Secure access service edge (SASE) deployments are surpassing client expectations, especially in the areas of remote work connectivity, security performance, cost savings, visibility into the IT environment, and user experience. 

That data was gleaned from a new study commissioned by Masergy and Fortinet, and conducted by CIO. Those results also challenge SASE skeptics who say expectations for the developing architecture need a reality check. 

The study found that since COVID-19 hit, IT leaders are looking to ensure that employees have consistent, secure network access to any resource from any location, and they are counting on SASE to deliver on that goal. 

“An overwhelming majority of respondents (98%) believe convergence of network and security is critical or very important,” said Franz Chavez, VP of solutions engineering at Masergy, in the study overview. “We know that building intelligence across disciplines is essential in a world where work is no longer defined by location. Network and security teams require new ways of working together — across all domains and resources with shared visibility to drive actionable insights. That’s where SASE is gaining steam.”

Study Points to SASE Drivers

Forty-eight percent of survey respondents have either already adopted SASE or are in the process of transitioning, whereas the remainder have plans to adopt it or are investigating the architecture. 

In the era of COVID, remote workforce enablement has become the single largest conversation happening globally, Chavez told SDxCentral in an interview. The survey found that the top four challenges driving interest in SASE solutions are cloud security (52%); innovation (44%); security strategy, including implementing zero trust (41%); and network security (36%). 

Organizations introducing public transport services to their trusted WAN, Chavez added, is also driving the convergence of networking and security. “I need not just to protect the assets in my interior local area networks, I need to protect my WAN routing infrastructure as well,” he said. “So even if I had a big, beefy firewall sitting behind the routing equipment, even at the routing equipment layer, I need security.”

Demand for AI

When looking for a SASE solution, 91% of respondents said it is critical or very important that their solution include artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. This underscores rapid enterprise AI adoption over the past year, with a recent Juniper study showing that a majority of global IT leaders believe AI will help reduce risk and increase quality within their organizations, and business functions such as networking/cloud.

“By analyzing massive volumes of network data, using AI, we can enhance detection and analysis of issues across the LAN, WAN, data center, and cloud network edges to deliver consistent network performance,” Jonathan Nguyen-Duy, VP and global field CISO at Fortinet, said in the study's overview. “Leveraging AI for data-driven decision-making, you have enhanced accuracy, detection, and mitigation at speed and scale.”

Customers Seek Simple Solutions

Survey respondents also value SASE delivery simplicity and consolidation. Nearly all of those surveyed said they want a common operating system for their SASE solution, and 87% prefer solutions manufactured by three or fewer vendors. 

The industrywide shift to the SASE platform approach begs the question of whether smaller vendors will survive. Some maintain that while buying from one vendor may seem easier, buyers could ultimately be limited by one platform from one mega vendor. 

Chavez said that Masergy doesn’t find it necessary to build everything they offer and prefers to augment their services with additional capabilities and intelligence from partners like Fortinet. “If you look at it, it's a mosaic of functionality,” he said. “Finding an artisan, if you will, who can facilitate that convergence of features and functions into a comprehensive solution, that's the rub.”

A ‘Flexible’ Fortinet, Masergy SASE Solution

Chavez said finding the right SASE solution comes down to understanding the client and what they need. “There's always more than one way to solve a problem,” he added. 

According to Chavez, Masergy interprets SASE in a way that is “a little less rigid than perhaps some other providers.” In his view, SASE is a set of functional requirements, and how those requirements are delivered should be flexible. 

Fortinet and Masergy joint SASE solutions are based on Fortinet equipment and augmented by CPE functions native to Masergy. A linchpin to their business model, Chavez noted, is what he calls the discovery process – a detailed analysis of a client’s business drivers, goals, and needs before even considering the best choice out of a “myriad” architectural options.

“When we go into an engagement with a client, we're not just putting products in front of them,” Chavez said. “We need to prune down what we should be talking about to make this simpler for the client."

Implementation Challenges

Despite positive advances, SASE deployments remain a challenge. Those surveyed cited issues with implementing and integrating solutions; providing the necessary IT expertise, best practices, and training; and eliminating system fragmentation, consolidating tools, and avoiding silos. 

The ability for IT teams to implement and manage SASE solutions is a key challenge for enterprises. Nearly all respondents confirmed the need for help with SASE implementation, including six in 10 using a managed services provider for deployment and even more (75%) leaning on providers for ongoing SASE management.

“There’s a saying that security shouldn’t be a do-it-yourself exercise. As security has become more complex and you integrate networking into it, it is absolutely not a DIY exercise,” Nguyen-Duy said. “All the traditional challenges of complexity, expense, and skill sets are accelerated by Industry 4.0 and digital transformation. That’s driving enterprises of all sizes to service providers.”