Three Great Managed Service Providers Share Their Experiences With Fortinet
Finding the right cybersecurity solutions for your small-to-mid-sized company can be challenging. With so many options on the market, it can be difficult to compare features, services, and other important points. When your business offers managed IT services, however, the process of choosing the right software and system components becomes even more urgent.
Fortinet works with IT companies to safeguard online content, network access, and proprietary data, but how can you be sure that it's the right solution for your IT concerns? Recently, three tech experts came together to discuss the unique features and capabilities of Fortinet cybersecurity systems. Joe Young of Global Data Systems, Ernie Sherman of Fuelled Networks, and Adam Fadhli of Discovery IT came together to discuss the pros and cons of Fortinet systems. Each of these IT professionals has many years of practical experience in various aspects of IT management. Their companies offer a wide range of IT services to businesses from diverse industries. With their technical and working knowledge of the IT needs of all kinds of businesses, they are able to provide guidance that software buyers can trust. Here is a review of their pros and cons for Fortinet systems.
Cybersecurity Isn't Just a Technical Thing
Ernie Sherman, one of the panelists on the discussion, works with an IT company that helps businesses in Ottawa, Canada keep their data secure without sacrificing overall network efficiency. For many years, Ernie's company worked with another cybersecurity company. However, the decision was made to switch themselves and their own clients over to Fortinet.
Why would Ernie's company risk a long and satisfying partnership with their previous company to move over to Fortinet? The company they were working with experienced a period of fluctuation. During that time, Ernie and his associates found it difficult to find knowledgeable and capable contact people to help them work through their issues and concerns. By turning to Fortinet for their cybersecurity needs, Ernie's company was able to gain all the benefits of having a dedicated and available account representative.
- An advocate who always has your best interests in mind.
- A centralized contact point that has all the necessary details on your needs, preferences, and performance.
- Someone with enough technical expertise to continuously suggest improvements and additions that increase network security.
Despite the fact that Ernie's company had a long history with their previous provider, the quality of the relationship had degraded. Fortinet gives all of their clients a personal representative who helps manage their account, equipment, and services. This level of support and communication makes it easier for a more productive business relationship.
Unparalleled Support from Fortinet Technicians
When Ernie's company decided to change vendors, it wasn't a quick process. His service team took a full year to evaluate the services and capabilities Fortinet offers. This included frequent on-site training sessions that taught employees and technicians how to get the most out of their new cybersecurity set-up. In their quest to woo Ernie's company into their roster of clients, Fortinet agents were frequently willing to go above and beyond the normal expectations of IT services.
Joe Young, who works with healthcare technology giant, Global Data Systems, is another panelist to speak on the technical support provided by their new cybersecurity partner. As a healthcare company, Global Data Systems must uphold federal regulations based on the HIPAA Security Rule. The guidelines and standards laid out in the rule mandate that servers and computer networks used by healthcare companies be capable of the following:
- Limit access to personal information to ensure that private details stay confidential. Network technicians must take measures to ensure the integrity of private data while also providing easy-to-navigate access for those with the right credentials.
- Anticipate reasonable threats and take measures to stop them before they happen. This includes the services offered by Fortinet, such as installing firewalls, email and application security, and cloud security solutions.
- Keep all agents of the company in full compliance with the regulations. Fortinet's impressive training standards are a way to ensure all users on a healthcare network are aware, efficient, and accountable.
In a healthcare setting, the right security software makes it easier for administrative, clinical, and support team members to protect their patient's personal information. However, it doesn't do much good if team members don't know how to use it.
Fortinet creates a security fabric that covers every aspect of a business's technical operations. Their training gives users the tools to maximize the effectiveness of their security systems.
Flexible Cloud Framework
As businesses continue to adopt a more global perspective, cloud computing becomes a more necessary part of daily processes. In 2017, the public cloud computing market reached $130 billion USD. These numbers represent the data of individuals, governments, and corporate entities around the world. All of those files floating through cyberspace are a tempting target for hackers and scammers. Companies that want to take advantage of the mobility that cloud computing offers need a strong security strategy to protect against unauthorized access. However, some security solutions can be too restrictive or rigidly structured to actually be useful. In these cases, rather than seeing an increase in productivity, companies can find their employees locked out and losing patience with their cloud applications and storage.
Ernie Sherman, the third panelist, spoke on his experiences with Fortinet's cloud computing capabilities. Over his years of experience with the security platform, Ernie mentions that their overall approach to cloud-based security has improved significantly. According to Ernie, the product they offer today is flexible enough to fit almost any company's needs. What makes these programs so adaptable?
- Multiple configuration portals to fit your team's specifications.
- Fluent integration with existing systems and hardware.
- A selection of physical components to create a hybrid system that protects both cloud and desktop applications.
Whether you're protecting a public or private network or offer professional cloud security services to your own clients, Fortinet's flexible framework gives you the ability to create a system that meets your company's unique needs.
A Strong Sales Partner
All of the panelists work for companies that provide IT services to other companies. While they don't always recommend Fortinet to their clients, all three agree that it is one of their most popular solutions.
The directors at Fortinet recognize that when their partners win, they also win. To support this belief, the company offers extensive sales and product supports that allow IT companies to better meet their own clients' demands. Their efforts include:
- Access to the worldwide network of resellers, partners, and distributors for networking and collaborative opportunities.
- Advanced services that enable continuous improvements in the services and products clients receive.
- The option of working with a designated Fortinet engineer on client projects.
Fortinet is dedicated to the success of every client, including resellers and distributors. Other marketing materials and in-person supports are used to ensure that every client gets the chance to see the full potential of this fabric.
Panelist Adam Fadhli speaks about his experience as a Fortinet customer in a secondary market. Even though his company's headquarters is nearly 100 miles away from Fortinet's Houston headquarters, he states that he still gets amazing support and attention from their field staff. However, he states that he still gets amazing support and attention from their field staff. Throughout their relationship, Fortinet representatives have visited Adam's company headquarters several times to conduct training, perform evaluations, or just talk about how things are working out. According to Adam, he often has a problem convincing vendor representatives to take time out of their schedules for an in-person meeting. He also mentions that they've coordinated successful sales campaigns that brought in lucrative clients for both businesses.
Ernie Sherman's Ottawa IT consulting company also receives high levels of personal attention from Fortinet. He speaks highly of their 24/7 sales support. In his experience, there is always an informed and capable sales engineer available to help with whatever their people need to assistance.
Fortinet: Flexible, Efficient, Supportive
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