Why it’s Imperative for a Growing, Multi-location, Global Enterprise to Adopt SASE

 By: Ajay Kollipara

 

Why it's Imperative for a Growing, Multi-location, Global Enterprise to Adopt SASE.

Embracing the Shifting Needs of Modern Enterprise from Traditional MPLS and Data Center-Based Applications

Challenges with Current Network & Security Models

  • Complex Management: Handling disparate network and security solutions can be time-consuming and prone to misconfigurations.
  • Security Challenges for Location-Based & Remote Users: Ensuring consistent security policies and protection across various locations and for remote users is difficult, increasing the risk of vulnerabilities and cyber threats.
  • Securing Cloud and SaaS Applications: With the adoption of cloud applications and SaaS solutions, traditional point solutions fall short in providing adequate security and granular access controls, complicating the task of maintaining robust security across the enterprise.
  • Limited Scalability: Traditional MPLS networks often lack the flexibility to scale efficiently as organizations grow and their needs evolve.
  • Performance: Legacy networks struggle to provide the performance required for modern, cloud-based applications and remote work environments.
  • Procurement and SLA Issues: Managing multiple telecom WAN links and providers involves complex procurement processes and difficulties in maintaining Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

Understanding SASE as Defined by Gartner

Gartner introduced Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) to address these challenges. SASE is a cloud-native architecture model that converges network and security services into a single solution, designed to protect hybrid workers by providing secure access to corporate applications, data, and services.

SASE combines the following capabilities:

  • Software-defined Wide-Area Network (SD-WAN)
  • Secure Web Gateway (SWG)
  • Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
  • Network Firewalling
  • Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)

Why Gartner is Now Talking About Single Vendor SASE

Gartner's move towards endorsing Single Vendor SASE is driven by the need for simplified deployment and management of SASE components. Key benefits include:

  1. Unified Solution: A single-vendor approach offers a comprehensive feature set, combining networking and security functions.
  2. Consistent Security Policies: Uniform enforcement of security policies across the entire network for both physical sites and remote users.
  3. Streamlined Support: Simplified troubleshooting and support through a single point of contact.
  4. Cost Efficiency: Reduced overhead and potential cost savings by consolidating services with one provider.
  5. Global Presence: Leveraging a global network of Points of Presence (PoPs) to ensure optimal performance and user experience.

Increased Security Threat Vectors

In the evolving digital landscape, enterprises are facing an unprecedented increase in security threats. Cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated, and the number of potential attack vectors is growing. Key security threats include:

  • Ransomware: Attacks that encrypt critical data and demand a ransom for its release.
  • Data Breaches: Unauthorized access to sensitive information, leading to loss of critical data.
  • Phishing and Social Engineering: Tactics used to deceive individuals into providing confidential information.
  • Insider Threats: Risks posed by employees or other insiders who intentionally or unintentionally cause harm.

The consequences of security breaches can be severe:

  • Financial Loss: The average cost of a data breach in 2023 was $4.45 million, according to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report.
  • Brand Damage: Loss of customer trust and damage to the brand’s reputation can have long-lasting effects.
  • Regulatory Penalties: Non-compliance with regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and others can result in hefty fines.

Statistics Highlighting Security Challenges:

  • Ransomware: The global cost of ransomware attacks is expected to reach $20 billion in 2024, up from $11.5 billion in 2019 (Cybersecurity Ventures).
  • Data Breaches: 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses, and 60% of small businesses that experience a cyberattack go out of business within six months (National Cyber Security Alliance).
  • Phishing: 94% of malware is delivered via email, and phishing attacks have increased by 65% in the last year (Verizon 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report).

Adoption of Single Vendor SASE by Enterprises

To combat these growing security challenges, enterprises are increasingly adopting Single Vendor Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solutions. Gartner predicts that by 2027, 65% of new software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN) purchases will be part of a single-vendor SASE offering, up from 20% in 2024.

Gartner's 2024 Report and Quadrant Leaders

In its 2024 report, Gartner evaluates Single Vendor SASE solutions based on several criteria, including a comprehensive feature set, ease of management, scalability, and performance. The leaders in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Single Vendor SASE excel in delivering robust, scalable, and comprehensive solutions that meet these criteria.

