Secure Web Gateway, today announced that it will supply BT in providing its Managed Internet Accelerator and Threat Reduction security services as part of a managed service offering. BT will use Blue Coat® ProxySG® appliances as a key part of the managed service offering.

Ray Stanton, Global Head, Business Continuity, Security & Governance Practice, BT Global Services said, “BT has a long history of working with Blue Coat. Its track record in securing and accelerating Web traffic makes them an ideal platform for our managed services and has seen strong uptake by our corporate clients.”

To boost user productivity, reduce bandwidth and make the web experience more responsive for users, the BT Managed Internet Accelerator service uses Blue Coat ProxySG appliances to intelligently manage user requests and accelerate delivery of Web content. It does this by routing user requests to the cache for commonly requested content or fetching content on behalf of the users using object pipelining.

For security protection and enforcing policy around Web usage, the BT Threat Reduction service – also based on ProxySG appliances – monitors Web surfing activity and can block or alert as necessary based on pre-defined policies. For example, organizations will use this service for blocking access from the corporate network to pornography or gambling sites during business hours. In addition to helping organizations achieve compliance or prevent potential litigation, the service also monitors for viruses and other malicious code threats thereby further reducing IT risk.

BT also uses Blue Coat appliances on its corporate network to secure and accelerate web traffic across its global WAN, serving 106,000 employees.

“BT now provides its customers with the ability to protect, manage and accelerate Internet applications and content,” said Craig Hicks-Frazer, vice president, Service Providers, Blue Coat Systems. “By incorporating Blue Coat ProxySG appliances in its managed service offerings, BT can offer companies flexible and granular Internet control while accelerating important or acceptable content, rather than face the typical penalty of impaired performance. We are pleased to play an important part in the BT Managed Internet Accelerator and Threat Reduction services.”

About BT

BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to our customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale.

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group.

About Blue Coat Systems

Blue Coat secures Web communications and accelerates business applications across the distributed enterprise. Blue Coat’s family of appliances and client-based solutions – deployed in branch offices, Internet gateways, end points, and data centers – provide intelligent points of policy-based control enabling IT organizations to optimize security and accelerate performance between users and applications. Blue Coat is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

Information Source:    Business Wire