Blue Coat brings web security and WAN optimisation together with Cloud-Connector

Announcement posted by Blue Coat Systems 09 Nov 2011

Blue Coat has added Cloud-Connector to its Blue Coat MACH5 WAN optimisation appliances and virtual appliances to allow companies with Blue Coat WAN optimisation solutions deployed in branch or remote offices to instantly apply web security. Cloud-Connector can automatically and transparently forward inbound and outbound internet traffic to the Blue Coat Cloud Service, a scalable, internet-delivered security service that provides real-time protection against web-based threats without the need for on-location equipment or the requirement to update appliances, servers or user desktops.

Besides the ability to seamlessly add web security services, MACH5 appliances integrate with the Blue Coat Cloud Service to dramatically reduce bandwidth requirements and speed the delivery of applications – both from the cloud and the enterprise data centre. Blue Coat’s integrated CloudCaching Engine accelerates the delivery of internet content and SaaS applications through one-sided (asymmetric) optimisation.

Having secure “branch-to-cloud” direct internet access enables companies to stop the common practice of backhauling internet traffic to and from the corporate data centre. This branch-to-cloud topology lowers networking costs while speeding access to cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications.

In addition, live stream-splitting and on demand video caching scale delivery of enterprise and internet video and reduce the impact of recreational content and downloads. The Blue Coat MACH5 solution also provides foundational WAN optimisation technologies to accelerate files, email, backup, DR and other applications.

“Blue Coat Next Generation WAN optimisation enables companies to transform their existing networks and drive optimisation beyond the traditional Wide Area Network,” said Greg Singh, Systems Engineering Manager, Blue Coat Australia and New Zealand. “The internet is the fundamental technology connection point for any business. Our Cloud-Connector enables enterprises to re-architect private WAN designs to safely embrace internet connectivity and reduce costs, enable faster cloud performance and scalably deliver video – while also optimising traditional consolidated internal applications across the WAN.”

According to WAN assessments performed by Blue Coat over the past several months on the networks of prospective customers, inbound internet traffic often represents 45-65 percent of the total traffic crossing the WAN. While a majority of the traffic may be for non-business or recreational use by employees, an increasing amount is devoted to cloud-based services and applications. Backhauling such a large amount of traffic adds considerable network expense and slows the responsiveness of all business applications, including cloud-based applications which must traverse both the WAN and the internet.

“With the rapid adoption of cloud-based services and applications, companies are re-thinking the typical enterprise standard of routing internet traffic from branch offices through a central data centre or headquarters,” said Cindy Borovick, vice president, IDC. “If an enterprise can easily get the same level of web security at the branch office that exists at the data centre, it will have the flexibility to choose a network topology which is both cost-effective and business-centric.”

Price and Availability

Cloud-Connector is available beginning November 22, 2011 in the latest software release for MACH5 appliances. The capability is fully integrated into the software, and there is no extra charge to customers. Existing customers under a service contract can upgrade to the latest version of SGOS to get the Cloud-Connector capability. The Blue Coat Cloud Service is priced on a subscription model based on number of employees subscribed and specific services utilised.

A company simply has to purchase a subscription to the Blue Coat Cloud Service and activate the traffic forwarding option with the Cloud-Connector to immediately protect all users in the branch office from malware and other malicious content by sending the traffic through the Blue Coat Cloud Service. Companies can get a 30-day complimentary trial to evaluate the service for their business requirements.

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