SEATTLE -- F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIV), the global leader in Application Delivery Networking, today announced version 6.0 of its award-winning FirePassR Controller Secure Sockets Layer Virtual Private Network (SSL VPN) solution. Enterprises can now deploy a single, easy-to-use FirePass platform to define and manage access policies for all user scenarios--eliminating the need to manage multiple technologies and products for centralized access control. This unique capability provides the most cost-effective architecture for unified access control.

The robust new release of the FirePass product provides industry-leading usability features, including F5's new EasyConnect options that deliver the best end-user connection experience and the broadest range of interface options. Powerful new enhancements to the FirePass product's unique Visual Policy Editor significantly reduce policy setup and management complexity for the SSL VPN administrator. As part of this, FirePass now offers the capability to control access to various resources based on Policy Templates using "session variables". This significantly reduces policy setup and management complexity by eliminating the need to manually define each and every access policy inside the FirePass system.

"We believe the dramatic improvements that FirePass delivers to both end-users and administrators will change the secure access market dynamics by facilitating broad adoption of SSL VPN technology as a common platform for all remote access needs," said Ameet Dhillon, Director of Product Management at F5 Networks. "Simply put, FirePass offers a better alternative for enterprises. For example, F5's patent pending Dynamic AppTunnels provides a superior approach to reverse proxy technologies as it delivers broader application interoperability, while significantly lowering deployment and management costs."

F5 Networks Inc. (Nasdaq: FFIV)