BT prepares for next generation of the Internet

LONDON, JUNE 6, 2012 – F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIV), the global leader in Application Delivery Networking, today announced that BT has implemented the BIG-IP® Local Traffic Manager™ (LTM®) solution to allow complete translation between IPv4 and IPv6 addresses in its existing network.

“We knew we needed to become more accessible to everyone using the Internet, whether they’re an IPv6 user or an IPv4 user, and the F5 solution has allowed us to do that without substantial re-engineering,” said David Osborne, IPv6 Programme Director, BT. “BIG-IP LTM sits in front of the web servers and handles the IPv6 configuration. In addition, the F5 team was very responsive and was able to turn the project around in short order.”

Industry-wide, major operators are looking forward to the next generation of the Internet, ensuring that they are ready for World IPv6 Day, taking place on June 6, 2012. From a global perspective, many Asia-based operators have already upgraded their infrastructures to accommodate IPv6, and European providers are now also preparing for their websites to concurrently support both IP address types.

Discussions between BT and F5 began at the start of 2012, with lab testing taking place just over two months ago. The solution has now successfully been implemented and the BIG-IP LTM device has been part of BT’s live network for the past week.

“Our solutions make it easy for organisations to upgrade their infrastructure so that they have an IPv6 address in place,” said John Gorbutt, Account Director, F5 Networks. “The BIG-IP platform was an ideal component of BT’s Dual Stack initiative, which aims to allow both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses to run alongside each other.”

“The Dual Stack project is about readiness for the next generation of the Internet, part of which is being IPv6-ready,” concluded Osborne. “F5’s solution helps ensure that web users searching for BT.com on either IP address system will be able to reach us, without restriction.”

To learn more about how F5 can help organisations support IPv6, please visit the company’s World IPv6 Day page at http://www.f5.com/news-press-events/world-ipv6-day.html.

About BT
BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in more than 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, BT Retail, BT Wholesale and Openreach.

In the year ended 31 March 2012, BT Group’s revenue was £18,897m with profit before taxation of £2,445m.

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York. For more information, visit www.btplc.com.

About F5 Networks
F5 Networks, Inc., the global leader in Application Delivery Networking (ADN), helps the world’s largest enterprises and service providers realise the full value of virtualisation, cloud computing, and on-demand IT. F5® solutions help integrate disparate technologies to provide greater control of the infrastructure, improve application delivery and data management, and give users seamless, secure, and accelerated access to applications from their corporate desktops and smart devices. An open architectural framework enables F5 customers to apply business policies at “strategic points of control” across the IT infrastructure and into the public cloud. F5 products give customers the agility they need to align IT with changing business conditions, deploy scalable solutions on demand, and manage mobile access to data and services. Enterprises, service and cloud providers, and leading online companies worldwide rely on F5 to optimise their IT investments and drive business forward. For more information, go to www.f5.com.

You can also follow @f5networks on Twitter or visit us on Facebook for more information about F5, its partners, and technology. For a complete listing of F5 community sites, please visit www.f5.com/news-press-events/web-media/community.html.

F5, BIG-IP, Local Traffic Manager, and LTM are trademarks or service marks of F5 Networks, Inc., in the U.S. and other countries. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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