iOCO has extended its partnership with and automated cybersecurity solution provider Fortinet to offer its software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) solution to the southern African market.
An SD-WAN solution connects users to any application wherever it resides, from the data centre to the cloud. SD-WAN intelligently determines which path best meets the ideal performance needs for a specific application. It then routes the traffic through to the best WAN path, whereas traditional WAN architectures only have the ability to route all applications through MPLS[1]. Further, Fortinet’s FortiGate solutions integrate next-generation firewalls and SD-WAN capabilities on a single platform.
iOCO is the ICT services business of the EOH Group.
Brett van Rensburg, sales director for iOCO’s compute division, explains: “As a listed entity, EOH has a wide spectrum of services that we bring to the market, with a particular strength in ICT services via iOCO. The company has over two decades of delivering full IT outsources to some of Africa’s largest enterprises, and we are therefore perfectly positioned to assist in driving any organisation’s IT and ICT strategy.
“We have placed a major focus on big data, the internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), zero trust networking and mobility over the past twelve months. This level of continued innovation makes iOCO a leader in technology in Africa.
“SD-WAN technology and its related benefits are highly relevant currently, and clients at a global level are readily adopting this product set. It was logical then, when looking for an SD-WAN offering to bring to the local market, for us to look at the major providers on a global basis. Based on this premise, we underwent a rigorous request for proposal (RFP) process to choose our providers. From 15 initial contenders, we followed an in-depth process that eventually led us, over a period of a year, to Fortinet’s FortiGate offering.”
Van Rensburg says that the partnership was facilitated with the assistance of Networks Unlimited Africa, a value-added distributor for Fortinet.
“The EOH Group has a long-standing relationship with Networks Unlimited that spans over a decade,” he says. “During this time, we’ve come to understand each other’s businesses, and have developed enterprise solutions for many clients in the market. Today, the two companies find themselves on the edge of new technology, and are leading software-defined networking within the South African market.”
He notes that iOCO is an agnostic SD-WAN partner in the market, but adds: “We acknowledge that FortiGate is a leading product set, and the Fortinet relationship is well respected in the EOH Group. It works for us as a vendor, as well as for our clients in developing their security strategies. Therefore, when looking at software-defined networking in the South African market, it was a logical step to have a discussion regarding the FortiGate SD-WAN products, to see how this specific strategy has been developed to meet African standards.”
The top business benefits that a Fortinet SD-WAN solution can provide for clients, according to Van Rensburg, include the ability to create additional bandwidth at their sites; stronger service level agreements through the multiple infrastructures; granular reporting; and the advantages of the zero touch deployment.
“The client gains from access to a strong SD-WAN offering plus all the additional value delivered by the Fortinet platform, which is a big differentiator,” he notes. “What we have found, working together with Networks Unlimited and Fortinet, is that they really took the time to understand what it meant to develop within South Africa and the broader African continent. It has been very easy to adopt and therefore beneficial to our clients.
“In my opinion, of all the SD-WAN providers, Fortinet’s solution fits the African landscape better than any other, largely because the company has taken the time to understand how technology is adopted and works across this footprint. The solution fit speaks to the types of infrastructure delivered throughout Africa, and the commercial models make sense too. Another contributing factor is the localised support and training. In-country resources enable successful deployments and support of the Fortigate SD-WAN product set.”