Although it didn't grab the gold, Wide Area Application Services from Cisco did snag the silver for our readers' favorite WAN optimization and acceleration tool. Cisco didn't get top marks, but it received high praise for its network integration and interoperability, its ability to improve total WAN throughput, and its application-specific support.

"When [it] comes to wide area, Cisco can handle the job better than anyone else," one user said. Other users showered Cisco's WAN acceleration solution with praise such as: "excellent product"; "good reliability"; stability"; and "economical and provides optimum benefits."