Netskope claims hybrid work ‘revolution’ with SASE client and endpoint SD-WAN

Arguing that as organisations apply modern application management needs to meet the demands of hybrid work, they often battle poor user experience, inconsistent policy, insufficient security and the limitations of legacy network solutions, Netskope has launched software to provide secure, optimised access to endpoint devices from anywhere.

The Netskope Endpoint SD-WAN will be based on what the company says is the industry’s first software-based unified secure access service edge (SASE) client, converging software-defined wide arena network (SD-WAN) and security service edge (SSE) capabilities so organisations can reduce cost and complexity, simplify connectivity, eliminate the sprawl of multiple clients and point products, and preserve network performance at any scale.

In addition, the software is designed to offer remote workers the same level of application experience and security from their laptops or other devices as they would have in the corporate office, without requiring any hardware.

The Netskope Endpoint SD-WAN will aim to simplify management with automated troubleshooting and insights from artificial intelligence (AI)-driven operations. These will include a view of user experience with per-user AppX score, traffic flows, policy violations and anomaly detection.

It also offers high-performance connectivity for critical voice, video and data applications, supporting fast and reliable connections with application-aware prioritisation and dynamic path selection, and automatically remediates poor performance on the last mile.

Optimised user experience functionality is attributed with being able to eliminate single-tunnel shortcomings of existing remote access virtual private network (VPN) by connecting with multiple public and private datacentres simultaneously, enabling users to receive the most optimised experience with policy-based direct-to-app access.

In terms of security, the unified SASE client delivers SD-WAN, SWG, CASB, ZTNA, DLP, Cloud Firewall and other security services, while the borderless SD-WAN extends context-aware zero-trust policy, SD-WAN and Intelligent SSE across the solution portfolio, offering remote users simple, secure, high-performance access to hybrid and multicloud environments.

Endpoint SD-WAN is the latest addition to Netskope’s SASE platform. Borderless SD-WAN shares the same context-aware Zero Trust Engine that already powers Netskope Intelligent SSE, including the industry’s largest application database. The platform also uses Netskope’s Cloud Confidence Index (CCI) to assign smart defaults automatically to all applications, to optimise SD-WAN operations.

“Enterprises across the globe are increasingly prioritising unified edge networking and security strategies that enable secure, high-quality connectivity for any user or device, from anywhere to any application,” said Brandon Butler, IDC research manager for enterprise networks, commenting on the launch.

“The Netskope Endpoint SD-WAN brings benefits of SD-WAN and edge security tools together in an end-user and IT-friendly client format. These tools can be powerful for enterprises and service providers alike to accelerate edge networking and security transformation.”

Mike Hogenauer, director of network at full-service managed services provider FIS Global, expressed excitement over the announcement. “We look for new technologies that can help our customers be faster, smarter and more productive. Harnessing the power of context-aware SD-WAN, Netskope Endpoint SD-WAN is delivered right to user endpoints, replacing legacy VPN with all of the benefits of SD-WAN and without requiring any hardware appliance,” he said. “Endpoint SD-WAN helps us provide our customers with consistent visibility, security and network optimisation, anywhere their users and devices are.”

Parag Thakore, senior vice-president of Borderless SD-WAN at Netskope, said it innovates with customers’ needs in mind, identifying the best ways to reduce risk and accelerate performance.

“Organisations using outdated SD-WAN and security technology have realised they can’t patch their way to a better network, can’t prioritise or secure what they can’t easily discover, and shouldn’t rely on cumbersome SD-WAN architecture that wasn’t built for a highly distributed, cloud-centric workforce,” said Thakore. “That’s why Netskope Borderless SD-WAN and our unified SASE client offer unprecedented context-aware networking and security, revolutionising the way organisations operate.”