DIY (Do It Yourself) SASE: Challenges and Limitations

For enterprises with multiple global locations, attempting to cobble together the entire managed SASE solution can be fraught with challenges:

  • Complexity: Integrating and managing multiple components from different vendors can be complex and error prone.
  • Resource Intensive: Requires significant investment in skilled personnel and resources for deployment and ongoing management.
  • Scalability Issues: Difficulties in scaling the solution to meet evolving business needs.
  • Security Risks: Potential for inconsistencies and gaps in security policies across different components.
  • Skilled Manpower Shortage: Finding and retaining trained personnel with expertise in SASE migration and best practices can be challenging, leading to potential delays and suboptimal implementations.
  • Migration Challenges & Milestone: Developing a clear migration strategy and roadmap for phased deployment across locations and users can be complex, time-consuming, and a risk to business continuity if not executed with precision.

The Critical Role of Managed Service Partners

While the adoption of Single Vendor SASE can provide significant benefits, managing this transition in-house can be challenging for many organizations. Partnering with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) like AireSpring, for example, offers engineering support that can help address these challenges by offering:

  1. Expertise in SASE Implementation: MSPs bring deep expertise in planning, designing, and deploying SASE solutions.
  2. Procurement and Deployment: Handling the procurement, logistics, and project management of Single Vendor SASE solutions across global locations & remote users with agreed Turnaround times.
  3. Global Connectivity Solutions: Managing multiple telecom services providers globally, including Internet, MPLS, and LTE backup circuits.
  4. Ongoing Support: Providing 24/7 monitoring, management, and support for SASE solutions to ensure optimal performance and security.
  5. Day 2 Operations Management: Providing ongoing management and support to ensure optimal performance and security.
  6. Comprehensive Managed Services: Handling day-to-day operations with SLA backed service, allowing enterprises to focus on their core business.
  7. Skilled Manpower Pool: MSPs have a staff of well-trained, skilled, and certified engineers experienced in best practices for SASE implementations across various industries. This expertise is key to achieving a seamless migration and maintaining robust security and performance standards in all departments, including Project Management, Delivery, Network Operations Center (NoC), and design engineering.

Conclusion

The need for a single SASE provider is more critical than ever as organizations strive to secure and optimize their networks in a complex digital environment.

AireSpring’s managed services are here to help you navigate the challenges of implementing and managing a SASE solution, providing a seamless, secure, and efficient network experience. By partnering with AireSpring, you can focus on what you do best – growing your business – while we take care of your network and security needs.

Embracing the Shifting Needs of Modern Enterprise from Traditional MPLS and Data Center-Based Applications

About the Author

Ajay Kollipara – Product Life Cycle Manager, AireSpring

Ajay Kollipara is an experienced telecom professional with over 20 years of blended expertise in technology and solutions, focusing on global enterprise network infrastructures, including wireless 4G/5G/Starlink connectivity. He specializes in SD-WAN and SASE and holds a degree in Electronics Engineering

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Steve Pasmanik

SENIOR VP OF SERVICE DELIVERY
Steve Pasmanik is a highly accomplished, forward-looking business professional with a progressive and diverse background encompassing Operations, Sales, Strategy Development, Marketing, Customer Care, and Product Management. He currently leads AireSpring’s Service Delivery and Service Assurance teams. Prior to joining AireSpring, Steve enjoyed a wide-ranging career with AT&T where he held various management leadership positions. Steve served as Assistant Vice President for AT&T’s Partner Solutions Team where he led their multi-billion-dollar service management organization across the Alliance, ACC, AT&T Partner Solutions and Wholesale division in support of AT&T’s post-sale indirect organization. Previously, Steve served as the Assistant Vice President for AT&T’s Centralized Sales Operations Team for Global Business Solutions. Steve also led the governance and operational management for the 6,000+ employee sales organization overseeing sales operations for $40B+ of annualized revenue. Prior to this assignment, Steve led AT&T’s Premier Client Groups Sales Operations and Channel Marketing, AT&T’s Select Sales Performance and Effectiveness Organization.

