Throughput is always a consideration for any type of networking technology. With security technologies in particular, networking throughput has long been somewhat constrained as the overhead of inspection and encryption slows things down. Today, networking access vendor Cloudbrink is claiming it has achieved a new milestone of 300 Gbps data center throughput for its SASE technology.
Founded in 2019 with $25 million in funding raised to date, Cloudbrink has engineered a software-defined platform that integrates traditional VPN functionality, zero trust network access (ZTNA) and secure web gateway services in a cohesive SASE architecture optimized for distributed workforce environments.
CEO Prakash Mana’s journey to founding Cloudbrink emerged from years of experience at companies like Pulse Secure and Citrix.
“Initially, we had this thesis that mobility would define the next frontier for enterprise,” Mana told Network World.
However, Mana quickly realized that focusing on devices missed a critical point: the changing needs of modern workers. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this transformation, pushing enterprises to rethink traditional network architectures almost overnight as everybody became hybrid. This shift prompted Cloudbrink to develop a platform that could deliver an in-office, secure, ultra-fast, productive experience regardless of where employees work.
How Cloudbrink SASE accelerates traffic
Cloudbrink’s technical foundation emerged from studying how enterprises build in-office experiences and then extending those capabilities to remote workers. The company identified three core components that define enterprise networks: high-performance connectivity, role-based access control and comprehensive security.
Those core components are functionally table stakes and don’t really serve to differentiate Cloudbrink against its myriad competitors in the SASE market. Where Cloudbrink looks to differentiate is at a technical level through a series of innovations including:
The solution consists of three core components: client software for user devices, a cloud management plane, and optional data center connectors for accessing internal applications. The client intelligently connects to multiple edge nodes simultaneously, providing redundancy and application-specific routing optimization.
Cloudbrink expands global reach
Beyond its efforts to increase throughput, Cloudbrink is also growing its global footprint. Cloudbrink today announced a global expansion through new channel agreements and the opening of a Brazil office to serve emerging markets in Latin America, Korea and Africa. The expansion includes exclusive partnerships with WITHX in Korea, BAMM Technologies for Latin America distribution and OneTic for African markets.
The company’s software-defined FAST (Flexible, Autonomous, Smart and Temporary) Edges technology enables rapid deployment of points of presence by leveraging existing infrastructure from multiple telcos and cloud providers.
Looking forward: Secure, flexible connectivity (not AI)
As enterprises continue to embrace hybrid work models, Cloudbrink is positioning itself as a next-generation solution. The company plans to continue expanding its secure access capabilities, with a particular focus on improving public internet connection security. Notably, the company takes a measured approach to AI, using it strategically for connection optimization rather than treating it as a marketing buzzword.
“We’re a bunch of practical people and operators… of course, we use all the new algorithms that are at our disposal, but there’s just too much around generative AI, it’s a means to an end,” Mana said. “No point in just throwing that buzzword around for the heck of it. So that’s what we try and resist ourselves from just taking that easy route and just giving generative AI as an answer to everything.”
Cloudbrink at a glance
- Founded: 2019
- Funding: $25 million
- Investors: Highland Capital Partners, The Fabric
- Headquarters: Sunnyvale, Calif.
- CEO: Prakash Mana
- What they do: Secure remote and hybrid access technology
Source:: Network World