* Free trials are available from Exinda Networks, Ipanema Technologies and Shunra
Last month I wrote about an offer from Packeteer aimed at helping companies get started on the WAN optimization path.
Packeteer’s free WAN performance evaluation uses its PacketShaper visibility and monitoring tools to discover network applications, identify “top talkers,” and reveal response time characteristics. For example, the evaluation will highlight the Top 10 applications running on a network, how much bandwidth each application is consuming, and how efficiently the network is performing.
Packeteer isn’t alone in offering potential IT buyers a freebie. Here are a few other options enterprises can consider as they ponder which technologies might be a fit for their WANs.
* Exinda Networks is offering a free trial of its network optimization and application acceleration appliances. The company’s inside sales team will help to identify the key problems each trial participant is trying to solve — such as understanding network usage patterns, prioritizing VoIP or CRM applications, or accelerating CIFS traffic. Team members also will recommend appropriate Exinda appliances for the 14-day trial. Free technical support is available to assist in installing and testing the appliances in production network environments. Details are available from Exinda.
* Ipanema Technologies is offering a free WAN application performance evaluation that’s designed to help enterprises with multiple office sites assess all the applications running on their networks, highlight how critical business applications are performing, and identify the root causes of any application performance issues. For details, see Ipanema’s offer.
* Shunra, which makes network emulation products, is offering a free five-day trial of its VE Desktop (Standard Edition) software. This Windows-based client software simulates a WAN link so an IT administrator can test applications under a variety of current and potential network conditions. The aim is to help developers and IT managers predict application performance over the network, find and fix problems, and determine capacity requirements throughout the application development lifecycle. Check out Shunra’s Web site for details about the offer.
