F5 Networks: DevCentral--an online collaborative resource to support fast-growing iControl adoption.

F5 Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:FFIV), a provider of Application Traffic Management products, has announced the introduction of F5 DevCentral (devcentral.f5.com) a free online developer program, in response to the broad adoption of its iControl API (Application Programming Interface) and SDK (Software Development Kit).

F5 DevCentral provides network administrators and application developers with extensive tools, tips, techniques, and community resources designed to speed iControl development and act as a forum to share best practices. The site features an online discussion forum, free downloads, sample code sharing, an e-newsletter, and extensive documentation. F5 DevCentral will enable more organizations to take advantage of F5's powerful iControl technology.

"F5 DevCentral offers a unique approach in building a developer community by bringing two disparate groups together--network professionals and application developers," said Ron Schmelzer, senior analyst at ZapThink, LLC. "Never before have application developers had the power to manage devices on the network through Web services-based software applications. With iControl and DevCentral, the possibilities are virtually limitless. DevCentral offers a central place for these newly-empowered developers to learn the basics of solutions development and quickly take advantage of the benefits associated with cohesive integration between networks and applications."

Two years ago, F5 announced iControl, which delivered on a revolutionary vision in networking technology; for the first time, software was able to interact directly with network devices in an automated manner. Through a Web services SOAP/XML interface, iControl enables F5 network devices to integrate directly with any third-party application. The result is faster integration utilizing common development languages including Java, Visual Basic/C#, or Perl, that enables intelligent, feature-rich communication between applications and the network. Over the past 18 months, F5 has continued to expand on this leadership, releasing updated iControl APIs and supporting SDK resources that enable customers and partners to better leverage the extensive functionality of F5 products.

To date, over 1,000 enterprises, ISV partners and solution providers have downloaded the iControl SDK, and more than 120 customers worldwide have developed production implementations of iApps (iControl Applications). Industry-leading ISVs, including BEA Systems, Microsoft, Mercury Interactive, Oracle, Sanctum, webMethods, and others, have utilized iControl to integrate their products, which can enable them to work in concert with the underlying network for expanded control and automation.