* Vendors looking to make it easier to control the performance of apps to the branch
Data center consolidation has been the hot trend of the past few years. Now the practice of consolidation is turning toward the branch office.
Two acquisitions last week underscore the strategy among networking vendors to provide multiple functions in a single device, or at least from a single provider. Packeteer announced plans last week to acquire Tacit Networks for $78 million. And Expand Networks said this week it plans to buy DiskSites for an undisclosed amount.
Both Packeteer and Expand, which started as network-optimization vendors, bought the companies for their wide-area file services (WAFS) technology. The deals potentially move the vendors into the virtual storage and print-services markets. As more data and applications become centralized at the data center, it’s imperative for IT staffs to design cost-effective, performance-predictable architectures for branch office access.
The WAN-optimization space, itself, has been consolidating during the past few years. Internap bought Sockeye and NetVmg, and Avaya acquired RouteScience in the route-optimization space. In the WAN-optimization/application-acceleration space, Cisco bought Actona and FineGround, F5 acquired Swan Labs, and Juniper bought Peribit and Redline.
Vendors are trying to make it easier for organizations to control the performance of applications to the branch. At the same time, they want to provide network managers with options of how they will manage the devices needed at the branch.
Organizations manage seven networking devices (switches, routers, PBXs, VPNs, etc.) on average at every branch office. When you add to that the number of print and application servers they manage, it quickly becomes obvious how cumbersome it is to manage each branch location.
I’m not suggesting that every company will want a mega-all-in-one branch box, but they do want options. Packeteer’s decision to consider both stand-alone products for both WAFS and network optimization, as well as combined all-in-one boxes make sense. (Expand already has integrated DiskSites via an OEM agreement.) Depending on what functions are needed at the branch, what equipment already exists, and the number of employees, IT staffs likely will buy a combination of gear.
Bottom line: Given the 8.9% average growth in branch offices, IT staffs should try to consolidate as many functions as they can in a single device – particularly in new facilities.
