SUNNYVALE, CA--(Marketwire - Jan 31, 2012) - Blue Coat Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ BCSI ]), a leading provider of [ Web security ] and [ WAN optimization ] solutions, today announced that it has been positioned in the Leaders quadrant of the Magic Quadrant for WAN Optimization Controllers¹ by research and advisory firm Gartner, Inc. Blue Coat^® MACH5 WAN Optimization appliances and virtual appliances provide traditional and next generation WAN optimization to reduce network costs and accelerate performance of important enterprise applications, file access, backup and email in addition to, live and on-demand video, Web content and Web-based and cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications.

"The requirements for WAN optimization are changing dramatically. The increasing adoption of video, Web-based applications and cloud computing services require that a next generation of WAN optimization solutions support new performance needs," said Steve Daheb, chief marketing officer and senior vice president, Blue Coat Systems. "Blue Coat uniquely addresses WAN optimization requirements for both traditional data types and applications, such as backup and disaster recovery, while also addressing the critical and growing need to accelerate cloud- and Web-based applications and video."

The MACH5 solution includes [ video delivery ] using a combination of stream-splitting, advanced video caching technologies and pre-population to scale the use of internal company video with minimal network impact. This enables enterprise video initiatives without driving up network bandwidth costs and crippling of the performance of other business critical applications. Video delivery is a fully integrated function of the MACH5 solution, and it supports Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight, HTML5, QuickTime and Microsoft Windows Media.

The MACH5 solution also includes [ "one-sided" (asymmetric) acceleration ] technology to accelerate and dramatically reduce bandwidth requirements of cloud-delivered Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications and Web content with the use of a single appliance at the customer's location but without requiring a WAN optimization device in the cloud provider's infrastructure. MACH5 utilizes object caching and multiple optimizations to accelerate Web-based applications from a company's own data center or one based in the cloud.

About the Magic Quadrant
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose

About Blue Coat Systems
Blue Coat Systems is a leading provider of Web security and WAN optimization solutions. Blue Coat offers solutions that provide the visibility, acceleration and security required to optimize and secure the flow of information to any user, on any network, anywhere. This application intelligence enables enterprises to tightly align network investments with business requirements, speed decision making and secure business applications for long-term competitive advantage. Blue Coat also offers service provider solutions for managed security and WAN optimization, as well as carrier-grade caching solutions to save on bandwidth and enhance the end-user Web experience. For additional information, please visit [ www.bluecoat.com ].

1. Gartner, Inc., "Magic Quadrant for WAN Optimization Controllers" by Joe Skorupa, December 2011.

Blue Coat 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.