Riverbed Aptimizes Stingray ADC Line

Riverbed Technology (NASDAQ: RVBD) is parlaying the technology it gained in its 2011 acquisition of Aptimize and Zeus to add web optimization capabilities to its Stingray virtual application delivery controller (ADC) offering.

Stingray 9.0 is an integrated offering of web content optimization with Riverbed’s popular traffic manager product to extend performance all the way through the end user, said Apurva Davé, vice president of Marketing and Products, Stingray at Riverbed.

“Stingray is about performance and making a greater connection between the application and the end user,” he said. “We want to extend that performance all the way out to improve users’ web experience, and the Aptimizer technology enables us to do that.”

The newest version reduces the amount of data associated with web page through image sampling, compression and caching, enabling pages to load faster on any device, he said. It can support a range of web servers, Internet applications, enterprise implementations and e-commerce — “A much larger customer and set of technologies” for Riverbed’s channel partners to pursue, he noted.

“We want to extend the reach of our channel partners,” Davé noted. “Performance is always a critical element. This is yet another tool for improving the performance of an application. The previous release of Aptimizer had the potential for some channel partners but they didn’t have the right environment to put it in. Since now it’s integrated into the ADC, partners now can support a broader range.”

Riverbed is also offering a standalone version of the Aptimizer solution that integrates with existing ADC environments including F5 Networks (NASDAQ: FFIV), Citrix (NADAQ: CTXS) and Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), enabling channel partners to sell the technology without having to rip and replace.

“This can really open new doors to new buyers, in addition to traditional buyers,” Davé said. “It is the ideal solution to help accelerate and protect application wherever it lies. It’s also now an opportunity for the channel to bring Stingray to ADC environments to extend to their end users.”

Stingray 9.0 and the Aptimizer solution offer a range of deployment options, features and functionalities to enable users to choose what fits their needs and turn them on as they need them without having to buy additional functionality. According to the company, the technology offers:

Both versions of the technology are slated for availability by the end of the second quarter 2012.

Finally, facilitate third-party application development, Riverbed is providing developer licenses for Stringray at no cost. The Stingray Developer Edition provides the ADC and web optimization technologies for free, so they can “focus on new features that directly impact revenue growth and customer satisfaction, as opposed to time consuming tasks like optimizing for performance,” according to the company.