Science & Technology
Science and Technology
Science and Technology
Tue, January 20, 2009 Akibia Deploys Blue Coat Appliances for WAN Optimization and Branch Office Web Security
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Blue Coat Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:BCSI), the leader in WAN Optimization and Secure Web Gateway, today announced that Akibia, Inc., a leading provider of consulting, integration and support for data center, network and security solutions, has deployed Blue Coat® ProxySG® appliances at its headquarters in Westborough, Mass. and at six branch offices around the U.S. to speed access to centralized files. At the same time, the appliances have reduced the company's bandwidth consumption by 84 percent, resulting in significant operational savings.
Before adding the Blue Coat appliances for WAN optimization, file access time was subpar, according to Akibia's IT department, and impacted employee productivity. In particular, important Excel files used by Akibia to quote projects took an excessively long time to exchange between a branch office employee and the centralized file server at the company's data center. Akibia's use of ProxySG appliances have made file access nearly instantaneous. In addition, Akibia had been transitioning to a Microsoft SharePoint file system that was slow to access in branch offices over its existing WAN.
"We wanted to accelerate only business-critical applications, while stopping or managing anything malicious or unimportant," said Rick Onorato, IT director, Akibia. "At the same time, ProxySG appliances give us the ability to secure and accelerate direct Internet connections at each branch office."
To give each branch office direct Internet access, Akibia adopted a "direct-to-the-net" model, which reduced bandwidth by eliminating the need to backhaul Internet traffic to the centralized Internet gateway in the company's data center. With the Blue Coat solution, the same ProxySG appliance in each branch office serves both to protect the office from malicious threats resulting from a direct Internet connection and to provide acceleration for acceptable Web content and applications.
Akibia is a Blue Coat Premier Solution Partner and a Blue Coat Blue Touch Support Partner, providing integration, consulting and support to enterprise customers. Like many of its own customers, Akibia realized it could improve productivity and overall business processes by accelerating file access in its branch offices, and recognized that the Blue Coat ProxySG appliance could provide faster access while also reducing strain on the network from non-critical applications.
"Akibia's "Think Like a Customer" philosophy is predicated on us leveraging the services and solutions we provide our clients and ensuring they meet successful standards in real-world application," said Robert Klotz, vice president of Technology at Akibia. "As users of these technologies from Blue Coat Systems and other partners we are able to provide our customers with first-hand knowledge and proven best practices."
"ProxySG appliances enable enterprises and organizations to regain control of their networks by accelerating business-critical content and applications while stopping, managing or mitigating the unimportant," said Steve Rowland, vice president of sales, North America, Blue Coat Systems. "Akibia uses Blue Coat appliances to develop a state-of-the-art network to increase efficiency and productivity, reduce costs and minimize threats."
About Blue Coat Systems
Blue Coat secures Web communications and accelerates business applications across the distributed enterprise. Blue Coat's family of appliances and client-based solutions – deployed in branch offices, Internet gateways, end points, and data centers – provide intelligent points of policy-based control enabling IT organizations to optimize security and accelerate performance between users and applications. Blue Coat has installed more than 40,000 appliances worldwide. Blue Coat is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, and can be reached at (408) 220-2200 or [ www.bluecoat.com ].
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Blue Coat Systems' expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future, and including statements regarding the capabilities and expected performance of Blue Coat Systems' products. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based upon information available to Blue Coat Systems as of the date hereof, and Blue Coat Systems assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These and other risks relating to Blue Coat Systems' business are set forth in Blue Coat Systems' Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2008 and Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2008, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Blue Coat, ProxySG and the Blue Coat logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Blue Coat Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.
