A whole new Internet

Juniper Networks has unveiled a sweeping blueprint for a future communications grid that would be as global as the Internet but with the security of private networks, reports CNet.

Dubbing its vision an "infranet", Juniper called on other network equipment vendors and telecommunications companies to work together on joint standards that would allow development work to begin. Lucent Technologies reportedly supports the infranet initiative, but Cisco spokesperson Jeanette Gibson said the company had no comment on the announcement.

The worldwide PC market grew more quickly than expected in the third quarter, according to PC shipment and market share numbers released yesterday by research firms Gartner and International Data Corporation (IDC), reports CNet.

"All regions showed double-digit year-on-year growth, with the exception of Latin America," said Gartner analyst Charles Smulders. The PC market as a whole grew 15.7% compared with the same period last year, according to IDC. Gartner`s figures showed a growth rate of about 14.1% worldwide.

A day after the date it set as a cut-off for unauthorised third-parties to stop connecting to its instant messaging (IM) network, Microsoft is offering few details about its progress in creating licensing agreements to continue access.

Microsoft last month announced that unauthorised third-parties connecting to its .Net Messenger Service, which powers Windows Messenger and MSN Messenger, would be blocked come 15 October, unless they formed a licensing agreement with it, reports eWeek.

Sun Microsystems has released the latest update of its Software Express for Solaris code, which includes an optimised networking stack for both commodity x86 and Sparc hardware, reports eWeek.

Software Express for Solaris is a new code delivery mechanism that gives customers the code for the next version of Solaris, due for release in 2004. The express delivery lets developers receive the code much earlier in the development process; it also offers monthly snapshots of future software features currently under development.

CNet reports on the week`s open source highlights: The next version of StarOffice goes on sale, Mozilla update introduces fees, companies are not revisiting their Linux plans, SCO or no, Linux companies settle copyright suit, and MontaVista upgrades Linux for telecoms.