Pressroom
Blue Coat Announces Distribution Agreement with Alternative Technology
Expands North American Distribution Capabilities to Meet Growing Demand for Proxy Appliances
SUNNYVALE, CA, and DENVER, CO, Apr. 6, 2004 – Blue Coat™ Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: BCSI), a leading provider of proxy appliances, today announced that Alternative Technology, a leading technology distributor focused on the server-based computing market, will distribute the Blue Coat family of proxy appliances throughout North America.
The agreement with Alternative Technology will enable Blue Coat to meet the growing demand for its market-leading ProxySG™ appliances. The partnership complements Blue Coat’s existing U.S. and North American distribution channels, and will support the entire Blue Coat product line with pre and post-sale technical support, technical and sales training, marketing support, and financial assistance.
“Blue Coat’s high-performance proxy appliances provide the perfect complement to our current suite of products within the server-based computing, infrastructure and security categories,” said William R. Botti, president and COO of Alternative Technology. “Adding Blue Coat to our product portfolio arms our VARs with the most effective tools for helping organizations gain control over the Web environment.”
“We are pleased to be partnering with Alternative, and look forward to working together on programs that will add increased value for our solution providers throughout North America,” said Tom Ayers, senior vice president of worldwide sales for Blue Coat. “Alternative’s in-depth knowledge of the market and solid reseller base will help deliver Blue Coat’s proxy appliances to more organizations throughout North America requiring granular visibility and control over employee Web usage.”
The Blue Coat family of proxy appliances includes the ProxySG 400 Series, 800 Series and 8000 Series appliances, which provide comprehensive visibility and control across headquarter, regional and remote offices locations. The appliances are based on Blue Coat SGOS™, a custom, object-based operating system with integrated caching, and leverage existing authentication systems for flexible policy enforcement down to the individual user. The ProxySG appliances combine comprehensive proxy support of all Web protocols with integrated services such as content filtering, instant messaging control, peer-to-peer (P2P) control, streaming control, pop-up ad blocking and virus scanning.
About Alternative Technology
Alternative Technology is the leading specialty distributor for Value Added Resellers who need products and services targeted at Thin-client/Server-based Computing, Edge Infrastructure, Security and Wireless markets. Driving the widespread adoption of leading edge technologies by bridging the gaps between products and services to solve critical business problems, Alternative identifies business issues that are key to our markets and offer multi-vendor solutions that drive demand back through our reseller partners. Alternative Technology, headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, has offices in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Carlsbad, California, and Mississauga, Canada. For more information, go to: www.AltTech.com, e-mail: sales@AltTech.com or call toll-free: 800.544.7674 (USA), or 866.240.9991 (Canada).
About Blue Coat Systems
Blue Coat enables organizations to keep “good” employees from doing “bad” things on the Internet. Blue Coat wire-speed proxy appliances provide visibility and control of Web communications to address today’s new business risks -- such as inappropriate Web surfing, viruses brought in via back door channels such as instant messaging and Web-based email, and network resource abuse due to peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing and video streaming. Trusted by many of the world’s most influential organizations, Blue Coat has shipped more than 18,000 proxy appliances. Blue Coat is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, and can be reached at (408) 220-2200 or www.bluecoat.com.
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FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Blue Coat Systems' expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based upon information available to Blue Coat Systems as of the date hereof, and Blue Coat Systems assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These and other risks relating to Blue Coat Systems' business are set forth in Blue Coat Systems' most recently filed Form 10-Q for the quarter ended January 31, 2004, and other reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact:
Tony Thompson
Blue Coat Systems, Inc.
(408) 220-2305
tony.thompson@bluecoat.com
Bill Smythe
Alternative Technology
(303) 337-2680 x2327
bill.smythe@alttech.com
Copyright (C) 2004, Blue Coat Systems, Inc. All trademarks, trade names or service marks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.