Mike Chase

SENIOR VP OF SOLUTIONS ENGINEERING
Mike Chase serves on AireSpring’s executive team in the role of Senior VP of Solutions Engineering. He is a telecom veteran with deep expertise in advanced SD-WAN networking and related technologies. Mike leads AireSpring’s Solutions Engineering team which serves as a full-service network engineering resource to our channel partners and their enterprise clients. Mike brings experience across a vast portfolio of other telecom/VoIP, networking, datacenter and cloud services enterprises. He has over 25 years of experience designing complex datacenters worldwide during his work with such firms as Wells Fargo Bank, IBM, Mobil Oil Corporation, Union Oil, LA Cellular, Capitol Records, Equant, AT&T, Broadcom, Experian, tamCloud, dinCloud and others. In addition, Mike, also known as Dr. Cloud, is a published author of many online magazine articles, columns and blogs. He holds 20+ industry certifications, such as the prestigious Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE# 7226), Linux LPIC3, VMware Certified Professional (VCP #26676) and others, along with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in law from California Southern University. He previously co-founded and was former CTO of several cloud ventures, including one of the first Cloud Service Providers (CSP) to offer hosted virtual desktops worldwide.

Ellen Cahill

SENIOR VP MARKETING

Ellen Cahill is a strategic marketing expert with more than 20 years of proven results in the technology and software industry. She has served as Vice President of Marketing for Natural MD Search, VP of Product Marketing for IT Security provider Beyond Trust, and VP of Marketing for mobile solutions provider Thinque. Ellen is accomplished in relaunching acquired companies under new corporate brands to accelerate revenue and integrating products lines into existing product portfolios. She is recognized as a highly savvy marketing guru with specialties including Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), cloud computing, enterprise software, product marketing, lead generation and social media.

Rod Rummelsburg

GENERAL COUNSEL

Rod Rummelsburg brings extensive experience in intellectual property, corporate and commercial Law, litigation and alternative dispute resolution to AireSpring including over 15 years of managing the transactional, litigation, negotiation and IP/patent needs of several domestic and international telecommunications and Internet companies.   Mr. Rummelsburg has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in multimillion dollar litigation matters in California, numerous state and federal courts and various appellate courts including the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal.  As in-house counsel at American Tower Corp. (NYSE: AMT), formerly Interpacket Networks, Inc., Mr. Rummelsburg managed telecommunications, regulatory, and legal issues for subsidiaries and customers in approximately 125 countries.  Additionally, Mr. Rummelsburg has negotiated and structured telecommunication deals with numerous foreign government-owned utility companies.  Mr. Rummelsburg is admitted to practice law in all federal and state courts in California and is a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.   Mr. Rummelsburg has a comprehensive understanding of all phases of software development, having worked for many years at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, TRW and Hughes Aircraft designing and developing software communications and information systems.  After earning a BA from UCLA, Mr. Rummelsburg graduated with honors from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA with a MS in Computer Science and earned a J.D. degree with honors from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, CA.

David Lonstein

EXECUTIVE VP PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

Mr. Lonstein previously ran the Customer Service Division at ADDTEL Communications and has 20 years of experience in all aspects of the telecommunications industry, including customer service, repair, and product management. Since joining AireSpring, he has been deeply involved in the company’s growth as the Director of Customer Service and later the Vice President of Carrier Relations. In his current role as Executive Vice President of Product Management, Mr. Lonstein oversees product development and management, special pricing, and the QuoteSpring proposal generation platform.

Tony C. Lonstein

EXECUTIVE VP

With over 30 years experience in international trading, Mr. Lonstein was the former co-founder and Chairman of ADDTEL Communications. Mr. Lonstein was responsible for the overall strategic direction for ADDTEL. Mr. Lonstein was involved in extensive negotiations with major carriers, including AT&T and MCI, as well as with major customers, which included such company as Earthlink Network. Mr. Lonstein’s prior experience includes the complex structure of several multinational trading agreements, as well as international import/export and commodities trading.

Russ Shipley

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Russ Shipley is a seasoned leader in the industry with 35+ years of experience. Prior to joining AireSpring, Russ held a variety of executive positions at TPx (formerly TelePacific), most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Prior to assuming the COO role, Russ  served as the Executive Senior Vice President of Wholesale, Engineering and Operations and Network Services at TPx,  providing senior leadership at TPx for over 15 years. Before to joining TPx, Russ served as President of Wholesale, Chief Network Services and as New Technology Officer at Mpower Communications Corporation. Russ has also held several leadership positions with Global Crossing, Frontier Corporation and Rochester Telephone Corporation with a dedicated focus in service, operations, engineering, technology, construction, sales, and business development groups. Russ holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and an MBA with a concentration in Operations Management from the University of Rochester.

