GTT is expanding its managed Secure Connect portfolio. It has signed a deal to deploy Fortinet solutions inside its network infrastructure. Importantly, this will mean all network traffic stays on the GTT global IP backbone for performance and security.
Fletcher Keister, Chief Product & Technology Officer, GTT, said, “With many enterprises looking to consolidate their technology stack, GTT is poised to help solve the business networking and security challenges facing our customers in an ever-evolving threat landscape.
“As an experienced and trusted networking provider, GTT can deliver complex security solutions with global connectivity and in house expertise for our customers. We are excited to partner with Fortinet and its industry-leading secure networking solutions that enable the convergence of networking and security.”
What Fortinet solutions are included?
While there are several Fortinet solutions being used here, it will also involve GTT products. According to the announcement, it will include from Fortinet:
- Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
- Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS)
- Cloud Access Secure Broker (CASB)
- Secure Web Gateway (SWG).
To these, GTT is adding its Managed SD-WAN and full suite of professional services. These will add real-time visibility and control.
Deployment is key
One of the more interesting parts of this announcement is that all traffic will stay on GTT’s global IP backbone. There are good reasons for this including performance, network availability and security.
Not all customers are ready to or even want to push everything to the cloud. GTT is, therefore, giving them the option of cloud or on-premises deployment. The solution will be provided inside virtual machines that, one expects, will be configured by GTT to make sure all components are integrated. It should also make it easier for GTT to push updates in the form of updated VMs.
For customers, it will reduce the constant headache of making security solutions from multiple vendors work together. It also means that they are not changing how they run their IT stack to fit around this solution from GTT.
Enterprise Times: What does this mean?
This is just the latest collaboration between GTT and Fortinet. As such, it should be a smooth integration of products and faster delivery to customers.
What is not yet clear is the licensing. Will customers license it all from GTT? Will they be able to choose what components they want or is this a package only deal? What if the customer already has some of the Fortinet solutions. Will they be able to carry those licences over?
Setting those questions aside, this seems to be a good deal with GTT and Fortinet.
