BOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts, June 4 /PRNewswire/ --

- X-Series Platform Enables Delivery of 'In-the-Cloud' Virtualised Firewall Services to Enterprise Customers

Crossbeam Systems, Inc., a leading provider of next-generation security platforms for high-performance networks, today announced that BT has deployed Crossbeam's X-Series Next Generation Security Platform to help protect its internal network as well as deliver a new generation of "in-the-cloud" virtualised firewall security services to enterprise customers.

Ray Stanton, global head of BT's business continuity, security and governance practice, said: "BT views in-the-cloud security services as an important addition to our delivery of Internet-based security services. We believe virtualised firewall services will increasingly become a cornerstone of our customers' security strategies and we are now better able to meet that demand."

Crossbeam's carrier-class security platform is vendor agnostic. BT can incorporate the security software and virtualise it to provide multi-application, in-the-cloud security services.

Crossbeam's Next Generation Security Platform delivers two key benefits:

-- Meet growing customer demand for security services - BT can now create thousands of virtual instances of Check Point Software's VSX virtualised firewall on a single application processor blade within the Crossbeam X-Series platform - providing ample scalability to meet customer demand and drive new revenue streams. -- Simplify cost and complexity of security - BT saved the expense and burden of managing more than 40 security devices and supporting hardware by deploying just three Crossbeam platforms to deliver a virtualised firewall. BT is able to simplify security management and minimise the physical footprint of its security infrastructure, while improving performance through Crossbeam's high-throughput, carrier-class platform.

Bob Davies, technical services manager of BT Operate, which provides network management operations and IT infrastructure for various customers, said: "Crossbeam has allowed us easily to facilitate delivery of virtualised firewall services and avoid appliance sprawl. We slashed the hardware and licensing costs plus all the expenses related to maintenance, support, power and space in our data centres that would otherwise have resulted from a traditional deployment model. Crossbeam has enabled us to re-design and simplify our network, while improving security for us and our customers."

The hardware consolidation, power savings and space reduction benefits of Crossbeam's security platform align with BT's sustainability goals. BT has taken a leadership stance in supporting green IT initiatives and has already cut its data centre power usage by 60-70 percent, while lowering costs along the way.

Virtualisation in carrier-class environments

Crossbeam provides the industry's only open and extensible security platform that virtualises both network infrastructure and security applications. This enables customers to collapse entire infrastructure segments within a single platform and centralise management and security policy control, while maintaining the carrier-class properties of the underlying infrastructure. This provides customers with unparalleled flexibility, scalability and built-in redundancy to intelligently manage traffic as security and network demands change, without sacrificing performance.

"Carriers have been eager to take advantage of in-the-cloud security services, but have been held back by the limitations of traditional hardware solutions that can't scale or meet the stringent requirements of their high-performance networks," said Dave Woodcock, vice president, Europe and Latin America at Crossbeam Systems. "With Crossbeam's Next Generation Security Platform, BT is realising the promise of true in-the-cloud security services and is benefiting from the cost, management and environmental advantages of security virtualisation in carrier-class environments."

The X-Series is the highest-performing platform, tested to wire-line rates of 40 Gbps with ultra-low latency, enabling customers to enjoy the benefits of deploying multiple best-of-breed security applications on a single chassis without sacrificing performance. Carriers use the X-Series to deliver a new generation of virtualised services such as firewall, VPN and intrusion prevention, while enterprises deploy the X-Series for consolidation of security equipment and faster response to the demands of the real-time enterprise.

About Crossbeam

Crossbeam Systems, Inc. transforms the way enterprises, service providers and government agencies architect and deliver security services. The basis of Crossbeam's solution is its Next Generation Security Platform, a highly scalable hardware platform that facilitates the consolidation, virtualisation and simplification of security services delivery, while preserving the customers' choice of best-of-breed security applications. Crossbeam offers the only security platform that delivers unparalleled network performance, scalability, adaptability and resiliency. Customers choose Crossbeam to intelligently manage risk, accelerate and maintain compliance, and protect their businesses from evolving threats. Crossbeam is headquartered in Boxborough, Mass., and has offices in Europe and Asia Pacific. More information is available at: http://www.crossbeam.com

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 local, national and international telecommunications services to our customers for use at home, at work and on the move; higher-value 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.

In the year ended 31 March 2007, BT Group plc's revenue was pounds Sterling 20,223 million with profit before taxation of pounds Sterling 2,484 million.

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.

For more information, visit http://www.bt.com/aboutbt

Crossbeam Systems and Crossbeam are registered trademarks of Crossbeam Systems, Inc. All other company, product or service names not owned by Crossbeam mentioned in this press release are the property of their respective owners.

Contact: Sharon Dratch Davies Murphy Group +1-781-418-2425 crossbeam@daviesmurphy.com http://www.daviesmurphy.com Web site: http://www.bt.com/aboutbt http://www.crossbeam.com

Sharon Dratch of Davies Murphy Group, +1-781-418-2425, crossbeam@daviesmurphy.com, for Crossbeam Systems, Inc.