F5 Networks Announces Next Generation BIG-IP
Content Switch
New Content Switch, Built On the Leading Network Processing Technology, Offers an Advanced
Way to Intelligently Manage Internet Content and High Volumes of Traffic At Line Speed
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JUNE 13, 2000-- F5 Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:FFIV - news), the leading provider of
Internet traffic and content management (iTCM) products, today announced its new BIG-IP© Content Switch, the Company's
next generation iTCM product that offers an advanced solution for intelligently managing large amounts of Internet content and
traffic at line speed.
As the first product of its kind to be delivered using Intel Corporation's advanced network processor technology integrated
through a standard PCI interface, the BIG-IP Content Switch provides a superior solution for companies engaged in the
dynamic and rapidly growing e-Business market. It combines the best attributes of high-performance network processing with
the flexibility, intelligence, and scalability of a central processor for advanced Application Layer management. Working with
companies such as DELL, Exodus, Intel, and Qwest, F5's BIG-IP Content Switch paves the road for a new breed of ultra
high-performance content switching built on industry standard platforms.
``F5's next generation offering is right on target in solving customer concerns,'' said Cindy Borovick, Program Manager, Data
Center Networks at IDC. ``The highest priority for enterprises, dotcom's and service providers is the ability to increase server
response times, while simultaneously and efficiently executing advanced Application Layer functionality.''
As the first content switch built on Intel's advanced IXP1200 network processor, the BIG-IP Content Switch leap frogs the
Application Layer performance and functionality of ASIC-based switches. The BIG-IP Content Switch (also offered as a field
upgrade add-in card for existing BIG-IP Controllers), provides up to 4 gigabits per second total bandwidth, eliminating
dataflow bottlenecks. The BIG-IP Content Switch is designed to deliver the 'brains' and 'brawn', enabling e-Businesses to
deliver advanced Web applications without sacrificing performance -- maintaining high Quality of Service for end-users. In
addition to its heavy lifting capabilities for high volume sites, F5's Content Switch continues to incorporate BIG-IP's leading
software functionality, offering more than twice the number of persistence modes and load balancing features of any other
product on the market, the most robust security, and the greatest number of fail-over modes to ensure high availability of a site.
``The power and flexibility of the Intel IXP1200 Network Processor enables F5 to provide a highly flexible and scalable
solution for advanced content switching,'' said Doug Carrigan, Director of Product Marketing in Intel's Network Processing
Group. ``And because the IXP1200 is reprogrammable, F5 is able to rapidly respond to their customers' requests for
enhanced features with software upgrades.''
Flexibility in packaging is another unique advantage of the BIG-IP Content Switch. Enterprises can purchase the BIG-IP
Content Switch as a field upgrade add-in card for their existing BIG-IP Controllers or may purchase it as an optional feature on
any BIG-IP product (excluding the BIG-IP e-Commerce Controller). F5's partners may embed the BIG-IP Content Switch
within their servers and switches to complement their product offerings.
``The BIG-IP Content Switch is fast; it's tough enough to withstand millions of website hits daily; and it easily can grow as
website traffic volume rapidly increases,'' said Gene Austin, Vice President and General Manager for Dell Internet Server
Products. ``ISPs, dotcoms, and enterprise website managers tell us this is just what they're looking for and we'll be delivering it
later this year as part of our new PowerApp appliance server family.''
``F5's BIG-IP Content Switch addresses the main argument that the load balancing switch makers have been making,'' said
Dwight Gibbs, Chief Techie Geek at The Motley Fool. ``In the past, the switch makers claimed to be faster and push more
traffic than BIG-IP. With the BIG-IP Content Switch that's not the case. It gives you everything a mission critical web site
could want -- flexibility, extensibility, manageability, customizability, and now blistering speed. In short, BIG-IP has it all.''
``By embracing the best of both worlds, the BIG-IP Content Switch delivers F5's advanced software capabilities like the
richest set of Cookie persistence modes, SSL management, and HTTP header load balancing, URL parsing and more, at
unprecedented performance,'' said Carl Amdahl, Chief Technical Officer at F5 Networks. ``Intel's network processing
technology not only allows us to outperform ASIC-based switches, but also yields a highly flexible, scalable product that
enables us to respond swiftly to customer requirements.''
Pricing and Availability
The BIG-IP Content Switch first customer shipments will be in June. The BIG-IP Content Switch comes as a standard feature,
at no additional charge, with BIG-IP Enterprise. The BIG-IP Content Switch is an optional feature priced at $4,000 for
100Mbs and $5,500 for 1Gbs, for any of the BIG-IP products, excluding the BIG-IP e-Commerce Controller. Most existing
BIG-IP customers may purchase the BIG-IP Content Switch as a field upgrade add-in card for existing BIG-IP Controllers.
The cost to upgrade BIG-IP will vary depending on the age of the customer's existing equipment. F5 will issue a new price list
by July 1, complete with upgrade kit options to cover all existing customers. Optional onsite installation and configuration
services are priced separately at $1,250. |
