"Best Well Architected Appliance" - SecureSpan 


Earlier this year, I talked about "well architected" SOA Appliances. 
http://soanetworkarchitect.com/2006/03/04/well-architected-soa-and-soa-appliances.aspx


Well Thought Out Design

Today I would have to give this award to Layer 7 Technologies with there latest release of their SecureSpan Appliances.  This is the best well architected SOA Appliance that we have seen so far. 

Having worked in a manufacturing environment you always try to drive "economies of scale" ie.  the fewer different boxes you make the better.  The more functionality that you can enable through software the better.  Layer 7 definitely accomplished this by combining XML Acceleration, XML Filtering, XML Firewall and SOA Gateway capabilities all in one box.


One Box "Just Makes Sense"

Manufacturing aside, Dimitri Sirota, VP Marketing and Alliances believes "it just makes good sense from many aspects to have one box and software-enable for various applications".  So from Network Architect perspective there are many reasons to manage just one box: maintenance, upgradeability, swapeability, etc.  This makes life so much easier especially since a lot of users are in a "trial stage" with Web Services and SOA and you know the applications are going to change over time.  If you buy a one box today you don't want to have to go out and buy another box tomorrow because the user requirements changed.  Software keyed appliances can easily be upgraded to support future applications.  The Layer 7 Technologies SecureSpan comes as one appliance, and is available in four versions.  (Even the faceplate can be changed!)

Layer 7 Technologies SecureSpan comes packaged as one appliance in 4 versions:

      - XML Accelerator
      - XML Data Screen
      - XML Firewall/VPN
      - XML Networking Gateway

For more information on Layer 7 Technologies and their SecureSpan Appliances: www.layer7tech.com


Layer 7 Technologies takes the SOA Network Architect Award for
"The Best Well Architected Appliance"

The awards are based on the sole opinion of the SOA Network Architect.  No funds have been provided in the selection of these awards and no funds will be provided with these awards.

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Gary E. Smith
SOA Network Architect