* Here’s the skinny on newsmakers in the network optimization arena
In a market as dynamic as network optimization, it can be hard to stay on top of all the news. Here’s a quick glimpse at recent events helping shape the industry.
* Gartner values application acceleration market
Research firm Gartner unveiled statistics about the size and growth of the worldwide market for application acceleration equipment, including the application delivery controller (ADC) sub-segment. According to Gartner: “The trend to centralize servers and deploy Web-enabled intranet applications continued in 2006, driving application acceleration vendor revenue to more than $1.5 billion. The ADC market grew by almost 6% from 3Q06 to 4Q06, ending the year at almost $933 million, which was an increase of 28.2% over 2005.”
* Akamai makes another purchase
Just a month after its purchase of Netli, Akamai Technologies acquired Red Swoosh in an all-stock merger transaction valued at roughly $15 million. Red Swoosh makes client-side technology for managing and distributing media files in a way that allows users to preserve access restrictions and publishers’ copyrights, for example. Akamai says it will combine Red Swoosh’s file management and distribution software with its own back-end control system and network of edge servers. “Red Swoosh has developed highly differentiated client-side technology to extend content delivery capabilities to edge devices in a controlled fashion, while respecting the rules set by enterprises for the distribution of their content,” said Akamai CTO Mike Afergan in a statement.
* Streamcore unveils provisioning software
Streamcore unveiled new software designed to help guarantee QoS over WANs that have been pieced together using links of varying size and quality. From our story: “Called StreamSense, the software works in conjunction with the company’s StreamGroomer appliances, which enforce traffic prioritization rules to ensure that network segments are fed traffic only as fast as they can handle it and still meet specified service quality. StreamSense gives network managers the ability to provision, control and report on the network. The platform is designed for large businesses and service providers that have multiple StreamGroomer appliances in their networks.”
* F5 grows revenue
F5 Networks announced revenue of $127.6 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2007. That figure is up 6% from the $120 million reported in the prior quarter and an increase of 36% over the $94 million recorded in the year-earlier quarter. Net income for the quarter was $20 million. F5’s core application delivery networking business grew 8% during the quarter and accounted for 92% of total revenue. For the current quarter, which ends June 30, F5 management has set a revenue goal of $131 million to $133 million.
* Riverbed hits customer milestone
WAN optimization vendor Riverbed Technology announced last week that 2,000 enterprises, service providers and government organizations are using its Steelhead WDS appliances — up from 500 in January 2006. Industry analyst Steve Duplessie, who is founder of Enterprise Strategy Group, said in a statement: “Riverbed got to 2,000 customers faster than most get to 200. Even more impressive is that they are adding more functionality and entering new market segments.”
