We are covering the N+I networking conference in Las Vegas this week. Check out our ongoing coveraging, including keynotes for MCI's Michael Capellas and Cisco's John Chambers.

David Berlind: One of the challenges facing attendees at a big trade show like N+I is finding the handful of nascent, disruptive technologies that are poised for explosive growth once IT departments get hip to their advantages. One such technology at this year's N+I is wireless mesh technology. In these days of Wi-Fi, the phrase "wireless" generally conjures up images of untethered client connectivity. Wireless mesh is nothing of the sort--it's primarily a new enabler for Ethernet deployments in scenarios where pulling wire doesn't make sense.