Versa Networks - Experts & Thought Leaders

Colt Technology Services, the digital infrastructure company marked a milestone with strategic partner - Versa Networks, the global pioneer in AI/ML-powered Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN), in its commitment to automating and simplifying digital services for global customers, with 1000 Versa SD-WAN services delivered across 55 countries via automation since its launch in April 2023. Versa SD-WAN platform Using Versa SD-WAN platform capabilities, Colt has developed an automation framework that fully integrates with internal systems via APIs. Automating the delivery of these services cuts provisioning time from 90 minutes to just 12 seconds, reduces the risk of manual error, and frees businesses from provisioning, managing, and monitoring digital infrastructure themselves.  Colt’s SD WAN and SASE business is experiencing continued growth, driven by enterprises’ security concerns, cloud migration, demand for remote working, and the need for flexibility to take advantage of changing market dynamics. Traffic based on application use The SASE market is forecast to grow from $7 billion in 2022 to $25 billion by 2027 The technology also supports enterprises’ growing commitments to reducing emissions as it prioritises traffic based on application use and selects more energy-efficient routes for non-critical applications. According to the 2023 Gartner® report, the SASE market is forecast to grow from $7 billion in 2022 to $25 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 29%. “We listen intently to our customers and constantly look for ways to improve and innovate to make their lives easier,” said Carlos Jesus, Vice President of Service Delivery at Colt Technology Services. Remote provision Carlos Jesus adds, "Automating and simplifying the delivery of our SD-WAN services is a critical part of this continuous improvement mission." He continues, "Remotely provisioning our 1000th Versa SD-WAN service shows how important automation has become in our customers’ journeys to digital transformation. It’s a testament to the strength of our longstanding partnership with Versa." Automation capabilities "We are delighted to partner with Colt to deliver these industry-renowned automation capabilities," said Hector Avalos, Vice President of EMEA MSPs at Versa Networks. He adds, "The enhanced combination of our capabilities and Colt’s technology bridges the gap between an organisation’s business objectives and enforcement of Versa’s SD-WAN network, enabling Colt’s customers to achieve faster time-to-value, reduced costs, and improved agility." Focus on seamless integration The milestone is announced as Colt marks one hundred days since its acquisition of Lumen EMEA in November 2023. Since the acquisition, it has remained focused on seamlessly integrating the organisations to deliver greater scale and services to its customers across the world.

Versa Networks, the global pioneer in AI/ML-powered Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN) announced it has once again been ranked as the current worldwide Unified SASE market share pioneer, commanding nearly 40 percent of the global market share in 3Q 2023 revenue, according to the Dell’Oro Group 3Q 2023 SASE & SD-WAN Quarterly Report. This follows Versa Networks’ previous consecutive rankings as the global Unified SASE market share pioneer for the entire years of 2020, 2021, and 2022, according to Dell’Oro Group, the trusted source of market information about the telecommunications, security, networks, and data centre infrastructure industries. SASE market revenue In Q3 2023, the worldwide overall SASE market (encompassing the SD-WAN and SSE markets) revenue was $2.2 B, representing 33% revenue growth and the 15th consecutive quarter exceeding 25% growth. Overall, Dell’Oro Group anticipates that the worldwide SASE market revenue will grow 33% to $8.5 B in 2023, and 25% to $10.6 B in 2024. Service-centric, cloud-based technology Organisations are embracing the Unified SASE approach which delivers as a unified, tightly integrated service" “SASE is a service-centric, cloud-based technology solution that provides network connectivity and enforces security between users, devices, and applications,” said Mauricio Sanchez, Sr. Research Director, Enterprise Networking and Security at Dell’Oro Group. “Organisations are embracing the Unified SASE approach which delivers these capabilities as a unified, tightly integrated service that increases network scalability, agility, and security. As a result of Versa’s market performance, we again rank them as the current worldwide Unified SASE market share pioneer based on our recent report.” Secure Access Service Edge Unified SASE, as described by Dell’Oro Group, represents a consolidated and highly integrated approach to Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). It combines networking and security services into a single platform from a single vendor and utilises a unified policy repository for both network and security policies. Report findings Dell’Oro Group’s latest SASE & SD-WAN Forecast Report predicts that the Unified SASE market will experience substantial growth with a 5-year (2022 to 2027) 32% revenue compound annual growth rate (CAGR). This growth is expected to outpace the Disaggregated SASE approach, which is forecast to grow at a 5-year 15% revenue CAGR, indicating that customers prefer the simplicity offered by Unified SASE. Single-vendor SASE market We are excited to again be recognised as the current worldwide Unified SASE market share pioneer" Furthermore, the report indicates that the single-vendor SASE market is projected to grow faster (5-year 22% revenue CAGR) than multi-vendor SASE (5-year 12% revenue CAGR), as customers prefer a one-stop shop for SASE. “We are excited to again be recognised as the current worldwide Unified SASE market share pioneer,” said Dan Maier, CMO for Versa Networks. Unified approach “The results validate the demand for a unified approach to the convergence of networking and security functions." "The ability for organisations to accelerate their support for hybrid work and cloud services, reduce the complexity and cost of their infrastructure, and enhance their security is compelling. Versa SASE delivers a future-ready framework that addresses both the current and emerging networking and security challenges faced by businesses.” 

