Verizon Business looks for edge with advanced SASE

Reacting to the demands of a business world where companies are more than ever looking for scalable, flexible solutions that are able to adapt to business requirements, while optimising performance and security, Verizon Business has unveiled its Advanced SASE (secure access service edge) solution.

At its core, Advanced SASE is described as an adaptive, end-to-end offering delivered as a single-provider managed solution that takes advantage of the existing Verizon Business suite of managed services that are designed to remove the management of individual components away from the companies’ IT teams.

Fundamentally, the SASE solution merges software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN) capabilities with hybrid network connectivity and security services to create a unified, cloud-delivered service able to meet the increasingly complex digital demands of enterprises. In addition, users will also be able to tap into cumulative insights that optimise the solution’s full potential.

In outlining the capabilities of Advanced SASE, Verizon Business emphasised the challenge of security, noting that for many organisations, the growing number of online threats – as highlighted in its 2021 data breach investigations report – as well as the changes in application data traffic between cloud and edge, plus the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic have led to an unprecedented mix of performance and security challenges.

It added that while digital transformation remained a top priority for many companies, the reality for most enterprise technology teams is that managing and securing an increasingly complex IT environment poses significant challenges.

“Advanced SASE makes it easier for companies to focus on their business growth and operations, while we manage their networks and security,” said Verizon Business CEO Tami Erwin. “By merging SD-WAN capabilities with network security services, we’ve created a solution that fully leverages our expertise and helps customers securely and efficiently connect people, data and endpoints, from any location to any app or service.”

As part of its strategy in extending the capabilities of the product, Verizon Business said it would continue to expand its Advanced SASE offering partners, bringing together proven products from recognised network and security industry leaders whose technology and services integrate “seamlessly” with its own.

Verizon’s SD-WAN capabilities were boosted earlier in 2021 when the company announced a partnership with Cisco adding three new SD-WAN managed services offerings. The expansion was designed to provide enterprises with an extensive global footprint, access to new systems and capabilities, as well as a management and policy administration model to support companies’ desired business outcomes.

It also includes a co-managed Cisco SD-WAN powered by Viptela, which is designed to provide customers with the option to control and self-manage SD-WAN security and application policies, while relying on Verizon managed service support for fault, performance and configuration management.