When vendors do some upfront integration legwork, customers can benefit from smoother deployments and more optimal acceleration results. F5 Networks’ latest focus is on improving the performance of Oracle's Siebel CRM software.

Last week F5 announced its new Application Ready Network (ARN) package for Siebel CRM, which provides policies, profiles and BIG-IP device configurations that are custom-built for Siebel CRM.

F5’s ARN bundles include pre-tested deployment, configuration and optimization guidance for customers using F5’s application delivery gear in conjunction with a specific application -- in this case, Siebel CRM. F5 also offers ARN packages for third-party software such as SAP, Oracle’s PeopleSoft enterprise applications and Microsoft’s SharePoint Server and Exchange Server.

With the groundwork laid by the vendors, users of F5’s BIG-IP acceleration gear and Siebel CRM can benefit from 3x to 7x performance increases, F5 says. Joint customers also can cut spending on infrastructure: F5's compression tools achieve 87% bandwidth reductions for Siebel CRM, and can offload up to 70% of Siebel server connections, F5 claims. (Compare application acceleration and WAN optimization products.) 

Analysts say the upfront work can pay off for customers.

"We continue to recommend that organizations select an application delivery vendor that maintains close relationships and collaborates frequently with application providers," said Jon Oltsik, senior analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group, in a statement. "By addressing individual characteristics of specific business applications, F5's Application Ready Networks deliver true application fluency across the data center, LAN, and WAN.”

In other WAN optimization news, Riverbed Technology is expanding its Middle East presence with the opening of a new office in Dubai.

Dr. Mohammed Anwar Karzazi, regional sales director for Middle East and Africa, will manage Riverbed’s new office. "The Middle Eastern region is characterized by a growing number of distributed organizations," Karzazi said in a statement. "The new Dubai office will allow Riverbed to respond to the WAN application performance requirements of those organizations."

Ann Bednarz is associate news editor at Network World.