“One theory is that one provider builds everything together with the idea that this will Top Questions to Ask Your Trusted be easier,” said Rich Korn of Masergy. “The Advisor other option is best-of-breed. You want the simplest design that does not degrade your application performance and your security • How should we design a SASE roadmap? requirements.” “Our position favors ‘best of breed,’ but you’d • How does SASE work, compared to my better have a managed services overlay,” current technology? countered Matt Douglas. “So, our approach to date has been using best of breed but delivering it in a bundled fashion, out of the • Will SASE replace MPLS, VPNs, SD-WAN, same project management teams, the same or similar technologies? support teams, the same deployment teams. You’ve got to deliver a best-of-breed solution • Help me quantify the business value. that feels like a bundle and can be supported like a bundle.” Meanwhile, bear in mind that, for the • How can SASE reduce my need for foreseeable future, interpretations of what security-related apps and MSP services? constitutes SASE will likely be widely variable. Vendors will most likely draw those definitions • How will SASE impact the ability of apps based on the security and networking and services to work together? segments from which they enter the SASE landscape. For example, some are more focused on cloud-native offerings while others • How difficult is implementation and use? are more driven by appliances in the customer premises. Such variations in approach are • How do the vendors compare against common to new technologies, but it also one another? requires end customers to be diligent in developing a vision for their desired end state. Doing so will go a long way towards ensuring • How much training will be needed, and that expenditures are properly aligned. for whom? “You’ll also want to understand the ecosystems,” added McKinnon. “As you consider different • What feedback are you getting from options, it’s important to know exactly what earlier customers? the product offerings are. Some have acquired companies and have not fully integrated it, whereas others have done a really good job of this.” Copyright © 2021 AVANT Communications, Inc. AVANT | SASE 6-12 Report | 20