Google's competitors may not be who you think; Is Cisco ACS 5.0 worth the upgrade?

Is Cisco ACS 5.0 worth the upgrade?; Six reasons why Microsoft struggles with innovation Voices of Networking NetworkWorld.com | Update Your Profile Sponsored by Juniper Networks Live Webcast: The Benefits of Integrated IPS Application security and network visibility across your entire network is a reality with an integrated Intrusion Prevention System. Register now for this Live Webcast scheduled for Thursday, September 17, 1:00 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST. Industry experts will explain how you can easily integrate IPS into an existing network in a manageable, cost-effective way. Get the security threat response your organization requires without suffering from information overload. Register now. Spotlight Story Google's competitors may not be who you think When I worked at Google, I think many of us were surprised by how often people outside the company would talk about Microsoft as a competitor. Inside the company, we rarely talked about Microsoft. Read full story Related News: Is Cisco ACS 5.0 worth the upgrade? I've been receiving this question more and more recently from Cisco ACS customers so figured I'd post my answer here for all to view. As some of you already know, Cisco's ACS software received an overhaul this past year. Many of the features that ACS customers have been asking for, for a while, have finally made it into ACS 5.0. Here are the top 10 new features that will affect your upgrade decision. Six reasons why Microsoft struggles with innovation Microsoft struggles mightily with innovation for these six hard-to-fix reasons. BlackBerry Loves U2 - But Why? I was recently mildly surprised to see a TV ad proclaiming that "BlackBerry Loves U2", but with little additional explanation other than a reference to a Web site with similarly little value other than to tease a "U2 Mobile Album" which hasn't yet been released. Why is the king of corporate mobility hyping a rock band via the vaporware route? Apple App Store and Google Voice: move may not be as capricious as it seemed A few weeks ago I wrote about the first round of fallout that resulted from the press reports that Apple had rejected a Google Voice application after Google tried to add it to the App Store. Developer starts official campaign to rid the Web of IE6 Web developer Bryant Smith has had enough of Internet Explorer 6 and he's not going to take it anymore. He has launched a campaign to rid the Web of IE6 by writing and distributing free redirection scripts. Searching For Cream: The Endless Battle To Find The Best Search represents the coming together of two parties: the seeker and the sought. Just as communication engages both a "sender" and a "recipient", effective search consists of helping people find the most relevant result, on the assumption that that result wants to be found. Thoughts about UC ROI In the last Network World magazine, I came across an article called 'ROI doesn't always pan out with unified communications' and while reading through it, a few topics came up. Networking around the World I had an Ah-Ha moment this week when I was overseas and I opened up my web browser to see the following Google page. August Giveaways Cisco Subnet is giving away training from Global Knowledge and 15 copies of Practical Intrusion Analysis; Microsoft Subnet is giving away training from Global Knowledge and 15 copies of SCCM 2007 Unleashed. Google Subnet is giving away 15 copies of Web Geek's Guide to Google Chrome. Entry forms can be found on the Cisco Subnet, Microsoft Subnet and Google Subnet home pages. Deadline for entries is August 31. Network World on Twitter? You bet we are 10 sports technologies to love, 5 to hate Many technologies help fans enjoy sports. Others just annoy. Apple disasters Apple has enjoyed huge success with the iPod and iPhone, but Apple has had a number of commercial flops, too. Optimizing IT Budgets In tight Economic Times Download this whitepaper and learn how one $5,000-10,000 server can manage 250,000 endpoints reducing the number of consoles and Full-Time Employees (FTEs) to manage them. Learn More ESG: Why SharePoint Needs WAN Optimization According to recent research from the Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), implementing SharePoint is a Top 5 initiative for CIOs. But a hidden challenge in SharePoint is to ensure that end users are able to quickly access and edit files when connected via the WAN. Learn about the key benefits organizations have realized as a result of Wide Area File Services Technology. Click here to continue.   August 31, 2009 TOP STORIES | MOST DUGG STORIES Wi-Fi encryption cracked in 60 seconds 12 words you can never say in the office Robocalls outlawed as of Sept. 1 5 techs that could reinvent cell phones The opposite of Twitter High-tech blimps earning their wings Obsolete technology: 40 losers Worst co-workers ever Free tool brings analysis to Cisco ASA 2,200 broadband stimulus applications Gaining the Performance Edge Using a Column-Oriented Database Management System Many organizations are increasingly recognizing the potential benefits of how analytic databases can support reporting, strategic analysis, and other business intelligence activities. Explore the data explosion phenomenon and why column-oriented database systems are able to provide the boost that is needed to gain the performance edge. Learn More Compare products, get advice, and check out tests and reviews from the experts at Network World. Over 70 categories. 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