Akibia Announces Support for WAN Optimization and Web Security Appliances from Blue Coat Systems

Customers Benefit From a Single Point of Contact, Faster Problem Resolution and a Stronger Relationship with a Support Provider That Knows Their Environment

December 08, 2008

Westborough, MA - December 8, 2008 — Akibia, a leading provider of consulting, integration and support for data center, network and security solutions, announced today that it is adding 24X7 support for WAN Optimization, and Secure Web Gateway solutions from Blue Coat Systems, as a member of the Blue Coat BlueTouch™ Support Partner Program.

With security infrastructure strength and reliability among the critical concerns to enterprise organizations today, Akibia is extending its proven support capabilities to Blue Coat products. Akibia is known for its support of mission-critical server and storage systems from Sun, HP, IBM and Dell as well as the Check Point and Nokia product lines, having supported these environments for some of the largest organizations in the world for the past 20 years.

Already a trusted Premier solution provider partner of Blue Coat Systems, Akibia is adding support capabilities for these products so that customers can benefit from a single point of contact throughout the design, implementation and support process of each deployment.

“As a long-term, successful consulting and solution provider partner, Akibia has collaborated with Blue Coat to deliver best-in-breed security solutions to our customers,” said Tom Tucker, president of Akibia. “Providing support for Blue Coat solutions is the next logical step in our partnership.”

The Akibia technical support center is available 24x7 and is staffed by certified engineers, who are experts in the devices they are supporting. Akibia’s flexible and innovative approach to providing technical support allows significant customization to suit each client’s specific requirements. Akibia’s Network and Security Infrastructure Support Services provide the following benefits to its customers:

  • Faster Problem Resolution – Industry-trained and certified engineers answer calls quickly. Akibia’s average call answer time is less than 25 seconds, and the company does not use voicemail.
  • Customized and Knowledgeable Support – Because Akibia provides support for multiple security, network and data center solutions within the client’s IT environment and is often the integration partner on products it supports, Akibia’s team of dedicated engineers is intimately familiar with the customer’s infrastructure. This ensures faster resolution and eliminates duplication of efforts on the customer’s end. Akibia technical support engineers can seamlessly collaborate with the security engineer responsible for the original implementation to identify other issues unique to the customer.
  • Single Point of Contact - With multiple security devices in their IT infrastructure, it can be difficult for organizations to maintain multiple support contracts with every vendor. As a multivendor security and networking infrastructure partner, Akibia can support high-performance Blue Coat, Check Point and Nokia solutions, eliminating the need for customers to make multiple calls when an issue arises.

    “Akibia support of Blue Coat products gives customers the benefit of a single point of contact for everything from consulting and integration through support of their mission-critical WAN Optimization and Secure Web Gateway solutions,” said Kevin Biggs, senior vice president of sales, Blue Coat Systems. “We believe Akibia’s strength and expertise in its support center will enable our joint customers to maximize the value of their systems.”

Akibia is the Expert in Network & Security Infrastructure Support

Akibia’s experienced and industry-certified professionals understand the critical nature of an organization’s high-performance security and network infrastructure. The company’s expertise in the devices it supports ensures fast and efficient support services. Founded as an independent services provider, Akibia’s cumulative knowledge, expertise, experience and best practices supporting high-availability, high-performance security infrastructure ensures the best results for its clients.

“Akibia’s service philosophy is premised on enabling and empowering our customers and delivering a solution that meets their unique needs,” added Tucker. “We are laser-focused on our customers, which ensures a smooth support relationship and delivers maximum uptime and availability of their critical systems.”

About Akibia, Inc.

Akibia provides innovative IT solutions that enable leading companies worldwide to optimize, secure, manage and support their mission-critical infrastructure. As an independent advisor, Akibia partners with its customers to deliver solutions that improve the availability and performance of their data center and security infrastructure. Combining expert consulting, integration and support services with world-class customer service, Akibia helps IT organizations maximize the value of their existing infrastructure, while mitigating risk and reducing complexity. Founded as Polaris Service in 1988 and headquartered in Massachusetts, Akibia is an independent services company with offices throughout the United States and Europe. Contact Akibia at 1-866-4-AKIBIA or www.Akibia.com