FatPipe Plugs Into Azure

Software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN) provider FatPipe Networks this week announced the availability of FatPipe SD-WAN for Azure, which will enable its SD-WAN customers to get direct connections into the Microsoft Azure cloud.

By hosting an virtual endpoint, or gateway in Azure, the FatPipe SD-WAN service will offer improved connection and customer experience for access to Azure applications and cloud-hosted business applications such as Microsoft Office 365. FatPipe says the direct cloud access will speed up connections and avoid problems such as session drops. FatPipe does this by hosting a specific FatPipe virtual machine on the Azure platform.

FatPipe's move follows a trend of SD-WAN software and service vendors that are partnering with Microsoft and other cloud providers to provide integrated services for WAN connectivity to cloud apps -- improving performance and providing convenience. By plugging SD-WAN host gateways directly into the cloud, cloud-hosted applications can be managed for a better experience. For example, Citrix, Riverbed, and Azure have announced partnership with Microsoft Azure using the Microsoft Azure Marketplace.

FatPipe SD-WAN for Azure is built around FatPipe's MPSec technology, which it said provides the highest possible WAN transmission security versus standard encryption. The improved security is targeted at multinational corporations, embassies, and government agencies that want to use cloud applications but are concerned about security and compromised ISPs.

FatPipe uses its own flavor of MPSec technology, which it says provides a better rate of WAN transmission security than standard encryption. The MPSec tunnels are encrypted to the FIPS 140-2 standard certified by NIST.

The FatPipe for Azure service will include a full suite of features for the virtualized WAN connection, including WAN optimization, network visibility and reporting, virtual private network (VPN), and QoS.

The Azure move keeps the scrappy, Utah-based FatPipe on the SD-WAN radar as a top provider that keeps adding features, despite the fact that many Silicon Valley-based SD-WAN companies have a higher profile. FatPipe says it has 11 U.S. patents and more than 180 technology claims related to multi-path, software-defined
networking and selective encryption of broadband networks. It has been featured in Futuriom's SD-WAN Growth Report for the past two years.