Thanks to Nirav Shah at Fortinet for his article about Fortinet Secure SD-WAN. This has been edited for length.
We’ve talked a lot about Fortinet Secure SD-WAN. Most of that talk has centered around the important technological advantages of secure SD-WAN. It is a real stand-out feature, and Fortinet pioneered it. SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) firewalls are purpose-built to handle networking and lock-down security duties at the same time. And to do it quickly. But an added bonus is that these SD-WAN appliances pay for themselves surprisingly quickly. But first, a short primer.
What’s a Secure SD-WAN firewall?
All of Fortinet’s F series firewalls boast Fortinet Secure SD-WAN. Firewalls such as the FG-40F, FG-60F, and FG-100F can do what they do at the speeds they do it at because of the extraordinary new SD-WAN ASIC processor. It is called the SoC4, and this innovative, first-of-its-kind processor is specifically designed for SD-WAN networking. As a result, when you drop it under the hood of a purpose-built firewall like the FortiGate series, you end up with a beast of a firewall that’s really a dual appliance.
It’s a big deal because SD-WAN allows offices to connect over the internet. And, when you have SD-WAN built into your firewall, you can do so quite securely. Additionally, a SD-WAN firewall eliminates the need for a dedicated network connection. Fortinet is no longer the only firewall vendor with this ability, but they were the first, and are arguably still the best at it.
And, all Fortinet Secure SD-WAN firewalls are managed in the same Management Center, by the same Fortinet Security Fabric. From it you can manage your entire network, with all devices, in one window. Terms like “zero-touch deployment,” and “do-it-yourself,” mean it’s super-easy to get up and running and stay that way. The FortiGate series is designed to get up and purring like a kitten with minimal investment of time and expertise. This is part of why FortiGate SD-WAN delivers such…
Amazing Return-on-Investment!
Secure SD-WAN is one of the biggest networking success stories of the past decade. The rapid transition to remote work in 2020 accelerated SD-WAN adoption. And it’s been done out of necessity. Nobody these days is in a hurry to go out and throw away money on technology upgrades. But our new, remote world has meant greatly stretched lines of digital communication. And that means new opportunities for the bad guys. So beefing up our security posture became a necessary evil.
What a relief, then, that a timely technology like Secure SD-WAN actually pays for itself so well.
How well?
Fortinet customers average 70% ROI in three years. Most realize full return on investment in just five years. In fact, customers around the world are realizing significant ROI. This includes Rollins Inc., Waste Management, Inc., which reduced their overall WAN costs by 65%, and The Paper Store. They realized a total cost savings of $1 million.
There are a number of reasons why Fortinet Secure SD-WAN is so cost-effective. It starts with the sort of advantages any SD-WAN solution provides. For example, the savings that come from transitioning MPLS connections to more flexible, affordable broadband.
But Fortinet goes well beyond that. Fortinet Secure SD-WAN consolidates SD-WAN, Routing, a Wireless Controller, and built-in LTE connectivity. And it does it all on the most tested and recognized next-generation firewall series on the market. That firewall series, FortiGate, is built on a common operating system and centralized management-and-orchestration system. No one else can do that.
As a result, organizations that choose Fortinet Secure SD-WAN enjoy CAPEX savings related to WAN Edge consolidation. In addition, they enjoy OPEX savings related to automation capabilities that reduce man hours and improve productivity. To say nothing of the fact that Fortinet Secure SD-WAN has the lowest TCO per Mbps of performance of any vendor; $3.50! This is a figure that is independently verified by NSS Labs, by the way!
We’d love to tell you more about Fortinet Secure SD-WAN and the FortiGate series. So, why not give us a call at 877-449-0458, or reach out at [email protected]? Thanks for reading!
What’s so great about Secure SD-WAN?
| Performance as much as 15X greater than competitive solutions for the same cost | |
| Purpose-built from the ground up to weave all functions into a single, integrated system | |
| Broad product portfolio with built-in variants like LTE, WiFi, and POE, plus many advanced security solutions | |
| A single management and orchestration console ensures a single, seamless system |