As mobile data booms, Blue Coat triples cache performance

Blue Coat Systems announced a new version of its CacheFlow network caching platform today that it says offers three times the cache storage capacity – well-timed to meet the booming demand for data, especially on mobile networks.

The new CacheFlow 5000 appliance is designed for service provider deployments, helping them cache and deliver popular Internet content – like YouTube streams – taking a big bandwidth burden off the network, said Jeff Brainard, director of Blue Coat’s CacheFlow product line, in an interview.

While net neutrality concerns force service providers to step carefully when caching or optimizing the delivery of over-the-top content, “there’s lots of interest in” forging more creative business models with OTT providers around optimized delivery, Brainard said. “About 20 or 30 percent of our users are exploring such things.” But for now, operators just need help meeting the data boom and keeping the customer experience of that content high, he said.

BlueCoat’s CacheFlow 5000 achieves its greater throughput while maintaining the compact, 4U footprint of earlier versions. It also adds support for IPv6, a growing concern for service providers dealing with Internet content. It also an option for 10GigE Fiber, in addition to existing copper, to support high-speed network interfaces. Blue Coat introduced the first version of the platform in 2010 (CP: Blue Coat goes back to roots with caching play).

Blue Coat’s caching platform most typically competes with deep packet inspection platforms – especially those with traffic shaping capabilities – as well as with the traffic optimization capabilities in big service provider routers. Unlike CDNs, which operators use to maximize delivery of content under their control, the Blue Coat platform works mainly with over-the-top content outside the operators’ domain. That said, some operators are looking to use the Blue Coat platform to create the equivalent of a “Web CDN,” Brainard said, a set-up that strategically caches and speeds delivery of the most popular Web content.

Indeed, Blue Coat believes its Web caching boxes are a good complementa to service provider CDN solutions. In particular, it has worked closely with Alcatel-Lucent to dovetail the capabilities of CacheFlow and ALU’s Velocix platform (CP: Alcatel-Lucent delivers multi-screen video).

The new CacheFlow 5000 appliance is available immediately. Blue Coat says previous versions of the appliance are already deployed in about 50 service providers today, achieving average bandwidth gains of 40% to 50% for those operators.