FUTURE TECHNOLOGY
and analysing about what is happening
through trends. These devices have a
certain behaviour trend. If this changes
we spot this trend and we make a decision
accordingly. Depending on the severity of
the change or the incident we make the
appropriate decision,” explains AlHaj-Issa.
And this is a direction that Aruba plans to
increasingly invest in the coming years.
“Building smart intelligent services
to ensure that the edge is fully leveraged,
secure and agile,” is an area that is justified
according to AlHaj-Issa, since it does not
need a lot of intervention and cost to keep
it healthy and secure.
Branch network
Another component of Aruba’s investment
into the edge of the network is its software
defined branch or SDWAN solution, and
is part of its bigger strategy around the
intelligent edge. As organisations invest
significantly and expand their networks,
especially wide area networks, the level
of security does not scale in the same
manner. Aruba’s SDWAN solution is
meant to secure the organisation’s branch
network, without end-users having to
invest in complex networking hardware and
software like switches, routers and software
subscriptions. It includes security policies,
built-in firewalls, quality of service, firewall,
deep packet inspection, among others.
“With SDWAN we are bringing to these
organisations, one solution that will serve
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for all of their needs. We are innovating
and bringing in new solutions. If you take
one branch of a distributed organisation
our software and application in the
SDWAN will make it connected securely,”
says AlHaj-Issa.
For channel partners, at present
there is no certification titled as
SDWAN, and channel partners need
to certify themselves on the individual
specialisations. These include Wireless
LAN, Campus Switching, Location
Services, and Clear Pass Security. Going
forward, Aruba plans to build end-to-end
partner certifications to support software
defined networking solution, that are part
of the next generation networking roll
outs, including the intelligent edge.
“We are thinking in fiscal 2019 to
build some new competencies and new
certifications to match these new concepts.
The final names and final competencies
and certifications are not yet ready. Today,
we are certifying our partners on switching
and wireless LAN and security. But there
will be new competencies and solutions
that will make it a full solution competency
for partners to deliver A to Z,” explains
AlHaj-Issa.
Beefing security
Increased network connectivity and
high-speed networking has enabled
mobile workers to log into business
networks from anywhere including their
homes. While this may have boosted
productivity and real-time accessibility,
it has vastly increased security threats
and vulnerabilities around end-points.
Aruba’s networking solutions are therefore
building the mobile network and the
digital workplace but are also enhancing
security around end-points.
Legacy networks traditionally boosted
security around the datacentre and the
hosted applications as the basis for a stable
and secure network. But with distributed
mobile network users, the real threat is
from these end-points, that continue to
remain connected to the organisation’s
network, gaining entry from multiple local,
regional and global access points.
Aruba secures the end-points by
monitoring user and entity behavior.
Anything that is connected to the network,
whether PC or phone or IoT device, has a
level of security based on where it fits in
the organisation’s security policy and must
work in harmony with the policy. This
approach is part of a conventional cyber
security solution.
“A lot of the security breaches now
come from inside and our focus is on
inside threat management and making
the house more secure. What we do is we
secure all of these end-points. Aruba is
seeing the value of not only delivering a
mobile network and digital workplace, but
also making this secure and self-healing
and self-driving. All of these things are
part of our strategy in the coming years to
secure and make the edge of the network
smarter. Security is a corner stone today of
our future strategy,” elaborates AlHaj-Issa.
While some channel partners are
specialised in security and digital
workplace and mobility, only a few
can do the end-to-end stack of Aruba
solutions. Aruba works with all types of
channel partners, and depending on their
specialisations, delivers solutions best
suited for their end customers. But for
Aruba today, the game plan remains to
convert an increasing number of channel
partners to be able to deliver end-to-end
intelligent edge solutions.
Issue 17
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS