Fortinet SD-WAN Success Will Innovate FortiSASE

Fortinet has once again been recognized as the leader in the Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) market, marking its fifth consecutive year of holding this prestigious distinction. This achievement is well-earned, but the journey to this multi-year recognition was not an easy one, as the Fortinet Secure SD-WAN solution took time to mature fully.

Initially launched with version 5.2 in 2014, and further refined in 2017, Fortinet Secure SD-WAN was designed to offer scalable, flexible, and high-performance capabilities for both cloud and on-premises environments. Version 5.2 introduced key features such as WAN path control, routing, Quality of Service (QoS) and WAN optimization.

In October 2018, Fortinet was named a "Challenger" in the WAN Edge Infrastructure Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ (MQ). The company believed that integrating strong security features would be crucial for standing out in the SD-WAN space.

Commenting on their placement, Fortinet shared their perspective:

Following the release of version 5.4 in 2015 and subsequent updates through 2018, Fortinet introduced version 5.6 in 2017 with continuous improvements until 2020. These updates added critical features such as application traffic shaping, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and centralized SD-WAN management through FortiManager.

By 2019, Fortinet was still classified as a "Challenger" in the WAN Edge Infrastructure MQ, though its solution was evolving steadily with the introduction of new features. This progress laid the groundwork for Fortinet's leap to "Leadership" status in 2020, powered by version 6 (released in 2018 with updates until 2021).

Leader in Secure SD-WAN for five years and running

Since 2020, Fortinet has maintained its leadership position in SD-WAN for five consecutive years. This success is attributed to continuous innovation, resolving feature gaps and a steadfast focus on security.

Fortinet Secure SD-WAN is included with every purchase of a FortiGate Appliance, Virtual Machine (VM) or Cloud instance, requiring no additional licensing.

The most recent versions, including Fortinet Secure SD-WAN 7.0 (released in 2021 with ongoing updates), 7.2 (designated as Long Term Support), and versions 7.4 (2023) and 7.6 (2024), further demonstrate the company's commitment to growth. However, version 7.6 is not recommended for use in production environments.

The progression of these enhancements can be viewed via this Powerpoint.

Why revisit the past with Fortinet Secure SD-WAN? 

At WWT, we pride ourselves on our consultative approach and ability to anticipate where security products and solutions are headed. Fortinet Secure SD-WAN's journey is now being mirrored by its FortiSASE solution. Currently a "Challenger" in the 2024 MQ, FortiSASE is on the path to becoming a "Leader" by following similar steps taken during the SD-WAN evolution.

Taking a closer look at FortiSASE

The 2024 MQ highlighted a few reasons why FortiSASE is not yet recognized as a Leader:

• Separate Points of Presence (POPs): At the time of the MQ assessment, Fortinet operated several of its own POPs but also relied on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) locations for global coverage. The licensing structure only allowed users to choose either Fortinet or GCP POPs, preventing them from combining both for broader availability, which limited the flexibility and reach of the SASE solution.

Fortinet addressed this issue by releasing a Comprehensive License that allows users to select either Fortinet or GCP POPs, overcoming this limitation and enhancing SASE availability.

2024 MQ indicated that FortiSASE innovations are unlikely to reshape the market. However, Fortinet has addressed this by acquiring Next DLP to enhance its SASE solution. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) has quickly become a top priority for CISOs and security leaders, positioning Fortinet well to meet this demand.

Additionally, FortiSASE is not being positioned as a Single Vendor SASE solution. Instead, it's focused on becoming a Unified SASE solution, with enhancements like:

• Centralized Management (version 24.3.42  (24.3.d)
• Agentless ZTNA (version 24.3.56 (24.3.c)
• Remote Browser Isolation (RBI) (version 24.3.56 (24.3.c)
• Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM) (version 24.3.56 (24.3.c)

These developments will likely propel FortiSASE into a "Leadership" position in future MQ assessments.

The progression of these enhancements can be viewed via this Powerpoint.

A union lasting 8 years and getting stronger by the year, WWT had the distinction of being Fortinet's partner of the year in 2021 and reached the honor of being Fortinet's  Growth Partner of the Year for 2023 Fortinet has invested both capital and resources in the ATC to assist in developing our learning paths centered around the Fortinet NGFW and SDWAN offerings.  WWT has responded with creating a Fortinet Center of Excellence (FCOE) to provide subject-matter expertise and pre-sales support as well as conducting internal weekly "office hours" calls and Fast Track Trainings to assist our sales teams in designing the best solutions for our customers in 2025 and beyond.