Best WAN Edge Infrastructure Software for Mid Size Business

Cato empowers its clients to progressively modernize their wide-area networks (WAN) for a more digital-centric business environment. The Cato SASE Cloud serves as a global, integrated, cloud-native solution that ensures secure and efficient connections across all branches, data centers, personnel, and cloud services. This innovative system can be implemented gradually to either replace or enhance existing legacy network infrastructures and disparate security solutions. The concept of Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), which was introduced by Gartner, represents a novel category in enterprise networking. It merges SD-WAN with various network security solutions such as Firewall as a Service (FWaaS), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) into a cohesive, cloud-based service offering. Historically, network access was handled through isolated point solutions, leading to a fragmented approach that increased complexity and expenses, ultimately hindering IT responsiveness. By adopting SASE, businesses can significantly accelerate the development of new offerings, expedite their market entry, and swiftly adapt to evolving market dynamics and competitive pressures. This transformative approach not only enhances operational efficiency but also positions enterprises to thrive in an ever-changing digital landscape.

The future of integrated security and networking lies in SASE. With offerings like ZTNA, SWG, and cloud-based NGFW, the Fortinet platform equips organizations to fully adopt SASE. FortiSASE, a cloud service from Fortinet, is built on years of FortiOS advancements, while FortiGuard Labs supplies AI-driven Threat Intelligence to ensure top-tier security and reliable protection for today's hybrid workforce across various environments. As network boundaries extend beyond traditional WAN edges to encompass thin branch networks and cloud solutions, the conventional hub-and-spoke model reliant on the corporate data center becomes increasingly inadequate. This shift necessitates a fresh approach to networking and security that integrates both network functions and security measures with WAN capabilities. Such a strategy is essential for facilitating secure, dynamic internet access for a workforce that operates from diverse locations, ultimately defining the essence of Secure Access Service Edge, or SASE. Adopting this framework not only enhances security but also streamlines connectivity across all business operations.

The Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN Edge Platform facilitates a seamless transformation of WAN without compromises. Transition to a contemporary, business-oriented SD-WAN edge that maximizes the benefits of your current and future cloud and digital transformation efforts. The network's behavior is always aligned with business priorities, ensuring that business intent effectively channels both applications and network resources. Users consistently experience reliable and readily available application performance, while IT teams regain their evenings and weekends thanks to enhanced availability and resilience. By leveraging advancements in automation and machine learning, it enables a self-evolving wide area network that improves continuously. This platform is meticulously crafted to integrate SD-WAN, firewall, segmentation, routing, WAN optimization, and application visibility and control into a cohesive solution. Move past basic zero-touch provisioning towards a fully automated model driven by business intent, and exceed the limitations of encrypted VPN overlays by implementing centralized, end-to-end zone-based segmentation for enhanced security and performance. Ultimately, this innovative approach transforms how organizations manage their networks in alignment with their strategic goals.

Your private overlay network seamlessly connects all devices, edges, and clouds while ensuring security through zero trust network access and the SASE framework. This network operates as an overlay on the NetFoundry Fabric, renowned for its industry-leading capabilities and backed by the founders' 20+ patents in Internet optimization, adding an essential layer of security beyond zero trust while enhancing Internet performance. You can establish your network in just a few minutes, requiring only the deployment of software endpoints. Your private network integrates with the NetFoundry Fabric, recognized as the most secure and efficient framework available. With zero trust security applicable from any endpoint—including IoT and mobile devices—you can implement SASE security measures at branches, private data centers, and cloud edges. Manage your cloud-native networking effortlessly through a web console or with your preferred DevOps tools, enjoying a unified control interface that provides visibility across all endpoints, irrespective of the underlying networks or clouds. This level of control ensures that your entire network remains both secure and optimized for performance.

Versa SASE offers a holistic suite of services through its VOS™ platform, which encompasses security, networking, SD-WAN, and analytics. Designed to function seamlessly in even the most intricate environments, Versa SASE ensures flexibility and adaptability for straightforward, scalable, and secure implementations. By combining security, networking, SD-WAN, and analytics into a unified software operating system, it can be deployed via the cloud, on-premises, or through a hybrid model. This solution not only provides secure, scalable, and dependable networking and security across the enterprise but also enhances the performance of multi-cloud applications while significantly reducing costs. Built as a fully integrated solution featuring top-tier security, advanced networking, leading SD-WAN capabilities, true multi-tenancy, and sophisticated analytics, Versa SASE operates on an Enterprise-class carrier-grade platform (VOS™) that excels in handling high scales. With its extensive capabilities, it stands out as a comprehensive technology in the realm of Secure Access Service Edge. This makes Versa SASE an invaluable asset for organizations looking to optimize their network and security strategy.

