F5 cloud licensing program offers first complete application
delivery platform in the cloud
F5
Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV), the global leader in Application
Delivery Networking (ADN), today announced a new global cloud licensing
program developed for Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) cloud
providers. The F5® cloud licensing program offers benefits
for IaaS cloud providers, their customers, and channel partners alike.
By including virtual editions of BIG-IP®
solutions as part of its cloud licensing program, F5 provides the
first complete enterprise-class ADN solution in the cloud.
Enterprise IT customers transitioning to a cloud model are faced with
tradeoffs. Cloud providers offering services typically require that IT
relinquish control or create a unique management environment for
off-premise applications. This often causes friction between the IaaS
provider and enterprise IT, with the service provider having difficulty
complying with IT’s preference to retain control and ensure that
applications are available. Until now, IaaS cloud providers have had to
buy the necessary infrastructure to sufficiently address these demands
and support their customers. However, this creates an enormous amount of
business risk for cloud providers, due to the reluctance of enterprise
customers to sign long-term contracts or employ a predictive use model.
With the introduction of its new cloud licensing program, F5 addresses
these requirements. Providing a unified architecture for both private
and public clouds with virtual
editions on its award-winning BIG-IP
platform, F5 now offers its advanced ADN solutions in a utility
billing model. This enables enterprise customers to leverage the same
enterprise-class IT infrastructure that they have in their private
clouds, while giving the IaaS cloud provider the ability to better
manage their cash flow.
“F5’s new cloud licensing program brings the power of our ADN solutions
to the cloud while offering the flexibility of a pay-as-you-go billing
model,” said Jason Needham, Sr. Director of Product Management at F5.
“Cloud providers can realize significant benefits from participating in
this program, including a differentiated service offering, a larger
target market, and enhanced revenue opportunities.”
Benefits of F5’s Cloud Licensing Program for IaaS Cloud Providers
The F5 cloud licensing program allows IaaS cloud providers to offer a
full range of virtual BIG-IP solutions without incurring additional
up-front costs. Additional benefits that IaaS service providers enjoy
under the cloud licensing program include:
-
Advanced Services on a Complete Application Delivery Platform –
IaaS cloud providers are able to branch out from competing solely on a
price-per-compute basis and utilize all of F5’s BIG-IP Virtual Edition
products to offer advanced ADN services and capabilities.
-
Utility Billing Model – F5’s cloud licensing program aligns
with the traditional billing model utilized by IaaS cloud providers,
where providers only pay for the number of instances in use.
-
Spin Up, Spin Down On-Demand – Flexible licensing allows IaaS
cloud providers to offer fee-based, real-time ADN services with no
up-front costs and no long-term commitment.
The First Complete Application Delivery Network in the Cloud
F5’s cloud licensing program enables the first complete cloud-based ADN
stack. With virtual editions of BIG-IP solutions, enterprise customers
receive advanced ADN features and services, including application
delivery, performance, and security.
With the F5 BIG-IP platform, accessing the cloud is simplified without
the impacts of vendor lock-in. IaaS cloud providers have the freedom to
select a hypervisor and virtual infrastructure to meet the needs of
their enterprise customers. Unlike other vendors, F5 supports both
Citrix XenServer and VMware vSphere.
F5 offers access to a wide selection of products to support its new
cloud licensing program, including:
-
BIG-IP
Local Traffic Manager™ Virtual Edition
(VE)
-
BIG-IP
Global Traffic Manager™ VE
-
BIG-IP
Application Security Manager™ VE
-
BIG-IP
Access Policy Manager® (on BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager
VE)
-
BIG-IP
WAN Optimization Manager™ VE
-
BIG-IP
WebAccelerator™ VE
-
Enterprise
Manager™ VE
The COHESION Cloud Program for F5 Channel Partners
In support of the cloud licensing program, F5 has created a unique
channel-specific program, COHESION, which allows traditional channel
partners to engage in cloud-specific opportunities and sell a
specialized software solution to their qualified customers. Where other
cloud licensing programs exclude the channel, under COHESION, F5 channel
partners have the opportunity to engage with IaaS cloud providers. Visit
F5’s Partner
Resource Center for more information regarding COHESION.
F5 also announced today that it has migrated its global online
community, DevCentral, to a cloud environment. DevCentral runs F5’s
cloud-enabled ADN solution in multiple Bluelock Virtual Datacenters
hosted in the public cloud, while adhering to IT best practices for
scale, control, and security.
“Any time you have a customer that is unsure of the expected volumes or
length of a project and wants to rent the infrastructure, we can’t win
the deal without a pay-as-you-go business model,” said John Qualls, SVP
of Business Development at Bluelock. “The F5 cloud licensing program
opens up a lot more opportunity in the market than we have had access to
traditionally.”
Additional Resources
-
Cloud
Licensing Program – Solution Profile
-
BIG-IP
Local Traffic Manager VE – Product Overview
-
BIG-IP
Global Traffic Manager – Product Overview
-
F5
Partner Resource Center
-
F5
Cloud Computing Solutions
-
SlideShare
Presentation
About F5 Networks
F5 Networks, Inc., the global leader in Application Delivery Networking
(ADN), helps the world’s largest enterprises and service providers
realize the full value of virtualization, cloud computing, and on-demand
IT. F5® solutions help integrate disparate technologies to
provide greater control of the infrastructure, improve application
delivery and data management, and give users seamless, secure, and
accelerated access to applications from their corporate desktops and
smart devices. An open architectural framework enables F5 customers to
apply business policies at “strategic points of control” across the IT
infrastructure and into the public cloud. F5 products give customers the
agility they need to align IT with changing business conditions, deploy
scalable solutions on demand, and manage mobile access to data and
services. Enterprises, service and cloud providers, and leading online
companies worldwide rely on F5 to optimize their IT investments and
drive business forward. For more information, go to www.f5.com.
You can also follow @f5networks
on Twitter or visit us on Facebook
for more information about F5, its partners, and technology. For a
complete listing of F5 community sites, please visit www.f5.com/news-press-events/web-media/community.html.
F5, Access Policy Manager, Application Security Manager, BIG-IP,
Enterprise Manager, Global Traffic Manager, Local Traffic Manager, WAN
Optimization Manager, and WebAccelerator are trademarks or service marks
of F5 Networks, Inc., in the U.S. and other countries. All other product
and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
This press release may contain forward looking statements relating to
future events or future financial performance that involve risks and
uncertainties. Such statements can be identified by terminology such as
"may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes,"
"estimates," "predicts," "potential," or "continue," or the negative of
such terms or comparable terms. These statements are only predictions
and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in
these statements based upon a number of factors including those
identified in the company's filings with the SEC.
