NETWORKS

Crossbeam Systems has announced the expansion of its X-Series family of network security platforms to include the X20, X30, X60 and X80-S. Crossbeam’s X-Series family enables service providers, carriers and enterprises to run multiple best-of-breed security applications on a single, high-performance platform. This enables organizations to consolidate and optimize their security infrastructures to meet their unique requirements. With the expanded product family, customers also have more flexibility to choose the right range of X-Series solutions for their specific security needs.

“Trends like cloud computing, data center consolidation, mobility and the explosion in smart phone usage are changing network security requirements for enterprise and telecommunications organizations,” said Jon Oltsik, senior principal analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group. “We’re seeing increasing demand for security platforms that can support the high performance and scalability requirements in these kinds of dynamic environments. Crossbeam’s platforms have a significant installed base in high-end, heavy traffic environments, and the new X-Series family should deliver these same qualities of high performance and scalability to a broader range of enterprises and service providers.”

As a family of open network security platforms, the X-Series empowers customers to deploy security applications from best-of-breed vendors, while also enabling them to consolidate hundreds of security appliances and related network devices onto a single high-performance chassis. The X-Series also delivers “future proof” security by providing the scalability, flexibility and built-in redundancy required to intelligently and reliably manage traffic as security and network demands change. These capabilities slash total cost of ownership by as much as 70 percent when compared to other options and approaches on the market today.

The expanded X-Series family provides a wide range of compelling benefits to customers, including:

• Broad performance scalability: The expanded X-Series family provides the broadest, most scalable and open network security platforms on the market, with throughput ranging from 5 Gbps to 150 Gbps. Organizations can now deploy Crossbeam technology across their entire business, and benefit from the efficiency of a single security platform with a single operating system and module compatibility between all X-Series platforms.
• The new generation of X-Series platforms consists of four new chassis:
  • X20 – a flexible four-slot platform pre-configured for one security application, adaptable to run two applications with a total throughput capacity of 5 Gbps.
  • X30 – a flexible four-slot platform pre-configured for one security application, adaptable to run two applications with a total throughput capacity of 10 Gbps.
  • X60 – a modular, seven-slot platform that will run up to five applications and can scale to inspect traffic at speeds of up to 80 Gbps of throughput.
  • X80-S – a modular 14-slot chassis that will run up to 10 applications and can scale to inspect a real-world mix of traffic at speeds of up to 150 Gbps of throughput.
• Investment protection: Crossbeam’s new X20 and X30 four-slot platforms offer an industry first: field-upgradability. The X20 and X30 can be upgraded to a seven-slot, 80 Gbps X60 platform by using an upgrade kit. This unique capability allows customers to deploy a security platform that scales to future needs while being optimized for today’s environment.
• Security application performance: In addition to the X-Series’ current four-core and eight-core application processing modules (APMs), customers can now deploy 12-core APMs, each capable of 20 Gbps of fully inspected application performance. The new APMs significantly boost performance across the entire X-Series line.
• Compatibility with all leading operating systems: One of the new features of XOS version 9.5 is that it enables Crossbeam to expand its best-in-class security partner portfolio to include any vendor, no matter what operating system their application uses.
• Improved management: The X-Series family integrates with HP OpenView Network Node Manager, enabling customers to easily monitor, configure and report on the X-Series platform along with other network components from within their HP management environment. Customers can also launch Crossbeam’s at-a-glance graphical element management (GEM) tool to quickly gauge the operational status of their X-Series, troubleshoot and manage capacity. In addition, Crossbeam has greatly enhanced its alarm and management reporting tools to provide improved visibility into X-Series performance.

“Crossbeam built its business on securing the world’s largest and most demanding networks,” said Jim Freeze, chief marketing officer at Crossbeam. “Now we are expanding the reach of our X-Series platforms so organizations can benefit from Crossbeam’s industry-leading technology in all areas of their infrastructure.”

The new line of X-Series will be available in Q4 2010.