Networks Telecom shows security matters

By Alun Williams

Posted on 25 Jun 2002 at 17:38

Showcasing a raft of new products, Networks Telecom Europe 2002 kicked off at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.

Now in its 22nd year, the show is running from today to Thursday 27 June, with around 20,000 people expected to browse their way around the four NEC halls dedicated to networking technology. Based in Birmingham, it's one of the few major tech shows to escape the grip of London.

With more than 200 companies exhibiting - slightly down on last year - the major stands in the halls have been taken by the likes of Alcatel, Worldcom, Computer Associates, Intel and Thus. The list of exhibitors also includes, among many others, BT (Ignite and Wholesale), Emulex, Network Appliance, HP, Cisco, Fujitsu, Compaq, Alcatel, Belkin, Canon, Siemens Communications and Computer Associates.

With a host of companies officially releasing new products timed to coincide with the show, we can only touch the surface of the more important releases. Among those with new releases are Network Intruments, Intel LANDesk, Aprisma, THUS and TeleWare.

On the network side of things, Network Instruments is launching two new-to-the-UK products - Gigabit Observer and Wireless Observer - for monitoring and troubleshooting complex (wireless and fixed) networks. Similarly, Mutiny (together with Toshiba) is launching a 'plug and ping' network monitoring system, Mutiny On Board. SYAC is showcasing compression software that enables video, audio and security management functionality to be transmitted across PSTN, ISDN, ADSL and IP networks. And Intel's LANDesk group has announced a Web services-based product strategy for its server and desktop management system, LANDesk Management Suite - with the use of Web services any Internet-enabled PC can potentially become part of a corporate network.

Meanwhile, Aprisma is unveiling a new version of its SPECTRUM Security Manager, which collates information from multiple sources and compares the results against predefined rules and conditions to help detect breaches in security. Trend Communications is launching NetCare (network maintenance and support) and NetControl (network management and monitoring) systems. Finally, Global Secure Systems has launched its 'Wireless Firewall' product, which is made of two components, the Access Manager and a Control Server) and XP Energy is showcasing its updated UPS product portfolio.

More on the telecom side of things, THUS is launching FlexiVPN, which is a fully managed IP-based VPN service for businesses - it enables enterprises to link their various locations (headquarters, branch offices, remote users and the like) to THUS's national network and, in turn, to the Internet. TeleWare is unveiling a new IP Telephony product that allows the retention of PBX features and allows common applications to ruin across PBX and IP telephony networks. IP Net has also launched its first low-cost IP Phone (ï70 based on 250 unit quantities) and Tiger Communications is also launching Tiger 2020 Pro, a call management system for IP-based switches, which will run on all Windows platforms.

The exhibition also incorporates Channel Network Convention 2002 for vendors working in the channel concerned with broadband and wireless networking.

Running alongside the show is a series of free seminars, covering issues such as security, storage management and wireless technology.

Next year, the Networks Telecom show is to be rejigged and rebranded. Entitled Networks for Business, the show will have four distinct components: Infrastructure Solutions Network Solutions, Application Software Solutions, Enterprise Solutions.