Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 61 | Page 57

CASE STUDY
What customer demands were you experiencing prior to implementation and how has the Secure SD-WAN solution allowed you to respond to these ?
Zain ’ s strategic plans to develop a worldclass portfolio of networking and managed security services locally and globally is in line with the growing demand of our customers ’ evolving business needs in Bahrain and the region . Deploying
Fortinet ’ s NGFW with integrated Secure SD-WAN provides integrated network and security functionality in a single device . Combined with centralised management and Zero Touch provisioning , the total cost of ownership is significantly reduced .
How has the solution transformed business operations for your customers and enabled them to adapt to changing business demands ?
Due to Fortinet ’ s security-driven networking approach , the FortiGate NGFW can be tailored to meet a customer ’ s individual requirements including security protection profiles and integrated SD-WAN .
This flexibility , combined with the widerange of connectivity options available from Zain , ensures that the right protection can be deployed at every point in the network . More importantly , as the FortiGate NGFW is the central element of the Fortinet Security Fabric , Fortinet ’ s cybersecurity platform , additional cybersecurity capabilities such as web application firewall or secure email gateway , can be integrated to provide improved threat prevention and detection .
How is the solution enabling you to provide a secure and reliable service to your customers ?
Using the Zero Touch provisioning feature of Fortinet ’ s Secure SD-WAN along with the centralised FortiManager , FortiAnalyser and FortiPortal platforms that Fortinet provides , gives Zain the ability and capability to easily manage , analyse and monitor the customers ’ services .

DELIVERING A STATE-OF-THE-ART CONNECTIVITY ALONG WITH INDUSTRY- RECOGNISED NEXT-GENERATION PROTECTION FOR ANY EDGE , AT ANY SCALE , HAS GIVEN ZAIN ’ S CUSTOMERS THE ABILITY TO KEEP THEIR OPERATIONS RUNNING WITH FULL VISIBILITY AND PROTECTION .

How do Fortinet ’ s security solutions allow for seamless operation ?
Due to Fortinet ’ s philosophy of securitydriven networking , it ’ s now possible to actually eliminate individual products from a customer ’ s location in addition to their management systems .
Fortinet ’ s consolidation of networking and security functions into a single platform reduces operational complexity as well as reducing the total cost of ownership . Fortinet ’ s solutions also support cloud operations , giving customers a single viewpoint across the hybrid network .
How have customers responded to the technology and what feedback have you had ?
Zain ’ s customers have always given positive feedback to the products and services provided throughout the years , and with Fortinet ’ s Secure SD-WAN , the customer experience was enhanced due to the ease of implementation , delivery and support .
How have your staff managed the solution ?
The tight integration of Fortinet and Zain platforms streamlines networking and security activities for our technical staff .
Single pane of glass management across Fortinet ’ s Secure SD-WAN solution , NGFWs , endpoint protection and other technologies , enhances visibility into the network performance , security threats and the resulting organisational response . It also minimises management demands on network staff .
How far has the solution futureproofed operations for both Zain and its customers , and how will it allow you to progress as a cybersecure organisation ?
Delivering a state-of-the-art connectivity along with industry-recognised nextgeneration protection for any edge , at any scale , has given Zain ’ s customers the ability to keep their operations running with full visibility and protection across the entire attack surface , simplifying enterprisewide workflows and reducing the cost and complexity of operations . • www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO
57