Barracuda launches new Azure-native SD-WAN service
Barracuda has today announced its new secure SD-WAN service, build natively on Microsoft Azure – the first such solution to run inside Azure Virtual WAN Hubs, according to Barracuda.
The solution, called CloudGen WAN, is a SaaS service deployed directly from Azure Marketplace, and administered centrally in the CloudGen WAN portal for all office locations and remote endpoints.
Barracuda says that this network architecture can replace costly, inflexible network connectivity circuits, and the entire network can be sized to match current traffic workload, which can optimise network performance and minimise cost.
"With an all-in-one, secure SD-WAN solution natively built on the public cloud network, enterprises can finally make the shift to more public cloud deployments, both faster and more securely," says Barracuda COO Hatem Naguib.
"We appreciate the relationship we have developed with Microsoft over the years and the close collaboration over many months to integrate Barracuda SD-WAN technology natively on Microsoft Azure Virtual WAN Hubs.
"We know this is the future of networking in the public cloud, and we're excited to be on this forefront with Microsoft.
In its recent report 'Secure SD-WAN: The Launch Pad into Cloud', Barracuda found that Singapore IT decision-makers still cite security as the main roadblock preventing their use of public cloud.
The report also found that SD-WAN is being used by more than 50% of those who have added security to their public cloud.
According to the report, SD-WAN can help overcome the top two security challenges organisations are facing when it comes to public cloud: lack of access control and backhauling traffic.
"Cloud-native, secure SD-WAN technology, like the new CloudGen WAN service from Barracuda, provides a fast, reliable and direct path to Microsoft Azure," says Azure Networking corporate vice president Yousef Khalidi.
"We're pleased to collaborate with Barracuda for this new wave of faster public cloud adoption to help our joint customers optimise network performance.
Ease of use and cloud-scalable SD-WAN connectivity can be achieved by utilising secure SD-WAN services which are built natively on the cloud, according to Barracuda.
This, in turn, facilitates the use of the Microsoft Global Network as the WAN backbone instead of leased lines.
Since the Microsoft Global Network is automatically provisioned as the backbone for anywhere, anytime application access, service providers can create a pragmatic SASE solution in the public cloud tailored to their specific needs.
On the launch, Barracuda vice president James Forbes-May commented: "This is the first global secure SD-WAN service built natively on Microsoft Azure, which will help businesses in Singapore and across the region to overcome their security challenges in order to fully embrace the public cloud."
