Extreme Networks and F5 Networks Raise Integrated
Server Load Balancing to New Performance Level
Industry Leaders Combine Best-of-Breed Technology to Provide Customers with Integrated
High-Availability and Gigabit Server Load Balancing Switching Solution
SEATTLE and SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Extreme Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXTR - news), a
leading provider of broadband switching solutions for service providers and corporate enterprises, and F5 Networks, Inc.,
(Nasdaq: FFIV - news), a leading provider of Internet Traffic Management (ITM) products, are joining forces to provide
customers with a new higher level of performance for integrated server load balancing. The two companies have signed a
strategic agreement enabling Extreme Networks to integrate F5 Network's BIG/ip Controller Layer 4 load balancing source
code into Extreme Networks' award winning switching solutions.
The agreement also provides Extreme Networks and its partners access to all of F5 Network's products for resale. This will
allow Extreme Networks to provide customers with best-of-breed Layer 3, Layer 4 and Layer 7 server load balancing
solutions.
Until now, most server load balancing solutions have been limited to 100mbps server connections. Extreme Networks will be
one of the first vendors to offer wire-speed Layer 4 switching over Gigabit Ethernet, including Gigabit Ethernet over copper,
for very high performance server connectivity. Combined with Extreme Networks' switching solutions, this Gigabit server load
balancing performance can now be delivered to vast numbers of servers, raising the bar for network performance and size.
The Extreme Networks and F5 Networks relationship provides customers with a superior approach for achieving true
seamless integration of server load balancing across high performance switches and high performance appliances. This enables
customers to combine best-of-breed Layer 4 switching solutions and Layer 7 appliances to obtain a higher degree of
redundancy and compatible management across the network.
''We've already embarked on a successful relationship with Extreme Networks and F5 Networks, so this agreement comes as
great news for PSINet,'' said Michael Mael, Vice President of Applications and Web Services for PSINet. ''F5 Networks'
load balancing technology together with Extreme Networks' broadband switching solutions address a need that's vital to our
business and our goal of providing customers with the highest standards for quality, performance, and security.''
''Our relationship with Extreme Networks creates an enormous advantage for our customers,'' said Jeff Hussey, chairman,
president and Chief Executive Officer of F5 Networks. ''This relationship also broadens F5's distribution channels as well as
the 'footprint' for its technology.''
''Our strategic focus is to provide high performance network solutions to service providers that are driving the Internet
economy,'' said Gordon Stitt, Extreme Networks Chief Executive Officer and president. ''The integration of F5's leading load
balancing technology combined with our market leading switching solutions provides this new breed of carrier with a robust,
high performance infrastructure that enables them to deliver new enhanced services.''
|