Arno Vigen

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Mr. Vigen has 30 years of experience in financial and executive management positions, including as the Chief Operating Officer of Justice Technology, which was named the Inc. 500 Winner for #1 Fastest Growing Private Company in the USA 1999. He also served as the Vice President of Finance for GSM and national carriers overseas. Mr. Vigen oversaw acquisitions by IDB Communications of FTC Communications – France Telecom (USA) and World Communications (formerly part of ITT – International Telephone and Telegraph), as well as the sale of IDB itself to LDDS.

Daniel Lonstein

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

Daniel Lonstein is responsible for the day-to-day operations of AireSpring, including the sales and marketing of its award-winning cloud communications solutions. He possesses extensive experience in the sales process both inside and outside of the communications industry. Since AireSpring was founded in 2001, Mr. Lonstein has consistently anticipated and led the transition from legacy services to VoIP and cloud solutions. Mr. Lonstein draws upon his over twenty-five years of experience in the telecommunications and high tech industries to create cutting edge products, direct sales and channel programs, and the operational teams necessary to support the delivery of mission critical products and services to small businesses and Fortune 100 brands alike in the highly competitive Unified Communications and Contact Center industries.
In his position at the forefront of change in the industry, Mr. Lonstein has participated in multiple panels and published numerous articles on the latest products and technology trends in the US and abroad. He has lived and worked in Japan, Israel, and South Africa. Prior to AireSpring, Mr. Lonstein was co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of ADDTEL Communications and has previously held positions at On Target Market Research and Tel-Aviv based USTM Partners, as well as consulting for various international telecommunications conglomerates on how to export high tech and telecom products to the US.

Avi Lonstein

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Avi Lonstein has been a telecom entrepreneur for over 25 years. In 1989, Mr. Lonstein co-founded ADDTEL Communications. As President of ADDTEL, he was directly responsible for growing the company from a start-up operation to one of the country’s most successful nationwide long distance resellers. Under Mr. Lonstein’s direction, ADDTEL was recognized as one of the telecom industry’s most innovative and well-managed companies, and experienced substantial growth during his tenure. Mr. Lonstein’s next entrepreneurial venture was AireSpring which he co-founded in 2001. Mr. Lonstein and his team foresaw the massive changes in telecom technology, and rapidly built AireSpring’s own next-generation IP network to become a full-fledged VoIP carrier, offering a range of SIP Trunking and telephony services. Mr. Lonstein later spearheaded development of the company’s own nationwide MPLS network and created an innovative Mesh MPLS product that has won several awards. As chief executive officer for AireSpring, Mr. Lonstein is responsible for the company’s operations, strategy, and transformation into a nationwide provider of managed services for IP communications, intelligent networking and cloud computing applications and services. He continues to lead AireSpring as the company expands its portfolio of award-winning services and applications to keep it on the cutting edge.

Stephen Wolod

Senior VP of Service Delivery

Stephen Wolod is a highly effective leader with many years of experience in steering large organizations to success. Prior to joining AireSpring, Stephen served as the AVP of Service Delivery and Service Management Operations for the Public Sector at AT&T. This included overseeing critical areas such as FirstNet, 911 services, Partner Solutions, and Wholesale Operations. Under his leadership, Stephen managed all aspects of service delivery and post-implementation support for wireline and wireless products and services, generating annual revenues exceeding $11 billion.

Before his promotion to AVP, Wolod served as Assistant Vice President - Service Delivery/Service Management, where he was responsible for service delivery and support for wireline, wireless technologies, and wholesale and partner solutions for public sector customers, including Federal, State, and Local Agencies, 911, and FirstNet customers. This position represented the largest customer responsibility scope within AT&T's Customer Service and Operations division.

Stephen is renowned for his enthusiastic leadership style and his unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional customer service. He is laser-focused on responsiveness in highly complex and sensitive environments, excelling in leading diverse workforces to solve intricate issues through innovation and transformation.

Ken Bisnoff

SENIOR VP OF CUSTOMER SUCCESS

Ken Bisnoff has over 30 years of experience leading high-performing organizations through periods of rapid organizational growth and expansion. As a founding member of the TPx Communications executive team, he played a pivotal role in that company's explosive growth and transformation from a small startup regional CLEC to a billion-dollar national managed services provider.

Ken has a deep understanding of industry trends, sales processes, business communications, and strategic and tactical execution. During his time at TPx, Ken held various roles that included leading direct and indirect sales, human resources, and marketing communications as well as guiding sales teams through market, tech, and M&A transformations. Ken’s track record of achievement as a channel leader includes recognition by CRN magazine as a Top 50 Most Influential “Channel Chief” in 2023, and from 2017 to 2019. He also earned the Circle of Excellence Award in 2017 from Channel Partners Magazine. Ken has served on the advisory boards of both the Technology Channel Association and Channel Partners.

