VeloCloud’s SD-WAN security ecosystem continues to grow with four new partners
VeloCloud’s SD-WAN Security Technology Partner Program is picking up steam with the addition of four new partners: Palo Alto Networks, Symantec, VMware and Forcepoint. Existing inaugural members in the program include IBM Security, Check Point Software Technologies, Fortinet and Zscaler.
Software-defined networking — a developing architecture that allows networks to be centrally controlled via application program interfaces (APIs) — has become an indispensable tool among data centers. Nevertheless, applying SDN to the WAN has been an uphill endeavor. SD-WAN specialist VeloCloud is among the venture-based startups spearheading the SD-WAN market.
The SD-WAN Security Technology Partner Program integrates a SD-WAN architecture with various security solutions. Partners in the program provide security solutions that span the gamut of the network, cloud and management. VeloCloud is absorbing the threat intelligence of Palo Alto, the cloud security of Forcepoint, the network functions virtualization (NFV) of VMware, and the cyber defense platform of Symantec. VeloCloud customers are able to forge the security technologies provided by these partners with VeloCloud’s SD-WAN.
“The addition of more industry leaders to the expanding VeloCloud SD-WAN security ecosystem is an indication of the importance of tighter integration between the leading SD-WAN and security solutions,” said VeloCloud CEO and Co-founder Sanjay Uppal. “Enterprises want to realize the tremendous business benefits that SD-WAN delivers without any compromise in security, and this ecosystem of the industry’s elite enables them to accomplish that goal.”
VeloCloud originally launched the partner program in April as the SD-WAN Security Ecosystem. Fortinet and CheckPoint joined as network security partners, Zscaler and Palo Alto Networks as cloud security partners, and IBM Security as a management security partner.
No technology is without its learning curve, however — SD-WAN included. Sometimes, companies do not have the support staff or training necessary to deploy and support SD-WAN. In order to help members apply SDN to the WAN, VeloCloud offers training for its partners, explained Michael Wood, vice president of marketing at VeloCloud.
“I think that partner training is a key aspect to one of the things we’ve done. In the last 12 months, we’ve spent an enormous amount of time and money doing just that,” he told RCR Wireless News. “We’ve got over 150 partners, and hosted just a few months ago a summit where we brought in over 200 partners, and trained them with hands-on lab training. Every single individual had their own log in, which looked like to them a unique SD-WAN network and solution. So I think training partners is one of the most important aspects, and can potentially create difficulties if not done properly in terms of deployment.”
