Windstream Integrates SRA, WE Connect to Beef Up SASE Capabilities

Windstream Enterprise has integrated its secure remote access (SRA) user management capabilities into its WE Connect customer portal.

This integration of SRA control with WE Connect allows for co-management of the service. And it’s an additional step in Windstream Enterprise’s deployment of a secure access service edge (SASE) offering.

Mike Frane is vice president of product management for Windstream Enterprise.

Windstream’s Mike Frane

“Partners can access the management control for SRA if their customers have authorized their co-management of their services,” he said. “This allows the agents to provide additional managed service capabilities to their customers.”

WE Connect is a network visibility and management tool. It gives businesses real-time access to all the information about their communications services in one place. It also includes functions that enable them to manage and optimize their network services.

SRA ensures connections to the network are encrypted over the internet. Furthermore, it gives enterprises control over network access, internal applications and resources.

Visibility and Control

“This integration puts visibility and control for remote user access, cloud and premises security and SD-WAN, the key components of the SASE, all in one location for the end user, which leads to a much streamlined digital experience,” Frane said.

Companies with disparate security and network providers can consolidate their SD-WAN network management and security with one business partner.

“SRA can prevent unauthorized access to networks,” Frane said. “And managed network security (MNS) is a full-featured next-generation firewall that protects the network from external threats, while SD-WAN securely connects the enterprise’s locations to each other and to the Windstream Cloud Core network.”

“For more than a decade, WE Connect has been the cornerstone of the Windstream Enterprise self-service and co-managed service model,” said Mike Flannery, Windstream Enterprise‘s CMO.

Digital transformation coupled with the pandemic have driven an unprecedented wave of remote and cloud-based work, he said. It’s taxing legacy network models, accelerating network transformations to SD-WAN and driving new security challenges.

“Our expertise and cutting-edge, cloud-based next-generation firewalls, SD-WAN and secure remote access technology give businesses peace of mind that their network is highly reliable, efficient and secure,” Flannery said.