Versa Networks, the global pioneer in AI/ML-powered Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN) announced Versa Secure SD-LAN, the industry’s first software-defined branch and campus Local Area Network (LAN) solution to deliver Zero Trust and IoT Security natively at the LAN Edge. This software-defined approach makes campus and branch networks more agile and integrated, and Zero Trust improves the security posture. Operational challenges For years, enterprises have grappled with the limitations and vendor lock-in from traditional LAN solutions. Legacy LAN architectures create painful operational challenges and cannot meet the evolving business needs of a secure modern enterprise. These issues are driven by the need to stitch together a fragmented set of point products, rigid architectures that lack business flexibility, and disjointed box-by-box configuration and management that is onerous and error-prone. In addition, product refresh cycles continually force upgrades and migrations that are expensive and time-consuming. Traditional LAN architectures This approach runs counter to the current security best practices which apply Zero Trust Traditional LAN architectures continue to use outdated perimeter-oriented security that implicitly trusts users and allows them to access all resources on the network. If a threat actor or a ransomware-infected device is able to initially authenticate, it can move laterally and compromise other devices on the network. This approach runs counter to the current security best practices which apply Zero Trust and continuously authenticate users while limiting access to only necessary resources. The rise of IoT devices further expands this unsecured internal attack surface area. What’s new? Versa Secure SD-LAN brings a software-defined approach to the LAN to improve agility and security. The solution deploys Versa software on Ethernet switches and access points to deliver integrated switching, routing, security, and network services. Versa Secure SD-LAN can co-exist and interoperate with existing campus or branch LAN products from other vendors. Versa Secure SD-LAN extends Versa’s Unified SASE platform capabilities into the LAN Edge. User, device, and application awareness The network to identify internal and external threats and stop the spread of potential attacks The solution provides user, device, and application awareness combined with a centralised policy repository to give enterprises full visibility and control across the branch or campus network, including OT and IoT devices. This approach enables every switch and access point to become a Zero Trust enforcement point that continually assesses the security posture of users, devices, and the network to identify internal and external threats and stop the spread of potential attacks. The solution includes  Versa Secure SD-LAN software: Software-defined architecture for the campus and branch delivering integrated L4-7 security with the standards-based networking found in today’s switches. This sets the foundation for in-line least privilege access and adaptive micro-segmentation to limit lateral movement and reduce the risk of compromise while delivering unprecedented agility and deployment flexibility for the LAN. Certified appliances: Versa Secure SD-LAN runs directly on the following newly released certified bare metal appliances to provide the scale and capacity needed for branch and campus: CSG3300 and CSG3500 Appliances. Converges routing, SD-WAN, SD-LAN, and security into a single branch appliance to deliver simplified management and lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). CSX4000 and CSX8000 Series. Ethernet switches that deliver line-rate L2, L3, VXLAN, and L4-7 security including firewall, application identification, adaptive micro-segmentation, IoT fingerprinting, and inline ZTNA. Versa Zero Trust – Premises: Consistent and granular policies are enforced based on identity and a continuous assessment A secure access solution that extends the same ZTNA principles used for remote workers to those that are on-premises. Consistent and granular policies are enforced based on identity and a continuous assessment of user, device, and network posture. This solution can be used together with Versa Secure Private Access to provide an integrated ZTNA solution for both remote and on-premises users with a single integrated policy repository. Software-Defined Adaptive Micro-segmentation: Continuously assesses user behaviour using AI/ML-based user and entity behaviour analytics (UEBA) and device posture to identify potential threats and isolate security-degraded devices into microsegments in real time.  Potential threats are identified closest to the host, limiting the blast radius of a possible attack. VersaAI™: The solution is configured, provisioned, and managed through a unified console with a unified policy A shared set of fine-tuned AI/ML engines natively integrated into the platform and embedded into the LAN to identify malicious behaviours in real-time and enhance network and security operational excellence. The solution is configured, provisioned, and managed through a unified console with a unified policy repository and data lake to reduce complexity and enhance visibility. VersaAI™ for Security: Versa’s UEBA and AIOps identify threats and anomalous behaviours and deliver actionable insights for accelerated remediation. VersaAI™ for Networking: Pre-emptively adjusts traffic paths in real-time, automates troubleshooting, optimises operations, reduces network downtime, and improves predictability. Secure software-defined solutions “Versa has continued to lead the industry in delivering secure software-defined solutions with SD-WAN and Unified SASE,” said Apurva Mehta, Co-Founder and CTO for Versa Networks. “We are the first to fully software define and secure the Enterprise LAN with a modern approach. With Versa Secure SD-LAN, we are transforming the campus and branch and bringing in-line Zero Trust, automation, and unmatched control and visibility to the Enterprise LAN.”