-      Enterprises facing multicloud complexity turn to F5 to dramatically simplify connecting their most advanced applications

By: Basel Khaled

F5 (NASDAQ: FFIV), the global leader in multicloud application security and delivery, today announced expanded technology partnerships and customer win milestones that reinforce its position as a leader in multicloud networking. According to IDC, the multicloud networking market is rapidly expanding and is expected to reach $10.16 billion in 2028.

As a pioneer in multicloud application security and delivery, F5’s solutions help customers solve the unique complexity challenges inherent in securely connecting applications and APIs across hybrid multicloud environments. To help solve this challenge, F5 Distributed Cloud Services offer infrastructure-agnostic solutions that reduce the complexity of networking across data centers, clouds, and the edge while enabling consistent app security policy and enforcement, regardless of where the apps are hosted.

According to F5’s 2024 State of Application Strategy Report, the demand for multicloud networking strategies has grown significantly—with nearly 90% of enterprises deploying apps and APIs across a mix of on-premises and cloud or edge environments. The report highlights significant challenges faced by today’s enterprises as they manage apps across multiple infrastructure environments. More than one third of respondents (38%, nearly double the 2023 figure) operate apps across six or more different environments.

“Modern enterprises today must manage a multitude of disparate applications, all hosted on multiple clouds and on-premises environments. The realities of today’s hybrid multicloud infrastructures mandate that applications must be stitched together to deliver secure, fast, and reliable digital experiences,” said Arul Elumalai, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Distributed Cloud Platform and Security Services at F5. “With multicloud comes significant complexity, cost, and security risks, as applications become increasingly distributed. F5’s secure multicloud networking capabilities abstract this complexity to connect and protect these distributed applications, without having to pay attention to the cloud or infrastructure on which they run.”

F5 Introduces Technology Partnerships to Help Enterprises Tackle Multicloud Networking Challenges

F5 has developed partnerships with key technology leaders to extend the capabilities of its multicloud networking solutions and address a broader set of customer challenges.

F5 is collaborating with NetApp, a global leader in data storage solutions, to provide enterprises with robust, secure, and agile data mobility capabilities, enhancing hybrid cloud ROI and reducing IT overhead. NetApp, with over three decades of expertise, and trusted by more than 10,000 customers globally, continues to innovate in the cloud era, offering unified data storage for any data type, workload, or application.

 NetApp Blue XP provides a cloud-native unified management experience for storage and data services across multicloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments. Blue XP integrates on-site storage with the public cloud of a customer’s choice, keeping data secure and always available while optimizing cost and performance. F5’s Distributed Cloud Services deliver a secure MCN solution for Blue XP users that enables safe, easy, and simplified operations of connecting NetApp storage on-premises and Cloud Volumes ONTAP (NetApp's cloud-based data management service) in the cloud. Data mobility achieved by NetApp and F5 simplifies disaster recovery processes and promotes data as a strategic asset. This partnership empowers businesses to navigate the complexities of multicloud environments with confidence.

F5 has enhanced its collaboration with Red Hat to simplify the migration and management of cloud workloads using Red Hat OpenShift Service on AWS (ROSA). By enabling integration for F5 Distributed Cloud Services with ROSA, customers can connect and manage hybrid cloud environments with improved security capabilities, reduced complexity, and lower costs. This collaboration leverages F5 Distributed Cloud App Connect to provide more seamless app-to-app communication and security-optimized workload migration, delivering greater consistency, security, and visibility.