F5 Networks, Inc. announced BIG-IQ(TM) Cloud, a new software-based management solution that enables customers to deploy application delivery and network services in a consistent, fast, and repeatable manner across public and private clouds, traditional data centers, and hybrid environments. With an extensible, modular architecture, BIG-IQ offers an intelligent framework that centralizes management of the application control plane to provide intuitive, flexible, and scalable management capabilities for the F5 BIG-IP(R) product family. This solution is a key milestone in supporting F5's goals of delivering application-layer SDN services and bringing superior application intelligence and programmability to software defined data centers. BIG-IQ(TM) Cloud represents a unique approach in addressing these challenges as organizations integrate their application architectures with emerging cloud solutions. By leveraging the rich application intelligence and visibility inherent in F5's market-leading BIG-IP(R) solutions, BIG-IQ Cloud extends valuable services and control capabilities to the management plane. Key capabilities of BIG-IQ Cloud include orchestrated application delivery and network services; self-service and automated service provisioning capabilities and multi-tenant self-service portal for health monitoring. Taken together, these capabilities provide enterprise customers and cloud providers with a single, consistent, and actionable view of application delivery and network services, regardless of where these services are implemented. As a result, organizations can simplify IT operations and considerably reduce the amount of time needed to tailor their application delivery systems for the cloud. Customers realize improved productivity with smoother application deployments, simplified management, and a reduction of manual tasks--which in turn lessens the chance of potentially costly configuration errors. BIG-IQ Cloud is generally available from April 30, 2013.

F5 Networks, Inc. announced unaudited consolidated earnings results for the second quarter and six months ended March 31, 2013. For the quarter, the company’s net revenue was $350,232,000 compared to $339,622,000 for the same period a year ago. Income from operations was $92,476,000 compared to $104,680,000 for the same period a year ago. Income before income taxes was $94,594,000 compared to $106,108,000 for the same period a year ago. Net income was $63,412,000 or $0.81 per diluted share compared to $68,641,000 or $0.87 per diluted share for the same period a year ago. Net income excluding stock-based compensation and amortization of purchased intangible assets (non-GAAP) was $84,742,000 or $1.07 per diluted share compared to $87,111,000 or $1.09 per diluted share for the same period a year ago. For the six months, the company’s net revenue was $715,683,000 compared to $662,054,000 for the same period a year ago. Income from operations was $201,560,000 compared to $204,469,000 for the same period a year ago. Income before income taxes was $205,228,000 compared to $207,758,000 for the same period a year ago. Net income was $132,905,000 or $1.68 per diluted share compared to $135,133,000 or $1.69 per diluted share for the same period a year ago. Net income excluding stock-based compensation and amortization of purchased intangible assets (non-GAAP) was $175,365,000 or $2.21 per diluted share compared to $169,351,000 or $2.12 per diluted share for the same period a year ago. Net cash provided by operating activities was $225,468,000 compared to $233,483,000 for the same period a year ago. Purchases of property and equipment were $14,769,000 compared to $12,818,000 for the same period a year ago. For the third quarter ending June 30, 2013, the company expected a net income $63.0 million or $0.80 per diluted share to $65.4 million or $0.83 per diluted share. Non-GAAP net income excluding stock-based compensation expense and amortization of purchased intangible assets was $83.8 million or $1.06 per Non-GAAP diluted share to $86.2 million or $1.09 per Non-GAAP diluted share. Amortization of purchased intangible assets is expected to be $1.0 million.

Albertini Group announced the placement of two new high-profile board members, Sandra Bergeron and Steve Smith, for F5 Networks. Bergeron is a leading technology industry executive with a national reputation as an expert on computer security matters. Smith is Chief Executive Officer, President, and member of the board of directors of Equinix, the global interconnection and data center company. Bergeron currently serves on the board of directors for a number of IT cloud security and data protection providers, specifically Qualys, Inc.; Sophos, Inc.; and TraceSecurity, where she also serves as chairman. Bergeron has previously served on the board of directors for two security management companies, TriCipher and ArcSight, Inc. Smith currently serves on the board of directors of Volterra Semiconductor Corporation, and previously served as a director of 3PAR, Inc. Smith served as Senior Vice President at HP Services, a business segment of Hewlett-Packard Co., from January 2005 to October 2006, before joining Equinix in April 2007.