Blue Coat Introduces New Channel Programs to Drive Partner Success and Margin in WAN Optimization Opportunities

New Programs Reward Partners that Invest in Selling Blue Coat WAN Optimization Solutions. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) December 09, 2010 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Blue Coat Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: BCSI), the technology leader in Application Delivery Networking, today announced enhancements to its Blue Coat Channel Advantage Program to increase channel partner effectiveness in selling Blue Coat WAN optimization solutions and deliver a higher return on the investments that its partners make in Blue Coat.

The new programs include a WAN Optimization Partner designation that enables certified partners to achieve higher margins; a Fast Start enablement program to quickly ramp up partners that sell Blue Coat WAN optimization solutions; a new Try-and-Buy program to simplify the evaluation process and reward partners that successfully convert evaluations into sales; and new training and education resources through the Blue Coat University.

"As the WAN optimization market demands more sophisticated solutions that can solve not just email and file performance issues but also accelerate Web content and cloud-based applications and optimize video, we want to empower our channel partners to successfully sell the full capabilities of Blue Coat WAN optimization solutions," said Jim Harold, vice president of worldwide channel sales, Blue Coat Systems. "Our new and enhanced programs will help those partners who invest and lead with Blue Coat."

WAN Optimization Partner Designation
The new WAN Optimization Partner designation distinguishes Blue Coat partners specializing in WAN optimization and application acceleration. The new designation gives partners access to specific programs, such as benefits and training, continuing education and individual support. Partners with the WAN Optimization Partner designation will also receive exclusive deal registration discounts that increase their return on investment (ROI). For end users, this designation provides a way to easily identify and select partners that are certified to assist them with their WAN optimization deployments. Resellers earn this designation by meeting technical and sales requirements. There will be a streamlined process for existing qualified Channel Advantage Partners to take advantage of this new designation.

Fast Start Program
To quickly enable partners to begin selling Blue Coat WAN optimization solutions, the company has established the Fast Start program to provide partners with tools, training and resources to quickly build expertise in WAN optimization. Selected partners of this program will receive:
• Installation support for the first few evaluation customers
• Engineering and sales training
• Qualified sales leads
• Funding for joint marketing campaigns
• Recognition as a WAN optimization specialist on the Blue Coat website

BlueBox NFR and Try and Buy Program
The Blue Box evaluation program been segmented into two tiers to make it easier for partners to purchase products for end user evaluations. The BlueBox NFR (Not-for-Resale) tier allows resellers to cost effectively acquire products for demonstration labs, evaluation and feasibility studies and includes a three year support contract with permanent licenses. The BlueBox Try-and-Buy tier allows partners to acquire appliances for customer evaluations of up to 30 days. After the evaluation period, the partner can convert the appliance to a sale, convert it to an NFR unit or return it to Blue Coat.

Blue Coat University
To provide easy, centralized access to training materials, Blue Coat has also established Blue Coat University, an online training and education learning lab. Blue Coat University offers four specializations: general sales skills, Blue Coat® PacketShaper® appliances, WAN optimization and security essentials. In its online environment, partners can access new training materials such as How-to Sell tutorials, solution descriptions, technical and competitive material, each tailored to support the reseller in the distribution of the targeted products.

About Blue Coat Systems
Blue Coat Systems is the technology leader in Application Delivery Networking. Blue Coat offers an Application Delivery Network Infrastructure that provides the visibility, acceleration and security required to optimize and secure the flow of information to any user, on any network, anywhere. This application intelligence enables enterprises to tightly align network investments with business requirements, speed decision making and secure business applications for long-term competitive advantage. Blue Coat also offers service provider solutions for managed security and WAN optimization, as well as carrier-grade caching solutions to save on bandwidth and boost the end-user Web experience.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Blue Coat Systems' expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future, and including statements regarding the capabilities and expected performance of Blue Coat Systems' products. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based upon information available to Blue Coat Systems as of the date hereof, and Blue Coat Systems assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These and other risks relating to Blue Coat Systems' business are set forth in the Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed by Blue Coat Systems, including but not limited to the risks described in the most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, particularly under the heading "Risk Factors."

Blue Coat, ProxySG and the Blue Coat logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Blue Coat Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.

For more information, please contact:

Manal Abi Rafeh
Regional Marketing Manager ME & Turkey
Blue Coat Systems ME
Telephone: +971 4 3911620
Fax: +971 4 3911635

Media Contact:
Colin Saldanha
PR Consultant
PROCRE8
Dubai - UAE
GSM: +971 (50) 6400762

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