Will IEEE 802.1X Finally Take Off in 2008?

Security is always a key concern for network operators. They are thus always looking for effective new security tools to work with. Eight years ago, an authentication technology called IEEE 802.1X was supposed to be an important tool for local area networks. 802.1X provides a security framework by letting PCs, Internet phones, and other devices connect to a LAN only if they can authenticate themselves prior to network access. Despite its promise, IEEE 802.1X has never been widely adopted, although it has been used increasingly for wireless gateway-access controls.