More applications, evolving security threats, demands for faster deployment, and an explosion of new devices are all pushing traditional IT models to their limits. SDN is about making the network more flexible and responsive so that organizations are better positioned to respond to these challenges. F5 Networks™ understands applications. We have been helping businesses gracefully navigate application delivery challenges since day one and remain perfectly positioned to deliver the software defined application services required to ensure seamless user experiences. Software Defined Networking (SDN) begins to address IT challenges by operationalizing the network to create a more flexible, programmable data center that can rapidly respond to requirements for new services and changing network conditions. Integration is key—much of the promise of SDN revolves around simplified orchestration and management. To get there, SDN vendors need to be tightly integrated and aligned around common standards.

As the bridge between applications and the underlying network routers and switches, F5 Networks™ works with leading network and SDN providers to ensure the seamless integration our customers require. F5 Networks™ is also a key participant in OpenStack™ as well as virtual desktop and other initiatives that are converging around SDN. F5 Networks™ is working closely with all of the key players to mitigate the risks and increase the value of SDN for our customers. You don’t have to choose between maintaining security and stability, and providing the agility DevOps requires to support rapid change. It’s possible to bridge both environments with an architecture that provides these benefits for every single one of your applications. Your application landscape, whatever it looks like and regardless of volume, requires the right services. With a unified application delivery architecture, you can provide optimal security, performance, and availability services to each one of your applications—wherever and however they’re deployed.

Cisco And F5 Networks

Cisco™ and F5 Networks™ are working together to help organizations simplify and automate their networks. Benefits of this collaboration include improved time to market for both applications and services, reduced reaction time to planned and unplanned circumstances, and avoiding the risks inherent in managing numerous point solutions. Empower your workforce, respond to change, and accelerate your business. When applications slow to a crawl or stop working altogether, so does your business. Your enterprise needs seamless performance from its applications to stay productive and remain competitive. To do so, you also need a network capable of handling evolving demands and unexpected opportunities. Mobilize Your Workforce. Users expect applications to always work—and work fast—on any device. If organizations fail to meet these expectations, it has never been easier for customers to find alternatives. F5 Networks’™ expertise in intelligent traffic management serves as the foundation for our application availability and delivery solutions.

Application Delivery

Empower your workforce, respond to change, and accelerate your business.  Users expect applications to always work—and work fast—on any device. If organizations fail to meet these expectations, it has never been easier for customers to find alternatives. F5 Networks’™ expertise in intelligent traffic management serves as the foundation for our application availability and delivery solutions. Is load balancing dead? No, it has evolved into something much greater. That something is application delivery, which includes traditional load balancing for delivering any application, plus a range of security, performance, and management services. These services help you follow through on the promise of your applications. Apps have been F5Networks™’ focus for 20 years. As leaders in the application services industry, our expertise in helping power fast, available, and secure applications forms the foundation for our entire catalog of solutions. Customers and employees rely on your applications. Customers expect fast, uninterrupted access to rich, dynamic applications wherever they are.

Security

Complete Protection for Users, Apps and Data. The complete portfolio of F5 Networks™ technologies and solutions is designed to help you improve security, reduce vulnerabilities, and ensure ongoing performance of your critical business applications. Protect your applications—the door to your data and your business. Applications power businesses of all sizes, from startups to the Fortune 500. Your business is driven by them, your customers connect with you through them, and your employees can’t do their jobs without them. But, as critical as they are, applications also expose your business to threats. Applications and their data are a focal point for today’s attacks. Today, there are over 1 billion web apps. In 2020, that could easily be 5 billion. All those apps could be targets for attacks and securing applications is fraught with complexity. With the pervasiveness of Internet encryption (SSL/TLS ), mobile devices, and the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), risks are only increasing. The data behind the application includes business strategies, finances, and your customers’ most sensitive information.

Features And Benefits

Now that you’re delivering apps across your environment—many times with traditional IT resources—ensure successful delivery of those apps with these four crucial components. Application delivery services—deploy advanced application delivery services such as DDoS protection, WAF, DNS, TCP optimization, and global server load balancing to keep applications secure, fast, and always available. Service delivery platforms—leverage the right mix of hardware devices, software, lightweight proxies, or a cloud—based application service platform for your hybrid environment. Service templates—save time, ensure consistent deployments, and reduce the operational risk of manual deployments by codifying standard configuration elements for a particular service. Platform management systems — cut administration overhead by providing tools to manage, monitor, and upgrade Application Delivery Controllers (ADCs). Now that you’re delivering apps across your environment—many times with traditional IT resources—ensure successful delivery of those apps with these four crucial components, application delivery services, service delivery platforms, service templates, and  platform management systems.