Fortinet has augmented its APAC investment with the launch of its first point of presence (PoP) in New Zealand.

According to Fortinet, the secure access service edge (SASE) PoP was established in the AWS Auckland region in response to rising demand from across the New Zealand enterprise and small and medium business (SMB) market. Fortinet claimed this interest has seen the security vendor grow its New Zealand operations by more than 30% over the past two years.

In various statements, Fortinet executives touted the PoP launch as integral to both cybersecurity and data residency needs in the country.

“Cybersecurity remains a top concern for New Zealand businesses, yet many organizations – from hospitals and schools through to financial institutions and exporters – are held back by complexity, cost, and limited local options,” said Fortinet sales manager Matt Harrison.

“The Auckland PoP changes that. It gives customers enterprise-grade protection within New Zealand’s borders, meaning a healthcare provider can more confidently safeguard patient records, and an SME can innovate and grow without the added risks of data leaving New Zealand.”

“For many New Zealand organisations, governance and regulatory compliance are as important as performance. Boards need to know where data is processed and that credible safeguards are in place to protect their data. By keeping traffic within New Zealand, our SASE PoPs deliver that assurance… while also building greater confidence in their cyber defenses,” added Fortinet systems engineering manager Jonathan Woolley.

The Auckland PoP forms part of Fortinet’s 160+ global network, which includes sites in Australia’s Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, alongside various locales spread across Asia-Pacific (APAC), including East Asia, Indonesia, and Singapore.

This expanding PoP presence saw it cited by Gartner as a challenger in its 2024 Magic Quadrant report for security services edge (SSE). The research firm also noted Fortinet’s partnership with Google Cloud from 2023, designed to expand its SASE PoP footprint.

Fortinet was also recently deemed a strong performer in Forrester’s Wave ranking of SASE solution providers, recommended by the research firm as an option for budget-conscious enterprises in need of SASE with secure LAN benefits.

Increasing demand for SASE spurred the company’s most recent financials, with 22% growth in its Unified SASE offering, which combines SD-WAN with SSE features.