Connectivity provider US Signal is delving into secure access service edge (SASE) in a big way that includes offering service beyond the company’s traditional Midwest service territory.
The company entered into a partnership that gives it North American distribution rights SASE cloud architecture from Cato Networks. SASE combines network and cloud-native security technologies and provides them as a single cloud service.
A US Signal spokesperson confirmed that, although the deal was not exclusive, it gives Cato the ability to offer the service throughout the U.S.
“While our network footprint is currently limited to the Midwest region, we are fully committed to supporting and delivering Cato SASE Cloud services to customers nationwide,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to Telecompetitor.
“This will be supported through our highly skilled and experienced team within US Signal’s Technical Operations Center (TOC) who will provide expert service and support to our customers. US Signal’s Technical Operations Center is equipped with the latest technology and staffed 24/7/365 to ensure that service and support needs are handled promptly and effectively.”
US Signal SASE
SASE networks go hand-in-hand with software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN) and are gaining in popularity because, as workforces become more geographically diverse, the networks can quickly and economically handle data traffic by eliminating the need for data to go through a highly secure centralized data center. SASE is necessary because security in branch offices and other remote work locations is not as consistent as in data centers.
US Signal provides network services, data center, connectivity, cloud hosting, colocation, and data protection and disaster recovery services. The company operates a 9,500 route mile fiber network and eight data centers in nine states in the upper Midwest.
The company was founded in 2001 and is based in Grand Rapids, MI. It was acquired earlier this year by Igneo Infrastructure Partners, a global infrastructure investment manager headquartered in Sydney. The deal was announced in September 2022 and closed in February 2023.
“US Signal is committed to delivering cutting-edge technology solutions that enable our customers to thrive in today’s competitive and rapidly changing business landscape,” CEO Dan Watts said. “Our new SD-WAN offering empowers our customers with unparalleled control over their network infrastructure, enabling their teams to enhance productivity, efficiency and flexibility.”
In March, Dell’Oro Group noted that the SASE category grew 34%.
According to Dell’Oro, there are two types of SASE: unified and disaggregated. The market research company believes the unified approach is superior because it is more tightly integrated and is comprised of components that come from the same vendor. As a result, Dell’Oro believes it will grow three times faster than the disaggregated approach.
Joan Engebretson contributed to this report
