Product Note: Fortinet FortiGate Secure SD-WAN
Fortinet FortiGate Secure SD-WAN
Fortinet, a cybersecurity and networking solutions provider, is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. The company was founded in 2000 by Ken Xie, who previously co-founded NetScreen Technologies. Fortinet has established a strong reputation in the enterprise security market, offering a comprehensive suite of network security products, including firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and unified threat management solutions.
Fortinet's FortiGate Secure SD-WAN offering is built on the company's renowned FortiGate next-generation firewall (NGFW) platform. This integration of SD-WAN and security capabilities within a single platform is a key differentiator for Fortinet, as it allows organizations to consolidate their wide-area networking and security infrastructure, simplifying management and reducing overall complexity.
Product Overview and Strengths
The FortiGate SD-WAN appliance features a hardware platform with a focus on security and performance, including high-speed network interfaces, specialized security processors, and ample memory. The appliance runs Fortinet's FortiOS operating system, which integrates SD-WAN capabilities such as dynamic path selection, application-aware routing, and WAN optimization with the comprehensive security features of the FortiGate NGFW.
One of the key strengths of the FortiGate Secure SD-WAN solution is its ability to provide a single, unified platform for networking and security. By consolidating these functionalities, organizations can benefit from simplified management, centralized policy enforcement, and improved threat detection and response across their wide-area network. This integration can be particularly valuable for enterprises that prioritize security and seek to streamline their IT infrastructure.
Weaknesses
However, the tight integration between SD-WAN and security functionalities may not be a perfect fit for organizations that prefer to manage these components separately or have specialized security teams that operate independently from the network administration function. Additionally, the FortiGate Secure SD-WAN solution may be less appealing to customers that have already invested in a multi-vendor networking environment and are seeking a more vendor-agnostic SD-WAN approach.
Bottom Line
Fortinet's FortiGate Secure SD-WAN is well-suited for organizations that prioritize security and seek a tightly integrated networking and security solution. The platform's ability to provide comprehensive threat protection, combined with its SD-WAN capabilities, makes it a compelling choice for enterprises that require a high level of security assurance while optimizing their wide-area network performance. However, the consolidated approach to networking and security may not align with the preferences of all customers, particularly those with a preference for separating these functions or maintaining a more vendor-neutral infrastructure.