Expand Networks SA, the Southern African distributor for Expand Networks Inc., today announced a new generation of acceleration appliances that bridge the widening gap between the application and the network. The new Accelerators provide branch-office access solutions that offer low cost of ownership, a transparent fit and extensibility.
In a recent survey, `The Shifting Branch Office Network Environment` conducted by Ashton Metzler and Associates, a leading and reputable networking consultancy organisation, the two most important characteristics of branch office solutions mentioned were "Total cost of ownership" and "transparent fit into the network". In addition, an overwhelming 92% of the respondents cited the need for an extensible platform between important and extremely important. "Resource starved network managers are looking for an easy-to-deploy platform than can migrate the branch office to the next generation of enterprise applications," commented Dr. Jim Metzler, of Ashton, Metzler & Associates.
Easier management and deployment
The new Accelerators offer new ease-of-use and deployment features that extend Expand`s leadership in deployment flexibility:
* Auto-detection of dynamic routing changes for Open Shortest path First (OSPF), Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and Router Information Protocol (RIP),
* Deployment over multiple VLANs to enable the transport of both data and Voice over IP VLANs over the Wide Area Network (WAN) from a single platform, and,
* Dynamic route injection with BGP and RIP for easier On-LAN installations.
"Expand`s easier management functions, greater deployment flexibility and improved network transparency are aligned with our networking strategy because - our global WAN is extensive with hundreds of remote sites that cannot afford branch office appliances that are just not data-centre grade," noted Clay Hemphill, Network Architect at Continental Airlines. "From an application standpoint the new Expand product architecture that now includes application acceleration modules and Layer 7 monitoring and control capabilities will be very valuable in helping Continental Airlines improve the response times for our e-ticket services."
Comprehensive MPLS support
The new Accelerators are the first traffic management and acceleration solutions to provide full Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) support with packet colouring and patent-pending packet header preservation options:
* Maximum acceleration using standard IPComp tunnels and QoS and load balancing preservation, and,
* Router transparency mode for full classification options on MPLS CE.
Support for secure web applications
Until today, encrypted data such as HTTPS could not be accelerated, leaving network administrators with the tough choice of either security or cost control. The new HTTPS Accelerator provides increased WAN capacity and efficiency for secure enterprise applications such as Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes, PeopleSoft, SAP and any other application that uses Secure Web Access (HTTPS).
New branch accelerators
The new branch Accelerators offer an LCD panel for `at-a-glance` status information and a keypad providing the capability to initially configure the appliance without using a local console cable or configuring the appliance remotely using the dial-in port.
* Accelerator 4020 -This flexible and scalable serial Accelerator supports WAN speeds of up to 4Mbps and 50 Private Virtual Circuits (PVCs) in a highly compact 1U form factor.
* Accelerator 4820 - This flexible and scalable IP Accelerator supports WAN speeds of up to 6Mbps and 50 remote sites in a highly compact 1U form factor.
New data-center accelerators
* Accelerator 6840 -This high-speed data centre Accelerator, supports WAN speeds ranging from 2Mbps to 45Mbps and 350 remote sites in a single device.
* HTTPS Accelerator - This high-speed data centre Accelerator has been specifically designed to accelerate HTTPS traffic for secure e-business applications. It supports speeds of up to 45Mbps.
"The boundary between the WAN and public networks is blurring," added Cliff Marais, Managing Director of Expand Networks South Africa. "Expand`s new generation of Accelerators provide complete transparency to public networks giving organisations the ability to take advantage of new tiered services offered by service providers over a single interface."
For further information, please contact Ismail Bagus, expand Systems SA: tel (012) 665 5990, fax (012) 665 2918, e-mail ibagus@expand.com.
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Expand Networks is a leading provider of Application Traffic Management solutions and WAN acceleration appliances. The company`s Accelerators take Application Traffic Management to the next level by employing a modular and intelligent application architecture that eliminates complexities associated with traditional traffic management solutions. The Accelerators automatically adapt to changes in traffic, remove WAN inefficiencies and maximize the performance of distributed enterprise applications. The Accelerators combine many unique features including next- generation WAN compression, application-specific acceleration, Layer 7 QoS and sophisticated monitoring and reporting.
Expand has shipped over 20,000 Accelerator devices to more than 1,000 customers including Motorola, Continental Airlines and the United States Department of Defence. Expand Networks SA, in less than a year and have established a local customer base in excess of 50 satisfied customers. Expand Networks is headquartered in Roseland, New Jersey with offices in Australia, Israel, Italy, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom and throughout the United States.
Expand Networks, Accelerator System 9000, Accelerator Server, Accelerator 6800 Series, Accelerator 4800 Series, Accelerator 4000 Series, Accelerator 1800 Series, HTTPS Accelerator Series and ExpandView are trademarks of Expand Networks. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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