F5 acquires Swan Labs

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: DENISE DUBIE ON NETWORK OPTIMIZATION
09/15/05
Today's focus: F5 acquires Swan Labs

Dear networking.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* Behind F5's acquisition of Swan Labs
* Links related to Network Optimization
* Featured reader resource
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by HP
FROM THE NETWORK CORE TO THE NETWORK EDGE

Traffic management becomes critical as your network
infrastructure expands to support different types of traffic and
users. Most traffic management solutions have serious
limitations: too expensive, difficult to use, and overly taxing
on bandwidth. However ProCurve Networking by HP addresses these
requirements, overcomes the limitations of other solutions, and
gives you valuable insight into LAN performance.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=114162
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WIRELESS LANS BUYER'S GUIDE: THE GOODS ON 185 PRODUCTS

We've compiled the largest buyer's guide ever on wireless LAN
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on 185 products. Click here for more:
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_______________________________________________________________

Today's focus: F5 acquires Swan Labs

By Denise Dubie

The application acceleration shopping spree continued last week
as application traffic management vendor F5 Networks made a play
for WAN optimization vendor Swan Labs
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlnetop6774>. F5 announced it would
acquire Swan Labs in a $43 million cash deal, set to close by
the first quarter of 2006.

The market consolidation isn't a surprise to some, but the speed
at which companies are snapping up competitors is noteworthy.
Perhaps because vendors recognize that the application
acceleration market is set to grow
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlnetop6775>, they are making their
move to pump up their product suites while the price is still
right. Market research firm Gartner estimated earlier this year
that the potential for application acceleration could reach $1.5
billion in 2005, a 33% increase over 2004. And the firm also
recently estimated that by 2009 the market is expected to reach
about $2.3 billion in end-user sales.

Swan Labs' product suite
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlnetop6776> was built on the
acquisitions of Pivia <http://www.networkworld.com/nlnetop1329>
and NetCelera technology from ITWorx
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2004/090604swan.html?rl>.

F5, known for Layer 4-7 switching and application traffic
management with its Big-IP switches, plans to incorporate the
WAN optimization and application acceleration technology from
Swan Labs. Swan Labs' WANJet devices can help speed application
traffic over WAN connections with a variety of technologies.

F5 said last week that the integration of F5 and Swan Labs'
technology will "offer an integrated framework that extends
application and network security, acceleration and availability
to remote, branch and private users regardless of where they are
coming from." Specifically, F5 indicated that it plans to
integrate its Traffic Management Operating System with Swan
Labs' WANJet and WebAccelerator.

With a more complete product suite, F5 will face direct
competition from Cisco, which acquired FineGround
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlnetop2323> and Juniper, which
picked up two vendors - Peribit and Redline Networks
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2005/0426junibuy.html?rl> - to
increase its chances in the enterprise application acceleration
market.

The top 5: Today's most-read stories

1. McAfee, Omniquad top anti-spyware test
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlnetop6960>

2. Google hacking <http://www.networkworld.com/nlnetop6689>

3. Supermarket chain freezes Internet access
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlnetop6610>

4. Cisco tackles RFID in the network
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlnetop7094>

5. What's the best way to protect against spyware?
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlnetop6961>

_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Denise Dubie

Senior Editor Denise Dubie covers network and systems management
for Network World. Reach her at <mailto:ddubie@nww.com>.
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by HP
FROM THE NETWORK CORE TO THE NETWORK EDGE

Traffic management becomes critical as your network
infrastructure expands to support different types of traffic and
users. Most traffic management solutions have serious
limitations: too expensive, difficult to use, and overly taxing
on bandwidth. However ProCurve Networking by HP addresses these
requirements, overcomes the limitations of other solutions, and
gives you valuable insight into LAN performance.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=114161
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS

Archive of the Network Optimization newsletter:
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/accel/index.html
_______________________________________________________________
The Rise of MultiService Networks

Leading analysts believe that voice over IP over Wi-Fi, or VoFi,
is going to become a core driver of WLAN installations moving
forward. Find out how multiservice networking fits in.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=114051
_______________________________________________________________
FEATURED READER RESOURCE

IS IT THE NETWORK OR THE STORAGE THAT'S THE PROBLEM?

Midsize and larger businesses often find their IT topology has
become a complex mix of servers, networks and storage systems.
Many of these companies also route long-haul traffic over
fiber-based networks - metropolitan-area networks, WANs and
private optical networks. Who's responsible when a
storage-related problem occurs on a fiber network? For more,
click here:

<http://www.networkworld.com/nlnetop7095>
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