Michael Martin

Fibre-starved Canadian businesses may be able to turn to copper as a solution to their bandwidth headaches as soon as 2004.

Expand Beyond Corp., a three-year-old Dallas-based outfit, is aiming to enable Windows administrators to manage and troubleshoot their networks through mobile devices, such as Palm handhelds, or Microsoft Pocket PC devices.

Computer Associates International Inc.

Alcatel

Alcatel

A bevy of software and systems vendors unveiled products designed to make more efficient use of network resources, such as servers and storage gear, at Networld + Interop in Las Vegas last month.

Wireless number portability might provide a short-term benefit to Canadian enterprises by lowering prices and increasing competition, but its longer-term impact on this country's wireless industry and customers would ultimately be negative.

In late 2000, Call-Net Enterprises, better known as Sprint Canada, was looking for ways to trim expenses. Serge Babin, a senior vice-president and Call-Net