Headline: Major SI Commits To A Properly Good, Modern Technology... As Tested!

In recent blogs – and in many recent conversations with folks from various echelons and shades of IT – I’ve talked about the need for some bravery among the SI and MSP communities to run with some of the fab new technologies coming out, rather than rely on the old incumbents.

I’ve also talked a lot about SASE, how it is still expanding – both as a category and in terms of uptake – and how it is effectively a major piece in the ever-shrinking jigsaw that simplifies IT. And not before time. So, it was a pleasure recently to dip into a briefing announcing that NEC Networks & System Integration Corporation (NESIC) – NEC’s SI “arm” – has agreed to use Cloudbrink’s personal SASE offering as the foundation of its Virtual Trusted Overlay Network. For those who missed it earlier this year, here is the link to Broadband-Testing’s report on the Cloudbrink tech:

https://cloudbrink.com/broadband-performance-tests/ – where we exceeded the vendor’s own marketing claims of 30x performance improvement, by achieving up to 59x. For a Yorkshireman, that’s reet good. Imagine being able to buy 59 pints of beer (but please, not “modern” Tetley’s) for the price of one?

By Virtual Trusted Overlay Network, the idea is an extension of the classic overlay network (i.e. adding further bandwidth via a second separate, but connected, network) in that it provides a fully secured co-network environment, in this case via Cloudbrink’s global mesh network, which reaches  parts other beers can’t reach (if anyone remembers that ad) and – as proven in the testing – with the all-important, ultra-low latency required for modern application and service delivery. NESIC is also integrating other services including end-point security and identity management, enabling accelerated connectivity and security to be brought together in a fully managed service. Nice! (“Jazz Club”Anyone?).

So, we are talking, fully optimised, secure and global service delivery over boggo standard – AKA “consumer grade” – broadband and wireless connections and no additional hardware requirements. Remind me, what did happen to MPLS? Adding the Cloudbrink network means that the routing and advanced security functions are provided by a global network of virtual PoPs called FAST edges, which use AI to locate the closest access point – typically less than 10ms away (note, the subtle “AI” addition).

According to the official blurb “NESIC chose Cloudbrink’s technology for its performance, integrated security and ease of deployment and management, and for its willingness to collaborate on the development of the NESIC service”.

I simply say, well done for going with tomorrow’s tech, not yesterdays. Let that be a lesson for all you reluctant SIs and MSPs out there – yes, you know who you are!