F5 Buys SSL VPN Vendor, Posts Profit

Under the deal, closed today, F5 acquired the rights to all of uRoam's technology. The company's FirePass servers enable secure Web-based access to network applications from remote clients without the need for client software. F5 said it would continue to develop, sell and support the FirePass product. The company also plans over the next 12 to 18 months to integrate uRoam's SSL VPN technology into current and future F5 application traffic management products, John McAdam, F5 president and CEO, said in a statement.

Seattle-based F5 said the uRoam products would be offered through existing channel partners of both F5 and uRoam. Most of uRoam's employees will stay with F5, the company said.

"The acquisition of uRoam is an important step toward our goal of providing unsurpassed security in the reliable delivery of enterprise applications," McAdam said.

Also Wednesday, F5 posted net income of $1.4 million, or 5 cents per share, on revenue of $29.2 million for its 2003 third quarter. That compares with net income of $800,000, or 3 cents per share, on revenue of $28 million in the prior quarter.