Cisco NAC customers loyal, but not as loyal as CA fans

Cisco News Alert This newsletter is sponsored by IBM Complimentary Trial: IBM Software Development Tools Click here to download complimentary trials of nearly 20 IBM Rational V7 desktop products, offering new capabilities for empowering global teams to speed SOA results. Rational tools help you support the most effective software development for your enterprise and address common software development problems. Network World's Cisco News Alert, 08/24/07 Welcome to the Friday edition of Network World's Cisco News Alert in which we focus on the top items from Cisco Subnet, your gateway to Cisco news, blogs, discussion forums, security alerts, giveaways and more. Enjoy! * TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Cisco NAC customers loyal, but not as loyal as CA fans Cisco has a loyal crowd among users of its NAC appliance, with more than half of such users saying they would consider buying more Cisco NAC gear, but Cisco doesn't have the most loyal NAC customer base. That accolade goes to CA.However, Cisco scored high for NAC appeal.Why the discrepancy? Let us know. Network World Security Buyers Guide Find the right security products for your enterprise - fast. From anti-spam to wireless LAN security, our Buyers Guides have detailed information on hundreds of products in more than 20 categories. With the side-by-side comparison tool you can evaluate product features to make the best decision for your enterprise. Click here to go to the Security Buyers Guide now. ALSO: ProCurve is breathing down Cisco's neck Cisco IP phones open to attack Cisco vs. Microsoft unified communications: Now IBM jumps in Microsoft vs. Cisco: Much can change in one day * FROM OUR BLOGGERS: Brad Reese on Cisco: $29B riding on success of Cisco partner jobs portal Without a doubt $29 billion (Cisco achieves more than 85% of its yearly sales through its channel partners) and the future success of Cisco will depend on whether Cisco properly executes its Cisco Partner Jobs Portal initiative. Jeff Doyle on IP Routing: Source Filtering at the Edge In the previous post I discussed some of the basic principles of edge filtering both to protect your network (incoming filtering) and your neighbor’s network (outgoing filtering). One of the key elements of an incoming filter is admission of packets only from expected sources and blocking of packets from all other sources. Author Expert Jamey Heary: Tips on creating a solid NAC Host Security Policy I know, I hate creating host security policies too. They are a huge pain and a lot of work. But, the success of any NAC deployment relies heavily on the quality, and existence, of a solid host security policy (HSP). This host security policy should be specific to NAC so if you already have a generic one just rework it for NAC. Either way, your host security policy will serve as a guide for how you configure your NAC policies, where you place NAC in the network, and how you approach NAC’s ongoing maintenance. ChannelSurfing with Ken Presti: Managed Services and the Cisco Channel Well you can’t swing your arm nowadays without hitting news coverage about somebody’s managed services strategy. And Cisco is definitely among the companies making moves in this area. But if you’re a channel partner looking at a possible MSP model, there are a host of questions to consider ... Michael Morris' Notes from the Field: QoS with more than one MPLS provider is tough One of the biggest selling points of carrier-provided MPLS is integrated QoS at the edge and within the cloud. While the purest QoS is on dedicated leased-lines, that technology fails to scale on global WANs that would require many long-distance links. HOT DISCUSSIONS AMONG CISCO SUBNET READERS: Network World NAC test results: Did Cisco get a fair shake? Author Expert Jamey Heary ignited a fierce debate over whether Cisco's NAC products really did deserve the less than stellar test results given by Network World's independent testers. Cisco travels deeper into the virtual world Just as Cisco launches its Virtual World Blog comes added speculation that it is preparing to acquire some companies to boost its virtual efforts. Cisco may be preparing for a virtual world but are Cisco customers ready to make the leap? Cisco offers up safe mapping tool as open source LiquidMatrix Security Digest is reporting that Cisco has released Safe Mapping and Reporting Tool (SMART) as an open source software on Sourceforge. This is the first we've come across an open source tool from Cisco. What are the others it has offered? FREEBIES, GIVEAWAYS AND OTHER NOTABLES: * Enter to Win one of 15 copies of Jamey Heary's book "Cisco NAC Appliance: Enforcing Host Security with Clean Access." Details here (only a week left to go before this competition closes.) Get a sneak peek of a chapter here. * Read a free chapter of "Building or Buying VPNs (Digital Short Cut)" by Kunjal Trivedi. Free excerpt: VPN Technology Primer and Comparison of VPN Technology Options. * Check out Cisco Subnet's library for more free chapters from Cisco Press books. * Watch this space for the start of a new blog in September by respected Cisco trainer and author, Wendell Odom. Plus, we'll be giving away his latest Cisco exams book. Do you have a question for Wendell?

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Contact the author: Senior Editor Jim Duffy covers Cisco for Network World. Linda Leung edits Cisco Subnet. Cisco Subnet: The independent voice of Cisco customers   This newsletter is sponsored by IBM Complimentary Trial: IBM Software Development Tools Click here to download complimentary trials of nearly 20 IBM Rational V7 desktop products, offering new capabilities for empowering global teams to speed SOA results. Rational tools help you support the most effective software development for your enterprise and address common software development problems. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007