F5 Joins Microsoft's Interop Vendor Alliance
Thursday 31 May 2007Membership underscores F5's commitment to drive seamless integration with Microsoft solutions.
F5 Networks, Inc. announced it has joined Microsoft and other industry leaders in the Interop Vendor Alliance (IVA). Formed in 2006, the IVA is a community of software and hardware vendors working together to enhance interoperability with Microsoft systems. The organization enables vendors to share technical information and work with customers to identify top interoperability challenges, as well as distribute best-practice guidelines and other materials to help streamline interoperability with Microsoft systems.
""Many of our customers around the globe use Microsoft solutions, and it's imperative that F5 products seamlessly integrate with these popular solutions," said Jim Ritchings, VP of Business Development at F5. "By participating in this alliance, we are deepening our commitment to help enterprises maximize their investment in Microsoft and F5 solutions. We look forward to further initiatives with the IVA to provide broader interoperability for our mutual customers."
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This alliance marks the latest in a series of efforts demonstrating the value of using F5 and Microsoft solutions together, including F5's launch of the Application Ready Network™ for Microsoft and an OEM agreement enabling Systems Center Operations Manager 2007 to deliver a new management solution that provides visibility and reporting for F5 devices, ControlPoint. Most recently, a prototype of F5's ControlPoint underwent testing in the IVA's lab to show proof-of-concept interoperability with other software vendors within the Systems Center Operations Manager 2007 framework. The four-day testing process took place on Microsoft's Redmond Campus.
""We are very excited that F5 is joining the Interop Vendor Alliance," said Sam Rosenbalm, Business Development Manager, Strategic Relations Group at Microsoft. "With a focus on designing application-fluent network solutions and bridging the divide between application and network IT teams, F5 is a valuable addition for the IVA's interoperability efforts."
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About the Interop Vendor Alliance
Formed in 2006, the Interop Vendor Alliance is an industry-wide group working to identify and share opportunities to better connect people, data and diverse systems through better interoperability with Microsoft systems and to jointly market interoperability solutions of its members. Founding members include AMD, BEA Systems, Business Objects, CA, The Carbon Project, Centeris Corporation, Citrix Systems Inc, GXS, IP Commerce Inc, JNBridge, KERNEL Networks, Levi, Ray & Shoup Inc, Microsoft Corporation, NEC, Network Appliance, Novell, Q4bis, Quest Software, Siemens Enterprise Communications, Software AG, SugarCRM, Sun Microsystems, Symphony Services, Xcalia, and XenSource. Additional information about the Interop Vendor Alliance can be found at http://www.interopvendoralliance.org .
