Now this kind of stuff could have strong influence tomorrow..
Novell Establishes E-Business Directory Lead
New Breed of E-Business Players Align with Novell's NDS eDirectory
- Platform-independent Directory Supports Today's Web-based Networks - Aggressive Pricing
Promotes Easy Adoption of eDirectory - Internet Leaders CNN, Sun, Lucent, AltaVista Support
Next-generation NDS
biz.yahoo.com
=================
MarketWatch Renegade
Comdex special
Novell tackling security
Plus: Prototypes in spotlight; Motorola finger scanner
By Brenon Daly, CBS MarketWatch
Last Update: 5:02 PM ET Nov 16, 1999
Plus: Silicon Stocks
LAS VEGAS (CBS.MW) -- Novell will begin shipping a new version of
its network-administration software next week, the company said at
Comdex on Tuesday. The product is an improvement because it's
considered more effective in allowing a company's systems administrator
to determine access levels for users both within and outside the company
network. It's also the resurgent Novell's (NOVL: news, msgs) latest
attempt to tackle log-in and related access-security issues that are a top
priority for e-commerce, application-development and other growing
Internet companies. Sun Microsystems, Alta Vista and BroadVision were
some of the companies that announced relationships with Novell
surrounding the the new product, dubbed NDS E-Directory. Novell
shares jumped 3 1/16, or 16 percent, to 22 1/16.
Showing off gee-whiz stuff
If nothing else, Comdex gives companies a chance to show off some of
their "gee whiz" technology before an appreciative audience.
Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina wore a wristwatch from
Swatch during her keynote that will eventually allow people to surf the
Web over the gadget. See related story. Not to be outdone, Xerox Chief
Executive Rick Thoman will show off a server during his Wednesday
speech that fits in the palm of a user's hand. (Servers are the powerful
machines that run a network and are typically much larger than laptops.)
Xerox's (XRX: news, msgs) product is part of the smaller-is-better push
throughout the computer industry. Industry observers look to a day not
too far away when processors, which power basic machines, will be only
several molecules thick.
Fun, games and e-commerce
With the 2,100 or so companies exhibiting at
Comdex, there are a lot of companies clamoring for
attention. But many have found their pitches drowned
out by their neighbors or even the constant din from
the casinos. To stand out, some companies have
gone for a "soft hook." A public-relations firm hosted
a morning mountain-bike ride as a way to pitch its
accounts, Micrografx (MGXI: news, msgs)
organized a chili cook-off and Solar Communications
sponsored the "heaviest laptop." The privately held
company makes a system that allows users to leave
their laptops in the office or at home and log on to a
computer in a hotel. (Given all the nerds sitting at
blackjack tables with laptops dangling from their
shoulders, the Solar Communications product --
called PCRoomLink -- has a sizable potential
customer base.) And new to the show this year: a
battle of the bands pitting music groups made up of
computer folks.
Motorola, Identix finger on the future
In the first joint product from a previously announced joint venture, Identix
(IDX: news, msgs) and Motorola (MOT: news, msgs) unveiled a
fingerprint-security gadget that the companies say is smaller and less
expensive than other offerings. The DFR 300 is just one-fifth the size of a
traditional fingerprint reader, the companies said at a press meeting.
Indentix is also taking the technology on the road, offering its so-called
"biometric reader" for laptop computers. The technology, which replaces
the traditional login and password security systems, scans a user's
fingerprint in order to recognize who's trying to log in. Salomon Smith
Barney projects spending in the security and personal identification market
will grow more than 60 percent annually to approximately $1 billion in two
years.
All hands on Palm
One of the largest changes the technology industry has seen is the
incredible shrinking computer, as designers pack more processing power
into smaller packages.
Maybe that's why the crowd at Comdex made
the 3Com Palm products booth one of the
heaviest-trafficked area in Las Vegas on Monday.
One reason: Palm, a subsidiary of 3Com (COMS:
news, msgs) said Sony will license the Palm
platform to create wireless consumer gadgets that
play music and show videos. The number of handheld computers is
expected to soar to 13 million by 2001, up from 3 million just two years
ago, according to IDC.
Also see Monday's dispatches from Vegas and coverage of Bill Gates'
Sunday keynote address. |
