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Vyatta Disrupts Networking Industry With the First Enterprise-Class Open-Source Router; Start-Up Brings Open, Secure Alternative to $8 Billion Enterprise Router & Firewall Market

Posted on: Monday, 24 July 2006, 09:00 CDT

Vyatta today announced the availability of the industry's first enterprise-grade open-source router platform, the Vyatta Open Flexible Router (OFR). Compared to today's expensive, inflexible closed-source solutions, the OFR offers the alternative of dramatically improved price/performance and open flexibility. Using the OFR and industry-standard x86 hardware, users can create a high-performance router for WAN and LAN routing. Vyatta also announced a software subscription service that enables enterprise customers to receive software updates and professional technical support. The OFR software is available for download from the Vyatta web site at www.vyatta.com.

Ideal for mid-sized enterprises or branch offices of large enterprises, the OFR provides the key functionality found in traditional closed-source routing solutions with the increased flexibility and cost savings that comes with an open solution. The OFR offers all the standard routing protocols, high availability features, and security features that enterprises expect, along with the ability to customize and add new features that comes with a totally open environment. The Vyatta Community, a public forum (linked from the Vyatta website) for Vyatta users and developers, features tools, discussions, blogs, newsfeeds, and provides an interactive resource for getting started with the OFR.

"Enterprise buyers are always looking for more capabilities in their routers, while at the same time keeping a close eye on cost, which has created significant price pressure in market," said Matthias Machowinski, Directing Analyst of Enterprise Voice and Data for Infonetics Research. "Vyatta's OFR plays into this dynamic with a full set of features at a highly competitive price. Open source has had a tremendous impact on other markets, and if Vyatta's community gains traction, the same could happen in networking."

Open source has created a profound change in the market place, shifting the balance of power away from large vendors and back to the users of products. Lance Knox, a networking consultant to small and medium-sized businesses, has been testing the OFR and has integrated it into his clients' networks to provide essential routing capabilities.

"My clients don't want to spend a lot of money for a closed-source routing solution with features that far exceed those they need to solve their business problems. That requirement alone makes the Vyatta OFR the most appropriate choice. The OFR includes the same advanced routing features and protocols as the closed source competition, so it can interoperate with anything my customers already have in place," said Knox. "Vyatta's open solution is capable of handling my clients' future growth as their network and infrastructure demands increase, allowing smaller companies to grow in ways not possible with closed-source solutions."

"Customer networks all evolve, but not at the same pace. For this reason, software-based products such as routers and firewalls present a classic opportunity for open source-based solutions to flourish," said Kelly Herrell, CEO of Vyatta. "Until now, users have had little choice but to accept the slow-changing and feature-bloated closed-source solutions on the market, and pay a high price in the process. But one size doesn't fit all, and the impressive response to our freely downloadable open router platform clearly indicates that the industry is ready for a new alternative that will extend the benefits of open source to network infrastructure."

Availability and Pricing

The OFR software is freely available for download from the Vyatta web site at www.vyatta.com. Vyatta is also introducing tiered software subscriptions for the OFR, which include maintenance, upgrades, and software support services for one year. The OFR Professional Subscription includes unlimited software enhancements and updates for the life of the subscription, and online access to the world-class Vyatta Technical Assistance Center (VTAC). The OFR Enterprise Subscription includes all the features of the Professional Subscription, with the addition of phone support for shortened response times to meet the needs of larger enterprises. The Professional Subscription is available for $497 and the Enterprise Subscription for $647.

About Vyatta

"Vyatta" is the ancient Sanskrit word meaning "open" -- a fitting name for a company that was created to bring commercial-quality, open-source networking products to market. Open source has created a profound change in the market place, shifting the balance of power from large corporations back to the users of products. Open source is about cost savings, increased flexibility and choice, and better security. Vyatta is bringing those qualities to the world of network infrastructure products. For more information, please visit www.vyatta.com.

Source: Business Wire

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