Venture funding lifts WAN optimization players

08/28/08

The number of corporate branch offices keeps growing, as does the number of mobile employees. At the same time, the trend for enterprises to centralize IT resources continues. Put together, these conditions make it increasingly tough for companies to ignore the performance of applications over the WAN. That bodes well for vendors offering WAN optimization and application acceleration gear, even as IT budgets get stretched more and more thin.

WAN vendors fight for revenue

08/26/08

How are WAN optimization and application acceleration vendors faring in today's economic environment? Three players announced quarterly results in recent weeks, indicating varying degrees of success battling competitive pressures and IT spending cutbacks.

Expand restructures entry-level WAN optimization gear

08/21/08

The number of branch offices keeps climbing - and with it the need to address WAN optimization and application acceleration options for distributed office sites.

Making the most of managed network services

08/19/08

Not all managed services are created equal. New research (available for free until Aug. 29; registration required) from Aberdeen Group highlights some of the features that distinguish stellar network services from the rest of the bunch.

Free tool tests how Web apps perform across the 'Net

08/14/08

Finding out how applications are performing for end users is a task made tougher when you add the Internet to the equation. A new free tool from Keynote Systems is aimed at taking some of the guesswork out of Web performance testing.

Cisco WAAS keeps Olympic net humming

08/12/08

Cisco's Cisco IP video technology and WAN acceleration gear is playing a behind-the-scenes role in one of the most watched events worldwide: the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Crescendo riding a healthy wave

08/07/08

While some vendors say they're gearing up for lean sales (Sun and Cisco among them), Crescendo Networks is telling a different story.

WAN forecast? Olympic streaming ahead

08/05/08

Another lengthy sporting event, another round of warnings that streaming video traffic could flood corporate networks. This time it's the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing that are raising alarms.

Riverbed's partnership spree yields manageability, security gains

07/31/08

Riverbed Technology last week announced the latest in a string of partnerships designed to strengthen the company's WAN optimization offerings. Its new deal with Microsoft is aimed at improving the performance of Windows applications and protocols.

Kace tackles remote OS deployments

07/29/08

It's not always easy to keep remote sites in the IT fold. To lend a hand, systems management vendor Kace this week is unveiling a virtual appliance designed to make it simpler and less costly for IT administrators to remotely provision operating systems, without bringing the network to its knees.

F5 enjoying momentum, research firm says

07/24/08

There's a payoff for consistency and commonality. In the construction industry, buildings can be completed faster when standard or prefabricated building materials are used. In the IT industry, having standard elements that get reused in multiple products can speed time-to-market, plus cut down on costs.

Mazu upgrades network behavior analysis software

07/22/08

Keeping an eye on network performance is a chore that's never finished. To do it well, companies need to track a broad range of indicators and be able to discern potential trouble spots without getting lost in all the data.

Juniper makes a splash with new acceleration gear

07/17/08

Modularity is the theme of Juniper Networks' new trio of application acceleration appliances, unveiled this week.

A10 Networks closes $23 million funding round

07/15/08

It's no simple feat to close a new round of venture funding, particularly in a cautious economic environment. But A10 Networks pulled it off. This week the vendor announced it secured $23 million in new funding to continue expanding its portfolio of application acceleration and network security products.

How Talari gets the most from WAN links

07/10/08

In the last newsletter I wrote about Talari Networks, a San Jose start-up whose technology lets enterprises take advantage of lower-priced broadband services, such as DSL or cable, to supplement (or even replace) expensive private WAN links.

Talari looks to expand WAN bandwidth options

07/08/08

With prices for consumer broadband services so low, wouldn't it be nice to use DSL, cable or Wi-Fi services for enterprise WAN connectivity? One start-up says it can be done - affordably and reliably.

Handing over the reins to a managed services provider

07/03/08

Most people know what it's like to discover a project is more work than you bargained for. In my own experience, the day I tried to install a replacement window immediately comes to mind. The IT world is full of technologies that can be more complex than buyers imagine, and sometimes it takes a third-party to salvage a deployment.

Allot partners to bolster VoIP, video optimization

07/01/08

It's no secret voice and video traffic can require some special handling to keep networks running smoothly. In an effort to improve voice and video QoS, Allot Communications is teaming with specialists Qosmos and PeerApp to give service providers and large enterprises more granular control over WAN and Internet traffic.

Engineering firm shares WAN optimization experience

06/26/08

Engineering firms know all about taxing the WAN, given the volume of huge design files that typically travel between offices. Strand Associates, a 330-person engineering firm based in Madison, Wisc., has 10 offices and has been accelerating WAN traffic since late 2004, first using devices from Peribit (which Juniper acquired in 2005) and today using Riverbed's Steelhead appliances.

Application performance management: What makes it so hard?

06/24/08

As part of our coverage of the state of network optimization, I asked Hon Wong, CEO of Symphoniq (and former co-founder of NetIQ), to weigh in on the challenges of Web application performance.

Concord Hospital heals Web application latency

06/19/08

Consolidation projects are top-of-mind for many companies as they look to deliver improved IT services at lower costs. But consolidation projects aren't without their challenges. In the case of application consolidation, bringing everything under one roof can quickly raise performance problems - which won't go unnoticed by end users accustomed to accessing applications locally, rather than over the WAN.

Blazin' apps: What does it take to get them?

06/17/08

Who doesn't want speedier applications? This week Network World published a collection of stories focused on application acceleration and network optimization. There's a ton of great material to check out.

For hire: Application delivery architect

06/12/08

There's generally not one person responsible for speeding application delivery. It's clearly one of those things that multiple IT disciplines influence, from application development and network teams to server and storage groups. But having a lead position to help tie together all of a company's expertise and technologies isn't a bad idea. To that end, industry watchers are championing a new role within the enterprise: application delivery architect.

Blue Coat CEO talks about sealing the Packeteer deal

06/10/08

Blue Coat Systems Monday announced the completion of its acquisition of Packeteer. The deal came together quickly: Blue Coat announced its intent to acquire Packeteer on April 21, and commenced its tender offer for the acquisition on April 30. Less than six weeks later, the deal is done.

WAN players partner for performance

06/05/08

WAN optimization vendors are trying to satisfy IT buyers who want more from their investments, and they're pairing up with other IT vendors that offer complementary products and services.

Ann Bednarz is associate news editor at Network World.