VeloCloud, an emerging SD-WAN specialist, is beefing up its recently launched SD-WAN Security Technology Partner Program with a set of new technology partners agreeing to add their solutions to the mix.
Palo Alto Networks, Symantec, VMware and Forcepoint are among the latest members to become part of the VeloCloud SD-WAN Security Technology Partner Program. These companies join inaugural members IBM Security, Check Point Software Technologies, Fortinet and Zscaler.
VeloCloud is now an integration partner of the Palo Alto Networks NextWave Technology Partner Program, assuring mutual enterprise customers of seamless integration between the SD-WAN and Palo Alto Networks’ security solutions, while enabling customers to be more agile and collaborative, for example.
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Zeus Kerravala, founder and principal analyst with ZK Research, told FierceTelecom that VeleCloud’s program will help allay a service provider or enterprise’s security concerns in leveraging SD-WAN.
“I think what VeloCloud is doing is a significant step forward for customers wanting to adopt SD-WAN,” Kerravala said. “The idea behind an SD-WAN is to create a more agile and flexible network where customers can do new things like direct connect to cloud providers or have Internet access directly from the branch. This creates new security concerns so security must be part of the design of an SD-WAN.”
The VeloCloud SD-WAN Security Technology Partner Program lets customers use their existing preferred vendor and creates choice when applying security in new places.
Additionally, enterprises and service providers have access to a multitenant cloud gateway architecture and the ability to support real-time applications over private, broadband and wireless links.
VeloCloud said its Cloud-Delivered SD-WAN program has benefits for enterprise and service provider customers.
Securing the enterprise
Enterprises can take part in this program to securely support application growth, network agility, and simplified branch and end-point implementations while delivering optimized access to cloud services, private data centers and enterprise applications.
Software-based WANs may have various benefits, but large enterprises that have sensitive data don’t want to make this shift if it compromises security.
“A legacy network is relatively straightforward to secure as there is a single entry point that is protected by large firewalls,” Kerravala said. “SD-WANs have many more points of entry creating the need for distributed security to be applied in the data center, at the branch, in the cloud or at the device level.”
Accelerating service delivery
Likewise, service providers will be able to increase revenue, deliver advanced services and increase flexibility by delivering elastic transport, performance for cloud applications and integrated advanced services, all via a zero-touch deployment and operations model.
Service providers like TPx Communications, which named VeloCloud as one of its initial SD-WAN partners, are already seeing benefits from the program.
Following a six-market trial, TPx Communications launched a nationwide SD-WAN option for new unified communications services orders. SD-WAN is being offered as a new capability of its growing suite of UC, managed IT and managed services.
“TPx Communications is taking a leadership role, again, as a VeloCloud Powered SD-WAN provider and by delivering cloud security services based on best of breed technologies from the VeloCloud SD-WAN Security Technology Partner Program,” said Jared Martin, VP of ITx managed services for TPx Communications, in a release.
Kerravala said that service providers will be able to more rapidly respond to SD-WAN security requests without having to invest in additional hardware.
“Service providers will see many benefits as they will be able to deploy virtual security services to any point in their network much faster than with having to deploy individual appliances,” Kerravala said. “In fact, forward looking service providers should be able to automate the entire process, enabling them to deliver secure SD-WAN services.”
Kerravala added that a service provider could reduce service turn-up and activation timelines.
“Instead of taking 90 days to turn up a branch, this can now happen in just a few days,” Kerravala said. “Service providers have a reputation for being slow and glacier-like when it comes to delivering services, but SD-WAN lets them become faster and more nimble.”