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Colt Technology Services gets SASE with enhanced enterprise network
Customers of enterprise network provider now have access to an integrated service that brings together the software-defined wide area network
In response to the growth of hybrid working and cloud deployments, along with increasing enterprise network complexity and a fast-evolving security threat landscape, Colt Technology Services has beefed up its product with secure access service edge (SASE) capability with the launch of its Colt SASE Gateway service.
Bringing together software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) and SSE features, the service is designed for global enterprise companies faced with addressing the challenges of the hybrid mode of work, where, argued Colt, enterprises can no longer rely on traditional offerings to keep their systems secure.
As a result, the firm is increasingly looking at using a SASE approach, which utilises the convergence of networking and security to offer dynamic, secure access for employees regardless of where they are and the type of device they’re using to access the network.
Underpinned by Colt’s long-standing partnership with SASE provider Versa Networks, and working in combination with Colt SD-WAN Remote Access, a feature launched in 2021 based on Versa Secure Access and Colt SD-WAN’s core integrated features, the Colt Gateway Solution is claimed to deliver “seamless” network security.
Versa SASE functionality combines security, networking, SD-WAN, multi-tenancy and analytics via the cloud, on-premise or as a blended combination of both to meet SASE requirements for small to extremely large enterprises. It also includes Versa’s Secure Web Gateway, a secure web access offering designed to offer organisations protection from malware and threats, and instant insight for policy management, along with reducing user friction to access cloud-based applications securely.
“Colt was one of the first to offer a true SD-WAN service in Europe many years ago, and now we extend our offering further with the launch of a full SD-WAN-integrated SASE service, powered by Versa,” said Peter Coppens, Colt’s vice-president of product portfolio. “It comes as a result of the changes in how people are working and accessing systems, combined with increasingly complex enterprise networks and rapidly changing security threats.
“We see our customers looking to move away from more traditional network security offerings to a SASE approach,” he said. “This brings together networking and security to offer secure access for employees no matter where they are and how they are accessing the company network.”
Read more about SASE
- Point of presence in South of France port city joins SASE provider’s global private network of more than 70 PoPs, extending converged security and networking to the region while expanding in-country resiliency across key territory.
- SD-WAN and SASE have both seen widespread adoption throughout the networking industry, but service providers must work to address challenges that threaten to lower adoption rates.
- Business services division of telco inks partnership with cyber security firm to gain differentiation for secure access service edge service based on cloud-native technologies and using a dedicated global IP backbone to deliver expanded on-demand services.
Versa’s chief revenue officer, Martin Mackay, said: “Global customers are taking advantage of the convergence of security and networking to power their digital transformations … [the new service] provides secure internet access to enterprise sites, home offices and on-the-go users without compromising performance or end-user experience.
“Colt became a Versa partner in 2016, and we are excited to continue working closely together to deliver some of the largest SD-WAN deployments to date in Europe, while meeting the rising worldwide demand for … SASE combined with low latency, high bandwidth connectivity.”
