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Worries over viruses and network downtime are keeping chief information officers from going for purely IP networks--and that's why Avaya uses Linux, according to Don Peterson, CEO of the networking company. Peterson said that call centers in particular have fielded security as a reason to avoid switching to an IP network. "They don't want two devices with virus exposure on their desk," he said on Wednesday. "(Security) is something CIOs think about along with their IP telephony decision--many of our customers say it's why they don't deploy IP influence," he added. "It is why we have chosen to deliver our IP telephony solution on Linux rather than on Windows." The theory that Linux is inherently ***

A brewing controversy over e-business standards may have been averted Thursday after one Web standards group agreed to support the work of another. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the gatekeeper of many Internet standards, and Oasis, a group of technology companies backed by the United Nations, have been developing competing technologies to allow businesses to link over the Internet and conduct e-commerce. Oasis on Thursday announced it is ceasing its effort to build a communications protocol for e-commerce business communications in favor of a competing specification under development by the W3C. ***

Corporate users of Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows operating system will soon be able to make an easier remote connection, according to company officials. The Redmond, Washington-based software giant is hoping to cash in on the growing appetite among users to connect from anywhere. To do so, it will complement the existing networking features found in desktop stalwart Windows NT Workstation with new technology, code-named BaseCamp, that will provide the ability to securely connect to a corporate network or Internet service provider (ISP) over the Net. BaseCamp is currently in its third beta release and is scheduled for a fourth-quarter rollout. Microsoft officials refused to disclose packaging or pricing details on the new technology. ***