Juniper's New WXC Appliances: 'More Box For The Money'

According to Juniper, the three additions—the WXC 1800, WXC 2600 and WXC 3400 appliances—give solution providers more options in offering their customers more scalable, modular and cost-effective application response across the WAN for uninterrupted and accelerated application delivery and services.

The next-generation WXC hardware comes in a scalable, modular platform to create a LAN-like experience for branch offices that need to access centralized applications, including TCP, UDP, MAPI, CIFS and HTTP/S. The WXC line also adds functionality like QoS, content distribution and policy-based multipath, along with an integrated configuration, monitoring and troubleshooting application.

Juniper said the WXC platform integrates application acceleration with Juniper's routing, switching and security technologies and the new platforms use software that automates provisioning and management tasks, to enable network and application visibility to deliver applications as intended.

Essentially, the WXC platforms boost application performance over the WAN by understanding and eliminating redundant transmissions, accelerating TCP and application-specific protocols, prioritizing and allocating access to bandwidth and ensuring high application availability at locations with multiple WAN links. On-board hard drives offer support for Network Sequence Caching, which lets the devices store repeated data patterns, and can produce up to a 100-fold increase in effective WAN capacity.

The new line of WXC boxes can accelerate traffic up to 2 Mbps for the WXC 1800; up to 8 Mbps for the WXC 2600; and up to 45 Mbps for the WXC 3400. Each model is designed for certain-size offices, with the 1800 typically deployed at the small to medium branch; the 2600 at the medium to large branch and small data centers; and the 3400 suited for higher-speed remote locations, office headquarters or data centers.

The new line also supports Juniper's Field Replaceable Units, which simplify logistical management and ordering for distributors and Juniper support depots. It can reduce stocking costs and help lower the carbon footprint because less sheet-metal and corrugated-cardboard is produced, stored and transported.

Bill Annino Jr., director of the network convergence solutions group at Exeter, R.I.-based solution provider Carousel Industries, said the new WXC has the potential to let him offer higher performance with a smaller price tag.

"The long and short of it is we've got more scale and more capacity for a lower price point, as far as I can see," he said. "I think that it's more box for the money."

Annino added that the modular platforms also means he won't have to rip and replace customer boxes as a business grows and application acceleration needs increase. He said at a time when many of his clients' IT budgets are tight and the market is challenged, resellers need to offer solutions that save money and limit recurring costs, while also maximizing the infrastructure customers already have in place.

"It's good for our folks to deliver the message of increased efficiency and decreased operating expense," he said.

The WXC 1800, 2600 and 3400 appliances are available Monday though Juniper and its partners. The WXC 1800 starts at $4,895 with support for 10 connections; the WXC 2600 runs $12,395 with support for up to 20 connections; and the WXC 3400 costs $24,995 with support for up to 140 connections.