IT people, places and things that matter

Microsoft desktop challengers

A legitimate alternative to Microsoft Office? Sure, that's been attempted before, but 2007 saw a series of events that combined to make the idea of running an enterprise environment without Office more tempting than ever.

Most significantly, the ISO rejected Microsoft's Open XML file format as a technology standard. This snub gave suites built around the rival Open Document Format prime position with government and private industry organizations required to use standards-based file formats. That's good news for OpenOffice.org, the Sun-founded open source community.

When the ISO rejected Open XML, IBM not coincidentally took a greater interest in OpenOffice.org, joining the group and pledging to contribute code to the project. Shortly after, IBM released its own set of productivity applications based on the OpenOffice.org source code called Lotus Symphony.

Meanwhile, Google has been fleshing out its Microsoft Office alternatives. Early in 2007 it released Google Apps Premier Edition, a Web-based suite that includes Google Docs & Spreadsheets, Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Talk. Start-ups such as Zoho and InstaColl, too, are jockeying to deliver free, open source and hosted toolsets that combine collaboration features with productivity applications.

Inside MIT's network

Insight from peers can be invaluable to IT executives, and perhaps that's why our interview with Jeff Schiller, head of computer networks and security at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was such a massive hit with readers.

Schiller gave Network World an inside look at how MIT was fending off hackers, executing its massive VoIP rollout and launching its foray as a regional fiber-optic network operator. He opened up about issues including wireless technology, wiretapping laws, intercity fiber and staff training. Asked about the challenge of enforcing security standards among MIT's departments and network users, Schiller quipped: "Enforce is not a word you can use at MIT. We try to entice people to do the right thing."

Networx: No bigger telecom program in the world

After years of planning, the federal government in 2007 doled out awards for its monster telecom contract, Networx. All the top-tier U.S. carriers -- AT&T, Qwest Communications, Sprint Nextel and Verizon Business -- bid on the 10-year, US$20 billion telecom services deal, which will provide domestic and international voice, data, video and wireless services to all federal agencies.

When the biggest component of Networx -- called Networx Universal -- was awarded in late March, only Sprint walked away empty handed. AT&T, Qwest and Verizon Business each won awards for Networx Universal, which provides 50 legacy and leading-edge services including frame-relay, ATM, VPNs and VoIP.

Two months later, AT&T, Level 3 Communications, Qwest, Sprint Nextel and Verizon Business were awarded contracts for the Networx Enterprise component, which will provide secure, managed and wireless IP services nationwide to federal agencies.