Vendor Appendix: WAN Edge Infrastructure and SASE Solutions
Appendix
Cisco
Key Products: Cisco SecureX, Viptela SD-WAN Score: 9/10 (Ability to Execute: 9, Completeness of Vision: 9)
Strengths:
Comprehensive feature set
Strong integration with existing Cisco infrastructure
Extensive global support and partner network
Challenges:
Complex implementation in heterogeneous environments
Higher cost compared to some competitors
Notable: Cisco's acquisition of Viptela (2017) and Duo Security (2018) significantly enhanced its SASE capabilities.
Palo Alto Networks
Key Products: Prisma SASE, Prisma Access, CloudGenix SD-WAN Score: 7.5/10 (Ability to Execute: 7, Completeness of Vision: 8)
Strengths:
Advanced security features including threat prevention and DLP
Strong cloud security capabilities
Rapid innovation in ZTNA with ZTNA 2.0
Challenges:
Integration of acquired technologies still ongoing
Less established in traditional networking compared to security
Notable: Acquisition of CloudGenix (2020) for $420 million bolstered SD-WAN capabilities.
Fortinet
Key Products: FortiSASE, FortiGate Secure SD-WAN, FortiClient Score: 7.5/10 (Ability to Execute: 8, Completeness of Vision: 7)
Strengths:
Tightly integrated security stack
High-performance security processing with custom ASICs
Strong in both SMB and enterprise markets
Challenges:
Less focus on cloud-native architecture compared to some competitors
Networking capabilities less established than security offerings
Notable: FortiGate 4800F series with NP7 ASIC delivers up to 2.4 Tbps firewall throughput.
VMware
Key Products: VMware SASE Platform, VeloCloud SD-WAN Score: 8/10 (Ability to Execute: 8, Completeness of Vision: 8)
Strengths:
Strong SD-WAN foundation with VeloCloud
Excellent integration with VMware's broader portfolio
Advanced AI-driven network intelligence
Challenges:
Security capabilities less established than pure-play security vendors
Complex licensing model
Notable: $2.1 billion acquisition of Carbon Black (2019) enhanced security capabilities.
Versa Networks
Key Products: Versa SASE, Versa Secure SD-WAN Score: 7/10 (Ability to Execute: 6, Completeness of Vision: 8)
Strengths:
Unified SASE platform with tightly integrated networking and security
Strong focus on analytics and automation
Flexible deployment options
Challenges:
Smaller market presence compared to industry giants
Limited internal hardware options
Notable: Recent addition of 5G support and integration with Microsoft Azure Virtual WAN.
Cato Networks
Key Products: Cato SASE Cloud Score: 6.5/10 (Ability to Execute: 5, Completeness of Vision: 8)
Strengths:
Fully cloud-native SASE architecture
Global private backbone with 75+ PoPs
Rapid innovation in areas like clientless ZTNA
Challenges:
Smaller scale and resources compared to established vendors
Less customization options due to cloud-native approach
Notable: Secured $200 million funding in 2021 at a $2.5 billion valuation.