Why network modernization requires secure access service edge (SASE)

Network modernization and performance have emerged as critical elements in driving excellence for employee and customer experience – not only responding to the radical changes in how we now work, collaborate and make decisions, but also to build confidence in the agility and resilience of every organization.

Strategic cloud adoption has accelerated digital transformation but can also increase pressure on network infrastructure, stretching internal capabilities and resources to provide 'any access, from any device, anywhere, at any time’. (2021 Global Managed Services Report).

New ways of working also require new levels of agility in applying and enforcing security policies for users wherever they’re located. Digital transformation demands adaptive access and authentication, with a fundamental shift in controls closer to where they’re now needed, typically closer to the end user and the cloud edge.

These network and security imperatives drive a convergence of software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) and high performing security into a strategic, edge-to-cloud service that doesn’t increase hardware costs or add complexity – this architecture is called Secure Access Service Edge (SASE).

Our experience shows that SASE adoption doesn't happen overnight or at the flick of a switch. But if deployed effectively, SASE will not only satisfy ‘Generation WFH’ with office-like resilience and security, but also radically simplify WAN deployment, enable a single point for centralized network management, and provide the right bandwidth provision for every user, device and application.

In this SASE brochure, we share our integrated experience of network transformation and cybersecurity advisory to help you define your SASE vision. With practical examples, we explore how to identify the mix of SASE services required to navigate your optimal path from the edge to the cloud.

Download our SASE white paper and find out more on the key considerations for navigating SASE:

• Defining your security posture – what is your vision for SASE?
• Removing silos – SASE as a secure-by-design intersection for network and cybersecurity
• More than technology convergence – where SASE delivers and protects business value
• Planning the path to effective SASE adoption

SASE will require more close collaboration between network, application and security specialists than before

SASE is a sophisticated concept that requires new levels of collaboration between internal and external stakeholders and a bold commitment to breaking down long-established silos of capability and technology ownership. Organizations that are actively mapping and navigating their SASE journey will encounter fewer bumps in the road with the right partners to inform their decision-making and prioritize programs.