F5 Networks

It’s really easy to quantify some of the costs associated with a security breach. Number of customers impacted times the cost of a first class stamp plus the cost of a sheet of paper plus the cost of ink divided by … you get the picture. Some of the costs are easier than others to calculate. Some of them are not, and others appear downright impossible. One of the “costs” often cited but rarely quantified is the cost to an organization’s reputation. How does one calculate that? Well, if folks sat down with the business people more often (the ones that live on the other side of the Meyer-Briggs Mountain) we’d find it’s not really as difficult to calculate as one might think. While IT folks analyze flows and packet traces, business folks analyze market trends and impacts – such as those arising from poor customer service. And if a breach of security isn’t interpreted b... (more)

It's Time to Consider Human Capital Again

Throughout history there has been a cycle that ebbs and flows where new technology makes production more efficient and reduces the need for manpower in a particular space, thus forcing those in charge into the difficult position of deciding who stays and who goes. This is normally replaced by an uptake in needs for employees elsewhere, and eventually by expansion of the original vertical market, a return to labor-heavy workloads. This cycle has existed (in a variety of forms) for ages. With a crossbow, less skill and more bodies were needed to field an army. With early guns, more... (more)

Application Delivery Heavyweight F5 to Showcase Diameter Signaling Solutions and Expertise at LTE World Summit

F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV), the global leader in Application Delivery Networking (ADN), today announced that it will participate in several conference sessions and host a booth as a Bronze sponsor of the LTE World Summit 2012, taking place May 22–24 at the International Convention Center (CCIB) in Barcelona. F5 will also participate in the conference as a Gold sponsor of the “Handling the Signaling Surge” Focus Day on Tuesday, May 22. Visit F5 at booth #43 to learn more about the compelling business value that F5® Traffix solutions deliver to Carrier Service Providers. F5 w... (more)

SDN, OpenFlow, and Infrastructure 2.0

Like cloud two or three years ago, SDN and OpenFlow is dominating the discussions. During a show that’s (in theory at least) dedicated to networking, this should be no surprise. Is it making networking sexy again? Yes, insomuch as we’re at least talking about networking again, which is about it considering that the network is an integral component of all the other technology and models that took the spotlight from it in the first place. Considering recent commentary on SDN* and OpenFlow, it seems folks are still divided on OpenFlow and SDN and are trying to figure out where it fi... (more)

Back to Basics: Load Balancing Virtualized Applications

The introduction of virtualization and cloud computing to data centers has been heralded as “transformational” and “disruptive” and “game changing.” From an operational IT perspective, that’s absolutely true. But like transformational innovation in other industries, such disruption is often not in how the core solution is leveraged or used, but how it impacts operations and the broader ecosystem, rather than the individual tasked with using the solution. The transformation of the auto-industry, for example, toward alternative fuel-sourced vehicles is disruptive and changes much ab... (more)