Fortinet FortiGate offers a robust, flexible, and scalable Secure SD-WAN designed for global enterprises that prioritize cloud-first strategies and security. By integrating SD-WAN with next-generation firewall capabilities and advanced routing, our security-focused networking solution ensures an exceptional quality of experience across various scales. This integration accelerates the convergence of network and security functions while simplifying WAN architecture. Consistent network and security policies can be orchestrated seamlessly, leading to significant operational efficiencies through automation, in-depth analytics, and self-healing capabilities. The Fortinet Secure SD-WAN solution empowers organizations to transform and secure all their WAN edges effectively. Utilizing a unified operating system and a centralized management interface, businesses can enhance user experience, bolster their security measures, and maintain operational continuity while improving overall efficiency in their network management. In this way, Fortinet ensures that enterprises can navigate the complexities of modern networking with confidence and ease.

FatPipe IPVPN enhances load balancing and ensures dependability across various managed and customer premises equipment (CPE) VPNs, as well as dedicated private networks. Additionally, it offers a straightforward and economical transition from traditional private line, frame relay, or point-to-point networks. With FatPipe IPVPN, you can seamlessly aggregate numerous private, MPLS, and public networks without the need for extra hardware at the provider's location. This solution allows for the integration of a CPE-based VPN or a managed VPN service as a contingency for your frame relay or private line. Furthermore, it is compatible with multiple managed VPN service providers, allowing you to back up one managed service with another, which is crucial for effective business continuity and disaster recovery strategies. Notably, FatPipe IPVPN stands out as the singular solution capable of interfacing with various managed VPN services from different vendors, CPE-based VPNs, and private lines, thereby delivering unmatched levels of reliability, redundancy, speed, and security for data transfers between offices. Overall, its versatility makes it an essential tool for businesses looking to optimize their network infrastructure.

Edgility is a comprehensive software suite for agile edge computing that equips enterprise IT teams and Managed Services Providers (MSPs) with a robust set of tools designed to automate the deployment, management, and lifecycle of numerous edge devices and IT services spread across various branches, home offices, and mobile work environments, all of which comprise the enterprise WAN. The platform facilitates the management of tens of thousands of edge devices, applications, and service policies. With a user-friendly point-and-click graphical service designer, it allows for the rapid creation of automated workloads. Users can deploy services on both private and public cloud infrastructures, managing everything seamlessly through a unified interface. This ready-to-use solution features integrated management, orchestration, and onboarding capabilities, while also offering remote monitoring to detect potential device issues. It supports both ARM and Intel processors, accommodating any whitebox configuration from XXS to XXL. The architecture is vendor-neutral, enabling software to operate on any hardware, thereby ensuring flexibility and scalability for diverse enterprise needs. Furthermore, Edgility fosters enhanced operational efficiency, helping organizations adapt swiftly to evolving technology landscapes.

Cradlepoint is a global leader for cloud-delivered 4G/5G wireless network edge solutions. Cradlepoint's NetCloud™, platform and cellular routers provide a pervasive, secure and software-defined Wireless WAN edge that connects people, places, things, and everything - anywhere. Cradlepoint is trusted by more than 25,000 government agencies and businesses around the globe, including many Global 2000 agencies and top public sector agencies. Cradlepoint helps keep mission-critical sites, points, commerce, field forces and vehicles connected. Cradlepoint was established in 2006 and acquired by Ericsson at the end of 2020. It is now a separate subsidiary within Ericsson’s Business Area Technologies and New Businesses. Cradlepoint has its headquarters in Boise (Idaho), and has development centers in Silicon Valley, India, and international offices in the UK, and Australia.

As organizations shift their workloads to the cloud to take advantage of virtualization advantages, they must also address the emerging security needs that accompany this transition. The vSRX Virtual Firewall steps in to deliver robust and scalable security solutions tailored for private, public, and hybrid cloud environments. This innovative firewall ensures that businesses can confidently embrace cloud technologies while maintaining strong protection against potential threats.

The SD-Edge provides essential network infrastructure capabilities and sophisticated services through software that operates on standard commercial servers (COTS). This innovative cloud-native solution can be tailored to function as a Broadband Network Gateway (BNG), Provider Edge Router (PE Router), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) gateway, Wireless Access Gateway (WAG), trusted WAG, CGNAT gateway, or a 5G Access Gateway Function (5G AGF) aimed at Wireless Wireline Convergence (WWC). It enables service providers to offer high-speed connectivity while being able to scale elastically to accommodate the requirements of demanding clients and deliver additional value-added services. Our cloud-native vBNG is built on industry standards, is disaggregated, and leverages general-purpose processors to achieve terabit speeds. This system not only provides broadband services with key functionalities like PE Routing and CGNAT but can also be configured to integrate SASE capabilities. Its rapid scalability, flexibility, agility, and cost-efficiency make it an ideal choice for modern network needs, ensuring that operators can stay ahead in a competitive landscape.