16-08-2004 • VOLUME 7 • NUMBER 30 • £2.60
WWW.ITWEEK.CO.UK
15 ENTERPRISE Microsoft’s
assembly-line developer kit
25 NETWORK Better
security for WLANs
32 MANAGEMENT How to
get more from CRM tools
CONTENTS
ENTERPRISEWEEK
Virtual server tools back 64bit kit 15
Sun considers bid for Suse Linux 15
MySQL in theory and practice 16
INTERNETWEEK
Rules to combat rogue diallers 19
Security fears and e-shopping 19
WebLoad 7.0 tools test web apps 20
CLIENTWEEK
AMD launches new budget chips 23
Fuel cells to extend battery life 24
Specs to compare printer costs 24
NETWORKWEEK
Ofcom opens up wireless market 25
Will firms keep fixed-line phones? 25
XP is wizard for wireless LANs 26
MANAGEMENTWEEK
Easier business intelligence tools 31
Supply-chain software advances 31
IM use must
follow rules
The use of instant messaging in the
workplace should be reined in by
strict internal usage policies, according
to legal experts. Lawyers said that
unless firms have clearly defined usage
and archiving policies, they may fall
foul of corporate governance rules.
Stephen Mason, a barrister at St
Paul’s Chambers and member of the
Society for Computers and the Law,
warned that financial firms in particular should ensure messages are properly archived.
“Although there may not be specific rules relating to IM under current
Financial Services Authority regulations, it is probable that it would be
one of the types of documents that
should be retained,” he said.
Garry Mackay, a partner at law
firm Bevan Ashford Solicitors, said,“If
you are going to use IM you have to
take into account both corporate governance and data protection rules.”
IM guidance, p10 Comment, p32
Sites give XP SP2 verdict
IT Week staff
E
arly adopters last week reported a
range of problems with Windows XP
SP2, reinforcing earlier warnings that
firms should treat it as an operating system
upgrade rather than a service pack update.
IT security body Sans Institute reported that around a third of users experienced
solvable problems on installation, while one
in 10 saw systems crash or had to rebuild
their systems. On a disclosure site, one user
said the service pack had broken several
customer network installations.
Although SP2 offers critical security
capabilities and will be installed by most
large organisations that already use XP,
companies should proceed with caution.
“Firms need to use the same procedures
and tools as a full-scale OS upgrade – including maintaining dual SP1 and SP2
images and using client management systems,” said Simon Yates of analyst Forrester
Research in a research note. “New OS features and the on-by-default approach to
security will require policy updates and firewall configuration changes to enable capa-
Toshiba to join 3G fray
Martin Veitch
T
oshiba is to make a foray into the UK
3G sector with mobile terminals due
early next year. The Japanese electronics
giant said its products would be aimed at
business and consumer audiences and will
include video conferencing capabilities.
Later releases will include a hard drive.
“We will have the most converged product on the market,” said European chief
executive Alan Thompson. “It will have
more computing power than most computers had two years ago. We have technologies not available to other companies.”
Toshiba’s experience in mobile computing could help it attract corporate customers.
UK 3G providers currently rely on handsets
from makers familiar to GSM users.
Meanwhile, Vodafone last week started
to test dual-mode GSM/3G
mobile handsets, but has
not announced a date for
a full commercial service. The two handsets
being used in the test, the
Samsung Z105 and the
Thompson: UK
3G move next year
(SUS). But at firms where
bilities like administrator
HOW TO DEAL WITH XP SP2
this is not an option,
remote access.”
Microsoft has released a
Paul Randle, MicroTreat SP2
tool to temporarily dissoft product manager for
as an OS
able delivery of XP SP2
XP, said,“The vast majorDisable
upgrade
automatic
via AU and WU, while still
ity of applications will
updates
accepting critical security
have no problems,” addMaintain
updates. The mechanism
ing that fine-tuning of
SP1 and
to disable delivery of XP
settings for SP2 compoUse client
SP2 images
migration
SP2 will be available for
nents should solve most
tools
120 days from 16 August.
difficulties. However, he
Though the new firesaid that in some cases, Source: Forrester
wall’s default configurasmall code changes to intion will guard PCs from most worms and
house applications may be necessary, typiviruses, some experts criticised it for not
cally in relation to Internet Explorer and its
screening outgoing traffic. This configuranew pop-up blocking feature.
tion gives little defence against spyware, and
Microsoft said that because SP2 conwould not protect infected PCs from hijack.
tains major security improvements it is
In a separate initiative Microsoft last
being distributed as a “critical update” via
week confirmed it is to ship a low-cost cutthe Windows Update (WU) or Automatic
down version of Windows XP in Thailand,
Update (AU) delivery mechanisms in WinMalaysia and Indonesia. Windows XP
dows, but conceded that some firms would
Starter Edition will be available from Octowant to carry out tests before deployment.
ber on PCs in those countries.
The software giant said firms should use
a corporate update management system
Leader, p12 Comment, pp13, 26
such as its own Systems Management Serv SP2, p23 http://isc.sans.org/xpsp2.php
er (SMS) 2003 or Software Update Services
www.tinyurl.com/5al4x
Sony Ericsson Z1010, will be made available
to several thousand business customers in
London, Manchester, Birmingham and
Glasgow. Subscribers will be able to use the
phones to make voice calls over GSM networks and send data over fast 3G links.
In a separate initiative, Toshiba said that
by early next month it will release its Qosmio
laptop, capable of displaying TV on an ultrabright 15-inch screen. Priced from £1,500,
the first model will be followed by a 17in version with Raid disk array capabilities for mirroring data on a second drive. Thompson
said firms increasingly let staff use PCs for
leisure as well as business.“Work and lifestyle
boundaries are being eroded,” he added.
Wireless market opens up, p25
Voice calls, p25 Public hotspots, p26
FSC lightens
laptop load
Fujitsu Siemens will next
month ship its Lifebook
P7010, a small and light but
full-function laptop.The
system weighs 1.3kg
with a 10.6in screen.
The Lifebook P7010 is DVD slots in
based on an ultra low- as a module
voltage 1.1GHz Pentium M processor with up to 1GB
RAM. It will ship early next month and
cost £1,329 + VAT.
www.tinyurl.com/46bb8
NEWS INSIDE: ADSL Prices, p4 • ERP Advances, p5 • SPAM Fighting back, p5 • SPENDING Trends, p6 • IT FORENSICS Training, p6 • TABLET PCs Update, p9