Hydra and Redline Networks to boost web site and data centre performance

Hydra becomes first UK reseller for Redline Networks T/X Web I/O Acceleration product range

LONDON 10th July, 2002 - Hydra plc, the city based systems integrator specialising in network and Internet pain relief, has become the first UK reseller partner for Redline Networks, the pioneer in Web I/O Acceleration technology. Together, Hydra and Redline will alleviate the frustration of slow web site performance by offering Redline's Web I/O Acceleration products to data centres and e-commerce companies. Customers realise big performance gains on their web server farms and at the same time reduce their bandwidth costs. Web surfers benefit from faster web page downloads, even when using a dial up modem.

With Redline Networks, Hydra will be able to offer a new solution to clients suffering web server over load or network problems resulting from the implementation of an Intranet. Redline's T/X Web I/O Acceleration product range has been designed to solve Internet bottlenecks from both the server and the network angle, removing responsibility for opening and closing TCP/IP sessions from the server, thereby freeing up processing power and dynamically increasing data centre performance. The products also compress the retrieved data to ensure a better browsing experience for the end user.

"We are very excited to be working with Redline Networks," said Mark O'Hara, Managing Director at Hydra. "The T/X product range is a new slant on the web server acceleration problem which will work with customers' existing solutions. With purse strings tight in the e-business economy at the moment the benefits are huge," said O'Hara. "Download speed is crucial to gaining and keeping customers and this product makes significant performance increases in the data centre that the user really sees," he said.

The Redline range consists of the T/X 2000, 2200 and 2250 Accelerator appliances and the company has recently added SSL support so the product can now compress even secured data. The T/X 2000 is a single cluster (32 server) enterprise device for companies struggling with a corporate Intranet; the T/X 2200 is a data centre device able to accelerate a massive 64 clusters of 32 servers per cluster which also features software SSL support, while the T/X 2250 adds hardware SSL support.

"Our solution takes away responsibility for TCP requests from the web server, freeing the server to deliver data much faster," said CTO and co-founder of Redline, Israel L'Heureux. "Then our compression technology significantly decreases the bandwidth needed to transmit a page of data and further boosts the speed to the end user. Because Redline's capability is unique, both dial-up modem and broadband users experience a performance increase," he said.

"We chose Hydra because they have an excellent history of bringing emerging technology to market and helping the customer understand the benefits of the technology. We expect strong market demand for our products in the UK because of the large installed base of data centres and e-commerce companies; in fact the UK should contribute around 50 percent of our total EU revenue," said Paul Gracie, Redline Networks Sales Manager for Northern Europe.

"The product is an excellent match for Hydra as we have carved a reputation as Internet pain relief specialists through our relationships with Internet acceleration companies like CacheFlow and Expand Networks. Redline allows us to widen our web acceleration offering and deliver a solution that combines performance with a fast return on investment," concluded O'Hara of Hydra.

-ends-

About Hydra plc
Hydra is a City-based Systems Integrator specialising in 'Pain Relief' for companies experiencing access, speed, security and cost issues with their corporate network, Intranet and the Internet. By specifying and deploying a range of solutions including web and enterprise caching, firewall solutions, IDS, load balancing and network attack mitigation and prevention solutions, Hydra provides its customers with high performance networking technologies that deliver a fast return on investment and relieve technology headaches. With an in-depth understanding of networking and Internet issues and by continuously evaluating new emerging technologies, Hydra's highly qualified team provides customers with the independent advice and technical support needed to succeed in the ever-evolving IT environment. Hydra's customers include blue-chip City financial institutions, major media houses, legal firms and professional services and consulting firms. Vendor partnerships to date include:- CacheFlow, ArrowPoint, Expand Networks, Inkra, Top Layer, Blade Software and Netscreen. For further information about Hydra please visit www.hydranet.co.uk

About Redline Networks
Redline Networks' patent-pending Web I/O Acceleration appliances enable companies to significantly accelerate download times and cut bandwidth costs while increasing the transaction capacity of their existing Web infrastructure. Deployed at sites worldwide, Redline's appliances offload I/O responsibility from web servers and caches and optimise content in real-time to speed download times and deliver radically improved performance, capacity and cost savings in the data centre. Redline Networks' customers typically experience a Return on Investment (ROI) of less than three months. More information about Redline Networks and its products can be found at <http://www.RedlineNetworks.com/> or by calling +1 408 369-3800 or toll-free in the USA at 877 550-6420.

For further information contact:

Mark O'Hara
Hydra Plc               
Tel: 020 7337 2777   
Email: mailto:mohara@hydranet.co.uk

Gemma Thomas/Martin Allen
Multimedia PR & Marketing   
Tel: 020 7470 8777
Email: mailto:gemmat@multimediapr.co.uk

THIS RELEASE HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED BY WEBITPR (www.webitpr.com)

Disclaimer:

Whilst WebitPR.com Limited endeavor to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this Release, WebitPR.com Limited cannot accept any liability for:-

·   the inaccuracy or otherwise of any information contained in this Release; or
·   any loss liability or expense which may be suffered by any party in consequence of acting or omitting to act as a result of any information contained in or omitted from this Release.; or
·   any loss or suffering which may be caused by or to any party either as a result of the information contained in this Release or such information contained in this Release being inaccurate or otherwise misleading.

In the event that any information contained in this Release is inaccurate or misleading then please contact WebitPR.com at the above e-mail address.