Masergy Extends LAN Invasion With Managed WiFi Incursion

WAN provider Masergy has ambitions on the LAN, and is launching a managed WiFi service to help enterprises unify managing their WANs and LANs from a single console.

Managed WiFi is nothing new, but Masergy Communications Inc. 's twist is its unified management model and security, Paul Ruelas, director of network products, tells Light Reading. Masergy's management console provides visibility into applications, security, SD-WAN and now WiFi.

"We can give [enterprises] routing, switching, and secure WiFi," Sunita Mani, Masergy director of marketing, tells Light Reading. The combination of secure WiFi and SD-WAN gives enterprises the ability to provision networks quickly for new offices, providing the necessary cloud and Internet of Things connectivity.

Masergy Secure WiFi is part of the company's Secure Hybrid Networking service. Secure WiFi is available on a Fortinet Inc. edge device from Masergy, along with firewall.

Figure 1: Masergy's enterprise WiFi is managed and secure -- but is it gluten-free?

Light Reading is bringing together all of the key players in the automation revolution in a NEW location! Don't miss the Telco Automation Everywhere event on April 2 in New York City. Join us as we tackle the business and technology challenges behind building autonomous networks. This event is free for communications service providers -- register today!

Masergy has ambitious plans to grow from a company with $306 million revenue in 2017 to a $1 billion player, says CEO James Parker, who took Masergy's big chair in December. (See Masergy CEO: How We'll Get to $1BN .)

Masergy provides global secure hybrid networking, cloud communications and managed security services, but until recently that was strictly on the WAN. Masergy launched its LAN incursion in October, with a line of managed secure switches that enable enterprises to manage wired Ethernet data and phones at 1, 10 and 40 Gbit/s, with Power over Ethernet options. Masergy says its typical customers are geographically dispersed medium and large enterprises looking to operate in multiple cities.

Related posts:

— Mitch Wagner Executive Editor, Light Reading