Before joining AireSpring, Ken served as Senior Vice President and Channel Chief Americas at GTT.  Bisnoff was also a co-founder of leading telecom industry consultancy Eagleteq Advisors (now X4 Advisors). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

David Hess

SENIOR VP OF MOBILITY

David Hess serves Senior Vice President of Mobility. David spearheads AireSpring’s expanding mobility strategy targeting Wireless WAN, IoT, Data, Voice, and Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) solutions.

David is a seasoned telecommunications leader with an influential level of experience within the Virtual Mobile Operator (VNO) sector. He has held prominent positions in the industry, most recently as the Senior Vice President of North America Sales for Pareteum, where he created and grew a sizeable business unit within that organization, targeting the IoT and VNO segments.

David’s accomplishments in the telecommunication industry are highlighted with many success stories related to driving growth and building value for Communication Service Providers (CSPs) both in the US and globally. Starting his career in sales, Hess then moved rapidly up into notable executive level roles, with companies such as KDDI & Telia as well as other emerging telecommunication service providers.

David brings over 22 years of success leading operations and sales in the telecommunication, cloud infrastructure, and managed service provider markets. His accomplishments in the telecommunication industry are highlighted by many success stories related to driving growth and building value for Communication Service Providers (CSPs) both in the US and globally.

Yang Yu

SENIOR VP OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Yang Yu is a highly regarded technology executive who spent over 15 years in various roles with IBM, rising from Systems Engineer with IBM Global Services to Delivery Project Executive, and ultimately Group CIO. In his role as Delivery Project Executive for IBM’s Business Transformation Program, Yang was responsible for implementation of the Blue Harmony software application throughout IBM worldwide. Following the success of this project, Mr. Yang was promoted to IBM Greater China Group CIO for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Following his tenure at IBM, Yang accepted a position as CIO with Prolacta Bioscience, a pioneer in providing human milk-based nutritional products for premature infants in the neonatal ICU.

Mr. Yu’s role at AireSpring incorporates his background in solution architecture and strategy, resource management and more. His deep experience in global markets and technology is instrumental in creating the innovative, adaptive environment that will best serve our partners and customers into the future. Yang holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of California, Riverside, as well as an MBA with emphasis in Management Information Systems (MIS) and Finance from the prestigious Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Additionally, Mr. Yu has added certifications including the Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute, and certification in IT Architecture from The Open Group, a global technology standards consortium.

John Young

SENIOR VP OF CHANNEL SALES

John Young is a highly respected telecom industry executive, with a deep record of innovation and  leadership in both direct and channel sales. John joined AireSpring after more than 13 years at NetFortris where he was Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Global Channel Chief. His broad range of responsibilities there included both Enterprise and Channel Sales, Channel Marketing and Account Management. John previously served as Senior Vice President of Global Sales at Fonality (acquired by NetFortris in 2018) where he developed the North American and international sales teams and programs from the ground up, managing a large team of global Enterprise, Channel and Account Management sales reps, directors and VPs. During his career John has been invaluable in developing many unique partnerships with VARs, master agencies and sub-agents.

Darren Sandford

SENIOR VP OPERATIONS

Darren Sandford has over two decades of experience building and operating telecommunication networks across the United States of America and Canada. Darren has recognized expertise in innovating and launching unique products into the marketplace, optimizing significant annual budgets for operational and financial success, and assisting executives in developing and implementing corporate strategies. He has previously held senior management and executive roles at various national and global telecom corporations, including Covad Communications, Pac-West Telecomm, and Primus Telecommunications, and also served as the Vice President for Technology Deployment at the California Emerging Technology Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides statewide leadership to close the “digital divide.”

Wendell Nelson

SENIOR VP STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Wendell Nelson is a telecom industry veteran, with more than 25 years in the industry, successfully managing teams and building partnerships that deliver results. He has served as Vice President of Corporate Development at TailWind Voice & Data, expanding their opportunities beyond national technical support and dispatch services and into the connectivity business. Previously, he ran wholesale sales for Global Capacity, MegaPath and Covad Communications, building a reputation for success as an executive in corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, finance, engineering, sales and operations.