F5 Launches Super-NetOps Initiative

New program includes free training to help IT professionals deliver critical network operations functions through DevOps methodologies

F5 Networks (NASDAQ: FFIV) today introduced the Super-NetOps initiative, an industry training and community-based program aimed at evolving network operations functions and enabling application services to be delivered through a service model rather than a traditional, ticket-driven approach.

Many businesses today rely on applications to deliver innovation that addresses customer demand and keeps them competitive. The DevOps movement took hold because it addresses critical bottlenecks, cultural as well as technical, that impede the delivery of applications and innovation to market. While business demands for stability and application uptime can slow the adoption of automation and service-delivery models within networking teams, the need for IT services is now exceeding the capabilities of manual, task-based approaches. As a result, developers are increasingly turning to alternative tools to deliver needed application services, going around network operations staff for strategic, cloud-based application deployments.

The goal of the Super-NetOps program is to help network operations professionals address this challenge by learning the skills necessary to standardize critical application services and provide them within automated toolchains. This will enable teams to reduce time to service from days to minutes, while ensuring all applications meet necessary compliance, policy, and performance standards.

“Network operations expertise is more important than ever. The cloud is driving exponential growth in applications, along with requirements that they be faster, more secure, and always available,” said Kara Sprague, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Application Delivery Controller business unit at F5. “Super-NetOps will help network operations professionals build on their decades of experience deploying, managing, maintaining, and securing applications, and equip them to deliver the automation and agility needed by DevOps teams.”

F5 is launching a free, on-demand Super-NetOps training course with two modules covering DevOps methodologies and the concepts of automation, orchestration, and infrastructure-as-code. The training is delivered through a combination of video instruction and hands-on labs with guides to show participants how to deliver an application service in an automated toolchain. This online training augments the reach of live trainings F5 has piloted over the past several months and will continue to deliver all over the world.

In the coming months, F5 will roll out expanded curriculum incorporating security into automated deployment methodologies for the burgeoning DevSecOps role. The curriculum will also expand to address other fundamental topics such as agile methodologies, application language frameworks, and third-party automation toolchain enablement.

Supporting Quotes

“Infrastructure decisions at many organizations are increasingly made outside of infrastructure teams themselves, due to DevOps needing automated network operations. We are thrilled to see F5 investing resources to deliver training and enable network operations professionals to provide automated services that meet DevOps requirements.”

Chris Zwergel, Application Solutions Practice Manager, Groupware Technology

“Automation-focused DevOps is an integral part of modernizing network infrastructure, and through a series of F5 integrations with Red Hat Ansible Automation, F5 users can more simply automate and orchestrate their networks. The Super-NetOps program will help provide F5 customers with the tools they need to get started on their network automation journey.”

Justin Nemmers, General Manager, Ansible, Red Hat

“With the explosive growth of applications and movement toward building a DevOps culture within IT organizations, a major shift in the mindset and expertise of network operations is required. F5 Super-NetOps lays out a clear path to enable networking professionals to embrace this shift by learning the skillsets needed to be a part of a highly automated and collaborative IT organization.”

Mark Wall, Practice Lead, Application Delivery, WWT

About F5

F5 (NASDAQ: FFIV) makes apps go faster, smarter, and safer for the world’s largest businesses, service providers, governments, and consumer brands. F5 delivers cloud and security solutions that enable organizations to embrace the application infrastructure they choose without sacrificing speed and control. For more information, go to f5.com. You can also follow @f5networks on Twitter or visit us on LinkedIn and Facebook for more information about F5, its partners, and technologies.

F5 is a trademark or service mark of F5 Networks, Inc., in the U.S. and other countries. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Red Hat and Ansible are trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

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