Network traffic management and application security firm F5 Inc. announced new multicloud networking capabilities today that make it possible to extend application and security services across cloud platforms, hybrid architectures, native Kubernetes environments and the network edge.

The new capabilities, available through F5 Distributed Cloud Services, enable connectivity and security at both the network and the application layers, making it possible for companies to connect applications hosted at different locations securely, even when they’re running in different computing environments.

To date, F5 says, doing this has always been a big problem. Multicloud adoption has accelerated rapidly, meaning that the average enterprise operates hundreds of applications running across numerous, distributed computing environments. However, they lack an integrated services stack that’s able to connect such applications at both the network- and workload-level. As a result, this lack of connectivity between applications creates tons of complexity when it comes to gathering telemetry data, as well as reduced visibility and a much bigger attack surface.

Michael Rau, F5’s senior vice president and general manager of distributed cloud platform and security services, said secure app-to-app connectivity is a goal for every digital organization. However, he added, very few have managed to achieve it so far.

“The proliferation of cloud and hybrid architectures has coincided with the rise of microservices and API-heavy distributed applications — all of which contribute complexity and diminish visibility,” Rau said. “F5’s platform-based approach greatly expands our ability to serve customers’ hybrid and multicloud use cases.”

F5 Distributed Cloud Services works by providing enterprises with an integrated services stack that connects applications at both the network and the workload level, the company explained. Companies can now manage all of their distributed applications through a single console, with full networking and application security capabilities, and faster provisioning.

It provides advanced networking services for applications across any cloud or environment, including load balancing, API gateways, ingress/egress controls and visibility, together with automated or one-click provisioning of additional security services such as web application firewalls, API security and DDos or bot mitigation.

The service also benefits from native Kubernetes integration to provide fine-grained control for individual applications, without exposing the underlying network to boost security and speed app delivery. It’s easy to deploy too, the company says, with F5’s Distributed Cloud Network Connect framework making it simpler to add and connect applications to new cloud locations and providers with automated provisioning.

ZK Research analyst Zeus Kerravala said that as enterprise cloud strategies evolve from multiple apps and clouds to a true multicloud architecture with distributed workloads, they need these networks to provide application-layer connectivity. “F5 has long been a leader in application networking, and its Distributed Cloud Services provides a fully integrated set of layer 3 to 7 services for securely connecting across clouds and workloads, even those deployed at the edge or branch office,” he said.

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