New Release of F5® Traffix™ Signaling Delivery Controller™ Enables Unprecedented Performance, Reliability, and Scalability for LTE Networks

Seamless connectivity and translation from LTE to legacy networks as part of multi-functional SDC™ platform

SEATTLE

F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIV) today announced  version 4.0 of the F5® Traffix™ Signaling Delivery Controller™ (SDC™), the market’s most mature Diameter routing, load balancing, and connectivity solution. F5’s Traffix SDC solution helps service providers control and manage network signaling in LTE networks and provides seamless connectivity between legacy home and roaming networks with its Signaling System 7 (SS7) interworking function (IWF).

Since the product’s inception, F5’s Traffix SDC solution has been fully compliant with IETF, 3GPP, and GSMA standards. SDC 4.0 provides enriched functionality, including more efficient redundancy mechanisms that enable SDC sites to achieve higher performance rates.

Other enhancements in Traffix SDC 4.0 include extended protocol support for RADIUS, LDAP, and other legacy protocols; a new graphical user interface with an improved dashboard; more network-wide, real-time analytics and statistics that draw information from multi-SDC sites; support for new hardware architecture; and higher performance.

“Since its acquisition of Traffix in February 2012, F5 has strengthened the SDC global footprint,” said Diane Myers, Principal Analyst at Infonetics Research. “The reliability of the SDC has encouraged operators to rely on and understand the critical role that a Diameter solution plays in LTE networks, and in providing connectivity to legacy networks. The expertise that F5 Diameter engineers have brought to the market is a strength the company has been able to leverage in becoming a leading vendor in the market.”

“2012 was an exciting year as the Traffix SDC solution was deployed in more than 25 sites among tier 1, tier 2, and IP Exchange (IPX) carriers worldwide. This reflects that service providers understand the value of a Diameter signaling solution to ensure network resilience, increase quality, and enhance performance,” said Ben Volkow, VP of Product Development at F5. “Traffix began the year by becoming part of the F5 organization, gaining both significant financial backing and a stronger delivery and support structure to enhance our technologically-advanced product to customers. This latest release of the Traffix SDC solution is another example of how our deep expertise in Diameter enables our customers to benefit from much higher performance and lowers the investment bar for LTE.”

Traffix SDC 4.0 Highlights

Highlights of Traffix SDC 4.0 offering are as follows:

• The Interworking Function (IWF) of Diameter/ SS7 Mobile Application Part (MAP) enables LTE elements, interfaces, and protocols to seamlessly connect to legacy SS7 components, thereby delivering cost savings on the reuse of legacy elements. F5’s SS7 IWF includes the following capabilities:

  – IWF Mobility Management (MAP/Diameter interworking for S6a, S6d and S13 interfaces based on TS 29.305).

  – Roaming (MAP/Diameter roaming interworking for S6a and S6d based on IR.88).

  – Scaled redundancy for higher performance levels when the Traffix SDC solution is deployed in Active/Active mode. This enhanced scaled redundancy leads to a higher performance rate.
• Enhanced Element Management System (EMS) capabilities, including network-wide real-time analytics and statistics, which enables the receipt of deep granular information about signaling and subscriber related activities. Operators benefit from a network-wide mesh comprehensive view as well as a detailed level of information across various points in time.

F5 solutions play a critical role in service provider networks as providers transition from 2G/3G to 4G LTE all-IP infrastructures. F5 provides intelligent and context-aware solutions that give service providers greater application visibility, optimize service delivery, and secure their networks. This leads to increased average revenue per use (ARPU) and reduced CapEx and OpEx.

F5 solutions also enable service providers to optimize, scale, and simplify their service architectures and monetize their layer 4–7 networks with new revenue generating application services. With Traffix™ Diameter solutions deployed in more than 100 locations, F5 and its 4G and Diameter expertise provides significant benefits to customers around the world.

Availability

Traffix SDC 4.0 is now commercially available.  Please contact a local F5 sales office for additional details regarding availability.

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.

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