System iNetwork

March 30, 2008

From the Expo Floor: Reports on Networking and Security Products

I made a few rounds of the Expo floor at COMMON today and met some of the vendors in my "beat" — networking/connectivity and security. Now, I didn't have a chance to meet every vendor in my category, but it looks like there's a lot of new and interesting stuff going on in these areas. Here's what I've learned so far, and I'll keep you posted on what else I discover as COMMON 2008 progresses:

BOSaNOVA told me about two interesting releases: a new wireless tablet thin client and a set of Linux thin clients. The wireless tablet is IP53 compliant, meaning that it's resistant to water and dust. The tablet, called the 410XP BOStablet, uses the AMD Geode LX800 processor, Microsoft's XP Embedded OS, and full-screen 5250/3270 emulation.

The upgraded Linux firmware has a new interface that provides a Vista look and feel. It also has a new ICA client and ICA PN Agent Client Version 10. BOSaNOVA worked with Citrix to develop a proprietary PN Agent for published applications. In addition, support of Provisions Networks VDI client is included with the new release for connection to a connection broker in a virtual desktop environment. BOSaNOVA says many other updates have been added, and you can find more information on its website.

Next, I visited the PowerTech booth. They've upgraded all their products to work with V6R1. PowerTech's CTO, John Earl, said, "By investing in, and ensuring that, our products are ready for V6R1, we're sending a clear message that we remain committed to supporting and upgrading our security and compliance solutions."

PowerTech has been testing its products against early versions of V6R1 since late 2007. Most of the products were already compatible with V6R1, but in some cases new product updates are required in order to run on V6R1. The PowerTech solutions that require new releases to support V6R1 are now available:

• Compliance Monitor 2.1
• Network Security 5.2.1
• Authority Broker 3.1.1
• Security Audit 2.1.1

At the Innovatum, Inc., booth, I learned about DT/VSSA for System i — a product that lets you add biometric electronic signatures to legacy apps and transactions without programming or changes to existing code. I got to see the small biometric device that scans the user's thumbprint. It plugs into any USB port. Pretty nifty. You can add electronic signatures to current transactions, authenticate users at application logon, transaction, and data levels. More info on their website.

I popped over to the Linoma Software booth and got the scoop on its latest release: GoAnywhere, a solution that automates data retrieval, translation, encryption, compression, and distribution — all with an easy-to-use web interface. GoAnywhere lets companies consolidate all their data transmission and processing needs and provides a single point for administration and monitoring. The product works on a variety of platforms and connects a variety of servers, such as FTP, HTTP, e-mail, and database servers. Last but not least, GoAnywhere encrypts and compresses data, making for secure and faster transmissions.

— Linda Harty, web strategic editor

Posted by lharty at March 30, 2008 9:26 PM