Colt Technology Services is adding a remote access feature to its SD-WAN service to allow employees to remotely access the data and applications that they need —based upon their work profile —without compromising network security or performance.
The remote access feature is based on Versa Networks’ secure access service edge (SASE), which provides end-to-end protection and can be easily managed.
Versa is a key partner of Colt and has been an integral part of the company’s SD-WAN offering. The remote access capability is an additional feature to the extra security that Colt already offers. Colt says it can be managed through a ‘single pane of glass.’
The remote access capability is key as many customers move to a ‘post-pandemic’ world and offer a hybrid work environment for their employees. “Enterprises are at a turning point in the way they work and building the network infrastructure to support hybrid working is one of the most prevalent and pressing concerns of enterprises globally today,” said Peter Coppens, Colt’s VP product portfolio.
Related: Colt launches SD-WAN 2.0 to meet enterprises' evolving needs
Colt already uses Versa’s WAN optimization suite that includes packet cloning and forward error correction capabilities to improve network speed and it added Versa’s SASE to its SD-WAN platform last December.
Versa’s SASE includes advanced firewalls and unified threat management or a customer can use another firewall such as Palo Alto Network and Check Point, if they choose too.
Colt’s managed SD-WAN service also offers a self-install feature, which the company said was particularly popular during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The market for SASE is expected to grow dramatically in the next few years. According to Dell’Oro group, SASE will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 116% and become a $5.1 billion market by 2024.