F5 Unveils ADC 3.0: Redefining Application Delivery for the AI Era

F5 Introduces ADC 3.0 for the AI Era

F5, a leader in application security and delivery, has unveiled its vision for the next generation of Application Delivery Controllers (ADCs) tailored for the AI era. Dubbed ADC 3.0, this new framework aims to address the growing complexity of hybrid, multicloud, and AI-driven IT environments 1

1

The Need for ADC Evolution

According to F5's State of Application Strategy Report, 75% of enterprises are already deploying AI applications in some form. However, many organizations are ill-equipped to secure and deliver these AI-powered applications, which handle massive amounts of data and introduce complex traffic patterns and sophisticated security threats 1

1

Kunal Anand, Chief Innovation Officer at F5, emphasized the necessity for a fundamental rethinking of application security and delivery: "Traditional approaches fall short in managing today's complex, distributed systems. Organizations need solutions that provide consistency, flexibility, and complete visibility across their IT landscape" 2

2

Key Features of ADC 3.0

The ADC 3.0 framework introduces several key elements:

1. Convergence of high-performance load balancing with robust application and API security features 1

   1

   .
2. Support for hybrid and multicloud infrastructures 1

   1

   .
3. AI gateway capabilities to handle the unique demands of AI applications 1

   1

   .
4. Reference architectures that streamline AI and machine learning workflows into seven core building blocks 2

   2

   .

Strategic Partnerships and Reference Architectures

F5 is collaborating with industry leaders such as Nvidia, Intel, and NetApp to enhance its ADC 3.0 framework. These partnerships aim to provide enterprises with the tools and infrastructure needed to handle the immense data processing and security demands of AI applications 2

2

Lisa Citron, F5's channel chief, highlighted the importance of these alliances: "What I think our partners are really going to love is the fact that we're bringing them and our customers reference architectures and key alliance relationships, where us plus another technology vendor equal solving a huge problem in making AI better, faster, more secure for them" 3

3

Related Stories

F5 Unveils Converged Application Delivery and Security Platform for AI Era

F5 Enhances Application Delivery and Security Platform with AI-Powered Features

F5 launches Insight observability platform with AI security upgrades at AppWorld 2026

F5 Unveils BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes: Supercharging AI Application Delivery with NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs

Addressing AI-Specific Security Challenges

ADC 3.0 is designed to tackle emerging AI-specific threats such as model theft, training data poisoning, and prompt injection. The framework incorporates critical security considerations, including OWASP's Top 10 risks for large language models and F5's own "Application Delivery Top 10" challenges 2

2

Impact on F5's Business and Partner Ecosystem

F5 sees ADC 3.0 as a return to its roots in infrastructure and high availability, while addressing the new challenges posed by AI. The company does 100% of its business through channel partners, and this new framework is expected to provide significant opportunities for the channel 3

3

Todd Hathaway, global practice manager of AI, app and API security for World Wide Technology, a longtime F5 partner, commented: "F5 doesn't replace any of those other key partners in our solutions. It's an 'and' story for us. It's now we can build our architectures, and you can deliver these applications better and faster with F5 included in our designs" 3

3