Versa Networks is offering a platform that brings together its SASE, SSE, SD-WAN and SD-LAN components under one umbrella. Called VersaONE, the converged platform is aimed at reducing risk and lowering infrastructure complexity and costs.
The goal is simplification – with VersaONE, customers can control network and security functions through one console, creating a single set of policies to manage configuration and enforce security across their network, said Kelly Ahuja, president and CEO of Versa Networks. Customers can opt to license individual modules separately or together, securely connecting users, devices, branches and workloads across the network from a single interface, Ahuja said.
VersaONE includes typical secure access service edge (SASE) elements such as SD-WAN, secure web gateway, cloud access security broker (CASB), zero trust network access (ZTNA), and firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS). The modules leverage common platform capabilities, including shared AI engines and a zero-trust foundation, according to Versa. All of Versa’s products run on the Versa Operating System (VOS).
The company recently added VersaAI capabilities across its portfolio, using Versa’s security and network telemetry, funneled into a data lake, to deliver network visibility and advanced analytics about enterprise networks, Ahuja said.
Network teams eye platformization
Versa is looking for an edge in the single-vendor SASE arena where it competes with a slew of vendors including Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto, Cato and others.
It is also joining the platformization trend that’s being pushed by a number of vendors – and gaining the interest of enterprise IT buyers, according to some sources.
Extreme Networks recently surveyed 200 CIOs and senior IT leaders for its research on platformization, for example. Among CIOs surveyed, 88% said platformization could help them integrate multiple embedded components, including networking, security and eventually AI, within a single, manageable package.
Respondents stressed the importance of a platform that could help them transition their network to the cloud to streamline IT efficiency and lower total cost of ownership. In addition, 55% of respondents emphasized the need to integrate from a broad ecosystem of networking and security offerings, indicating a clear demand for unified platforms, Extreme concluded.
A platform approach can streamline management and security in complex environments, according to Leandro Agion, industry director with Frost & Sullivan’s Information & Communications Technology-Network Services.
“Organizations are implementing SD-WAN solutions to manage the network, and SSE solutions for security purposes. Additionally, organizations must manage and secure not only the WAN but also the LAN, the data center, and the cloud edge. Therefore, the platform offering is highly attractive, as it allows consumers to centrally manage various solutions for the WAN, LAN, DC, and cloud edge,” Agion said.
“The second option involves maintaining separate management centers and vendors, a process that becomes increasingly complex on a daily basis,” Agion said.
VersaONE products are available today and can be licensed individually or bundled. Customers can deploy VersaONE in a shared, private, or sovereign infrastructure with a fully managed, co-managed or self-managed model.
Read more about SASE
- Why is the transition from SD-WAN to SASE so painful?
- Buyer’s guide: Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Secure Service Edge (SSE)
- Fortinet expands security lineup with sovereign SASE
- SASE, multicloud spur greater collaboration between network and security teams
- Netskope’s SASE upgrade targets user experience, network forensics
- Aryaka brings CASB into unified SASE fold
Source:: Network World