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AS OF 12/4/2008 2:31AM EST

F5 Expands BIG-IP Platforms
By Alex Handy

July 24, 2008 — F5 Networks is taking load balancing to BIG-IP country again. The company yesterday released two new BIG-IP boxes that bring more than just load balancing to custom enterprise applications.

The F5 Networks BIG-IP 1600 and 3600 arrived at the same time as a software update for existing BIG-IP systems, which bring faster load balancing, tighter security and PCI compliance into the mix.

The BIG-IP 1600 and 3600 offer, essentially, the same features as existing BIG-IP products. The differences, thanks to that software update for the rest of the product line, are strictly in the performance. F5 Networks claims that the 1600 and 3600 offer faster performance, thanks to dual-core processors, yet still run on the same amount of power and occupy the same amount of rack space as their older cousins.

F5's BIG-IP software 9.4.5, however, includes a host of new changes and features. Existing BIG-IP systems can be upgraded to include new security features, such as an optional firewall and new handlers for user passwords. Additionally, F5 Networks is offering a security assessment package for BIG-IP systems, which it created with the help of White Hat Security. That security package can be used to track PCI compliance across custom business applications, provided they're accelerated by a BIG-IP box.

“As they grow, companies need to integrate advanced network and application delivery capabilities to remain agile in the face of shifting business conditions,” said Jason Needham, senior director of product management at F5. “Beyond basic load balancing, F5's advanced security and acceleration capabilities enable these companies to deploy integrated solutions, and to keep these technologies integrated as they upgrade their infrastructures. Customers can now achieve enterprise-class security, optimization and availability, where previously they may have had to settle for basic load balancing due to budget limitations.”

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