What problems does FortiSASE solve for a hybrid workforce?
Many organizations struggle to give remote and hybrid workers the same secure, reliable experience that on-site employees have. Common issues include:
- **Inconsistent user experience:** Remote users often see slower application performance and higher latency than on-premises staff.
- **Uneven security coverage:** Security policies may be strong in the office but weaker for users accessing the internet, SaaS, or private apps from home or on the road.
- **Complex management:** Multiple point products for VPN, web security, and application access make it harder to manage policies and troubleshoot issues.
FortiSASE is designed to help organizations rethink how they secure and connect their hybrid workforce by:
- **Providing always-on secure access** to private, web, and SaaS applications from any remote location through a cloud-delivered Security Service Edge (SSE) platform.
- **Using integrated SD-WAN** within each FortiSASE point of presence (POP) to optimize paths to business-critical applications, which helps deliver faster transaction speeds and lower application response times.
- **Extending consistent, AI-powered security** to remote users so that on-premises and WFA employees operate under the same policies and protections.
- **Enabling bidirectional secure private access (SPA) traffic**, so IT teams can remotely manage user desktops and devices, simplifying support for distributed staff.
As hybrid work becomes a long-term model, FortiSASE helps organizations reshape remote access from a basic VPN approach into a more integrated, policy-driven, and performance-aware service.
How does Fortinet Unified SASE integrate with existing FortiGate and SD-WAN investments?
Fortinet Unified SASE is built to protect and extend the value of your existing FortiGate investments rather than replace them.
Key integration points include:
- **Native SD-WAN in every POP:** Each FortiSASE point of presence includes built-in SD-WAN capabilities. These can be integrated with your existing FortiGate SD-WAN hubs or next-generation firewalls (NGFWs).
- **Fast, straightforward deployment:** The integration with FortiGate SD-WAN and NGFW environments can typically be completed in as few as **five minutes**, helping you enhance remote access without major disruption or complex reconfiguration.
- **Unified policies and management:** Fortinet Unified SASE allows you to apply consistent security policies across on-premises locations and remote users from a single-vendor platform. This reduces operational complexity and helps ensure that security posture is aligned everywhere.
- **Investment protection:** If you have already deployed FortiGate in your data centers or campus networks, Unified SASE extends those investments to secure your hybrid workforce, rather than requiring a separate, parallel stack.
This approach helps you reimagine remote access as an extension of your existing Fortinet environment, not a separate silo.
What specific benefits and outcomes can we expect from FortiSASE?
FortiSASE is designed to improve both the user experience and the security posture of hybrid and remote workers. Organizations can expect:
**1. Better performance and user experience**
- Faster transaction speeds and **lower application response times** by routing traffic over reliable SD-WAN paths.
- Automatic selection of the most efficient path to each application, which helps reduce latency and improve overall network performance.
- More consistent access quality for remote users, making business-critical apps feel closer and more responsive.
**2. Consistent, comprehensive security**
- AI-powered, cloud-delivered security that applies the same policies to on-premises and remote users.
- Advanced threat protection and full security inspection for private apps, internet access, and SaaS usage.
- Reduced exposure from unmanaged or weakly protected remote connections.
**3. Easier management and support for remote users**
- Bidirectional secure private access (SPA) traffic that lets IT teams remotely manage user desktops and mobile devices.
- Simplified troubleshooting and support for WFA users, helping IT maintain safe, reliable connectivity.
**4. Alignment with market trends**
- According to Gartner, by **2026, 85%** of organizations seeking to secure web, SaaS, and private applications will obtain these capabilities from an SSE offering.
- By **2027, 65%** of new SD-WAN purchases are expected to be integrated into single-vendor SASE offerings, and **one-third** of new SASE deployments will be single-vendor.
These trends indicate that consolidating networking and security into a unified SASE model—such as Fortinet Unified SASE with FortiSASE—can help organizations stay aligned with where the market and best practices are heading, while rethinking how they support a long-term hybrid workforce.