Dunn says First Command is already seeing a return on its investment. "It lets us use our existing infrastructure more effectively, through taking the extra load off our Web infrastructure and moving it up into the application acceleration layer," he says. "So now, we can offer more services and applications, if not for less, then at least for the same amount."

He also says the F5 box lets First Command be more proactive in terms of troubleshooting and capacity planning. "That's a hallmark of the newer devices, having a very well-thought-out and available reporting interface," he says, noting that both F5 and NetScaler offer good reporting. "It lets you understand exactly what's happening and then do appropriate capacity planning. You don't have to just buy bandwidth and buy servers, guessing at what's going to solve the problem. That saves some money in the long run."

But the biggest return is in improved customer satisfaction, especially in today's uncertain economy. "Any time you have a down market like this, you need to make sure you're addressing your customers' needs, giving them the information they need to make good financial decisions and allowing your advisors to present the best, most professional services to their customers," Dunn says. "People have a lot of choices in financial services and we want to make sure we're representing our offering in the absolute best way possible. And this helps."

Cummings is a freelance writer in North Andover, Mass. She can be reached at jocummings@comcast.net.