F5 Networks' Products Achieve Highest Ratings In 2003 InfoWorld Reviews.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 13, 2004

InfoWorld Test Labs awards F5's BIG-IP(R) Link Controller and

FirePass(TM) products the top score in their respective categories of

Internet Traffic Management and Network Security

F5 Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:FFIV), the leading provider of secure Application Traffic Management products, today announced that it received top overall ratings by the InfoWorld Test Center for its BIG-IP(R) Link Controller and FirePass(TM) products. InfoWorld conducted reviews of both products during 2003.

"InfoWorld takes pride in its practical, real-world approach to product testing, and we're always excited to find effective solutions to real IT problems," said Doug Dineley, Senior Section Editor at InfoWorld. "F5 products have done well in our labs over the last year and we look forward to testing new innovations from the company in 2004."

A recent InfoWorld issue(1) featured 'The Year in Reviews,' which summarized all the product reviews that its Test Center has conducted throughout 2003. In the category of Networking/Internet Traffic Management, InfoWorld gave the BIG-IP Link Controller an overall score of 9 (out of a possible 10). BIG-IP Link Controller received the highest rating over numerous competitive products tested, such as the Radware LinkProof product that received a score of 4.7. In the category of Security/VPNs, InfoWorld gave the FirePass controller a score of 8.3, higher than Neoteris' Access Series which was reviewed earlier in the year.

"We're very proud of the high marks F5 has earned from the InfoWorld experts," said Dan Matte, Vice-President of Product Management and Marketing at F5 Networks. "InfoWorld takes product reviews seriously and is very thoughtful in how they conduct their testing and analysis. Our high scores reflect the significant amount of time F5 spends with its customers to understand their technology and business challenges in order to deliver quality products of real-world value."

InfoWorld Review Conclusions

Upon completion of the BIG-IP Link Controller 2400 review, InfoWorld concluded that "F5's Link Controller worked as advertised. It pulled far ahead of the Radware LinkProof because of its relatively quick setup, excellent support, and superior reporting and management tools. The stability, reliability, and ease of administration provided by the F5 Link Controller means that after you've set up the box, it's unlikely you'll be forced to deal with too many crises -- this box just works."

For the FirePass 1000 review, InfoWorld cited "The SSL VPN portion of the FirePass is first-rate and provides all of the necessary components for secure deployment," and concluded "the FirePass 1000 provides a complete mix of secure remote access to protected servers. SSL VPN capabilities are well represented, including an IPSec-style network-level component."

To access InfoWorld's 'The Year in Reviews' feature, go to http://archive.infoworld.com/reports/50SRyearrev03.html.

(1) InfoWorld, December 22, 2003, Issue 50

About F5 Networks

F5 Networks keeps IP-based traffic flowing and business information always available to any user from any device, anywhere in the world. Our products ensure secure and reliable access to servers and the applications that run on them. F5 also provides tools to automate communications between applications and the network, eliminating tedious, manual processes.

As the pioneers of intelligent load balancing, F5's continued innovations help businesses optimize and protect their IT investments. Our mission is to ensure the availability, scalability, performance, and security of IT resources that enterprises require to successfully do business. Over 6,000 enterprises and service providers rely on F5 solutions to keep their businesses running. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington with offices worldwide. For more information go to www.f5.com.

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