Masergy just tapped its partnerships with Fortinet and Bitglass to deliver a more secure SD-WAN solution.

The Texas-based software-defined networking provider announced the integration of multiple security capabilities into its SD-WAN service. Masergy is taking a “best-of-breed” approach to security, improving specific aspects through partnerships and “bolstering interoperability.”

For example, Masergy has built the Bitglass cloud access security broker (CASB) solution into its platform. Masergy two years ago launched a standalone CASB offering with the help of Bitglass, but it has now embedded those features into the SD-WAN fabric.

And Masergy has expanded Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewalls into every Masergy point-of-presence. A Masergy executive told Light Reading that businesses with small offices will benefit from the full availability of these cloud firewalls.

Moreover, Masergy has improved the application-level security of its solution by standardizing its platform around the Fortinet secure web gateway.

SASE Trends

These announcements fit with the growing secure access service edge (SASE) trend, in which security and networking are converging.

“The need for corporations to deliver a secure and agile IT environment continues to grow each year, and yet those benefits can only be realized if the network and security work in concert,” the company wrote in a news release. “SASE brings IT functions together into one cloud-based service from a single provider, giving businesses the cost and agility advantages of rapid deployment, minimized hardware management, simplified software upgrades and on-demand control.”

Masergy chief technology officer Terry Traina pointed to the high demand for SASE. He cited an IDG study, in which 91% of respondents registered their interest in adopting the technology.

Masergy’s Terry Traina

“… Masergy began innovating on SASE concepts long before it became the buzz term it is today,” Traina said. “Security has always been intrinsic to our network service, and that is now helping us deliver on and exceed SASE’s core capabilities.”

Masergy also said it is expanding its zero-trust network access capabilities. That means making a granularly controlled single sign-on, authentication and authorization available. The company is making its AIOps virtual network engineer solution interoperable with the various SASE capabilities.

Best-of-Breed Concerns

ZK Research principal analyst Zeus Kerrevala praised Masergy for minimizing “daisy chains” despite its converged, best-of-breed approach.

ZK Research’s Zeus Kerravala

“At this early stage in the market, each company is doing SASE differently, and the converged tech stack is a marque moment,” Kerravala said. “Right now, IT leaders are trying to make a judgment call on whether they can trust one SASE provider with their own homegrown technologies to span five disparate industries, giving them a world-class experience across all arenas.”

We wrote last month about Masergy’s new portfolio of work-from-home SD-WAN solutions. The vendor teamed up with Fortinet to unveil a “lightweight” SD-WAN appliance and a mobile solution.

Forrester recently recognized Masergy among the top global SD-WAN providers.