F5 Networks Inc.'s new product incorporates an SSL accelerator into its flagship load balancer, the Big-IP Controller. The card saves IT managers money, Firstbrook said, because Big-IP provides centralized management of SSL certificates, and supports all commercial servers, eliminating the cost of installing and managing more software or hardware on each Web server. While the new SSL accelerator feature is designed specifically to enhance speed and traffic management for secure online transactions, the Big-IP product card can also handle cookie persistence.
Cookies also allow e-businesses to provide personalized service to customers based on buying habits.
But because SSL traffic is encrypted, cookies usually cannot be seen. With the Big-IP, networks can see the identity of users coming in. The Big-IP SSL Accelerator supports 200 SSL connections per second or up to 17 million transactions per day. Intel Corp. An offshoot of Intel's acquisition of IPivot last fall, the box is a standalone appliance. This concept follows the strategy F5 laid out two months ago of adding functionality to its traffic-management products.