F5 NETWORKS ANNOUNCES SIEBEL 7 VALIDATION.

Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:FFIV), a provider of Internet Traffic and Content Management (iTCM) products, recently announced that Siebel Systems has successfully validated the interoperability between F5's BIG-IP version 4 and Siebel eBusiness Applications version 7. F5 has also joined the Siebel Alliance Program. Siebel Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:SEBL) is the world's leading provider of eBusiness applications software.

F5's BIG-IP version 4 offers industry-leading security and high availability through load balancing and intelligent management of IP traffic. BIG-IP ensures that mission-critical Web servers and Internet-based applications are continuously available and performing reliably and that traffic is sent to the best performing Web server at any given time. Siebel Systems provides an integrated family of eBusiness applications software, enabling multichannel sales, marketing, and customer service systems to be deployed over the Web, in call centers, in the field, through reseller channels, and across retail and dealer networks. With this validation, joint customers of Siebel Systems and F5 Networks have immediate access to an enterprise-class solution that enhances the reliability and performance of Web servers in the Siebel 7 environment, adding value to their Siebel eBusiness Applications investments.

The integration of F5's BIG-IP version 4 with Siebel eBusiness Applications allows enterprises to achieve greater reliability and scalability and increased performance of their network and Siebel 7 applications. BIG-IP provides advanced traffic management capabilities and the application/user persistence required to scale and ensure transaction and session integrity for Siebel eBusiness Applications. With BIG-IP, the network is optimized to handle more traffic throughput, without adding more equipment, for a greater ROI. The solution also provides high availability and superior Quality of Service (QoS) through BIG-IP fail-over capabilities. If one BIG-IP or a Web server goes down, fail-over to the backup or redundant BIG-IP or Web server occurs without interruption in service.

The goal of the Siebel Systems-F5 alliance is to offer customers a high-performance, easy-to-deploy, and tested solution that ensures the reliability and scalability of Siebel 7 applications. By deploying F5's BIG-IP with Siebel eBusiness Applications, Global 2000 companies are able to deliver a much higher-quality Web application experience to their end users.

BIG-IP sits between the enterprise network and the Siebel 7 environment, directing traffic to the most available Web server. From this position in the network, BIG-IP also enhances Siebel 7 application performance by efficiently offloading server-draining SSL encryption/decryption from Web servers. BIG-IP's unique Extended Application Verification (EAV) feature influences traffic management decisions by monitoring the health of Web servers in the Siebel 7 environment. This monitoring and management feature is further extended by F5's Internet Control Architecture (iControl) API, which allows applications to programmatically communicate with BIG-IP and influence traffic management decisions. Integration between BIG-IP and Siebel 7 has been validated and is immediately available.

"Siebel Systems' outstanding technology and market leadership have significantly impacted the way companies conduct business," said Jim Ritchings, Vice President of Business Development at F5 Networks. "F5's BIG-IP, with its fast and flexible Layer 7 performance and robust security, has become an essential component for most enterprises delivering business-critical applications over Internet technologies. We believe that with the addition of F5's capabilities, Siebel Systems' customers will further benefit through the ability to achieve higher uptime, increased performance, and greater scalability of their Siebel eBusiness Applications infrastructure."

"We're pleased that F5 has joined the Siebel Alliance Program," said Michael Straub, Technical Director, Alliances at Siebel Systems. "The integration of Siebel eBusiness Applications with F5's BIG-IP delivers compatible architectures and industry-leading technologies, providing a uniquely powerful and seamless solution that allows companies to efficiently build dynamic customer relationships."

Siebel Systems forms alliances with proven technology leaders to deliver tangible business benefits throughout the enterprise. By choosing Siebel eBusiness Applications and validated partner solutions, Siebel Systems' customers can pursue a best-of-class software acquisition strategy and quickly deploy the very best solution available. The Siebel Validation Program applies rigorous technical scrutiny to evaluate the integration of third-party solutions with Siebel eBusiness Applications. Integrations that meet the rigorous standards of Siebel Systems' testing criteria are validated and documented by the Siebel Alliance Program.