector say that this technology, like any tool, can be used for good, and they have grown weary of seeing it held out as a bogeyman. Researchers […]

Communications proved difficult during the Blackout of 2003, as many new IP phone systems were rendered useless without backup and a number of wireless services fell flat. Though some cellular carriers fared better than others in the massive power outage this month, no one could avoid the fact that even wireless technology depends on electricity. […]

Encouraging the migration of gigabit Ethernet to the edge of the enterprise network, Cisco Systems Inc. is launching two fixed-configuration switches that combine the high-bandwidth connectivity with intelligent edge services. Many enterprises that have installed Gigabit Ethernet at the core of the network are now interested in pushing it to workstations to deploy applications more […]

The Federal Communications Commission late yesterday afternoon released long-awaited rules on local telephone competition and broadband network deployment, after six months of fine-tuning a vote that sharply divided the commission. Affected parties are still trying to understand the 576-page document, but it is clear that neither incumbent telephone companies, nor their rivals, nor consumer advocates […]

Amid what many in the IT industry see as an inevitable move to IP-based telephony, many enterprises are grappling with a mishmash of technologies from different vendors. To make everything work together smoothly in the transition to IP, IQ NetSolutions Inc. is upgrading its call management software and unveiling companion desktop applications. Integrating disparate phone […]

In the midst of what many in the IT industry see as an inevitable move to IP-based telephony, many enterprises are grappling with a mishmash of technologies from different vendors. To make everything work together more smoothly in the transition to Internet Protocol, IQ NetSolutions Inc. Monday is upgrading its call management software and unveiling […]

Taking a tougher stance on Microsoft Corp.s use of its market power than their counterparts in the United States, officials in Europe are proposing remedies for alleged anti-competitive behavior that include greater interface disclosure requirements and the unbundling of Windows Media Player. The European Commission said last week it has evidence that shows Microsoft uses […]

Fighting terrorism on the home front has given the U.S. government a big appetite for information, with records such as credit reports, charity lists and traffic incidents being scoured for leads in the name of national security. This zeal to cross-check and profile citizens is creating a rush of companies eager to sell the fruits […]

A critical mass of policy advocates on opposite ends of the political spectrum have teamed up to press for new laws restraining the governments use of commercial data, fearing that technology is pushing data usage faster than the legal framework can protect privacy, accuracy and network security. Even with the Privacy Act of 1974 in […]