Aryaka releases SASE, managed SD-WAN offerings

Network-as-a-service company Aryaka Networks Inc. has added a midsize business tier to its managed software-defined WAN and introduced security services built on a secure access service edge architecture.

This week, Aryaka introduced the products and a new global L3 network called FlexCore. Aryaka calls the SASE services Prime, while the other product adds an EZ tier for smaller businesses to the company's SmartConnect SD-WAN. Prime is Aryaka's first SASE product.

Prime adds to Aryaka's managed SD-WAN security features, including a secure web gateway, web filtering, and a cloud-based firewall. The SASE services run on only SmartConnect EZ. The company plans to eventually add Prime to SmartConnect Pro.

Aryaka built Prime on technology from the May acquisition of Secucloud, a German cloud-based SASE platform provider. Aryaka plans to make Prime generally available in April.

The new EZ SmartConnect operates on the more cost-efficient L3 FlexCore. The company's enterprise version, rebranded Pro, continues running on the company's higher-performing L2 network. Aryaka plans to make EZ available late in the first quarter of 2022.

Aryaka has not released pricing for SmartConnect EZ or Prime.

The global L3 network FlexCore supplements Aryaka's existing L2 service. Because FlexCore operates on Layer 3 of the OSI model -- which networks through routing -- instead of Layer 2  -- which networks through code -- it is more flexible, lower cost and lower performing than the L2 service, said Aryaka CMO Shashi Kiran.

In general, midsize businesses have less performance-intensive networking needs and a smaller IT budget than Aryaka's mostly large enterprise customers, Kiran said.

According to Zeus Kerravala, founder of ZK Research, more midsize businesses have had to turn to network-as-a-service companies like Aryaka to support the higher number of employees working from home during the pandemic.

With so many people working from home, a midsize company that once had a small network "now has a big network," Kerravala said. Therefore, he said he expects companies smaller than enterprises to sign up for managed SD-WAN and SASE services.

Aryaka also announced the release of AppAssure, a software capability that delivers greater visibility and observability to more than 3,500 software-as-a-service applications. The service is free for existing customers and will be generally available in January.

Madelaine Millar is a news writer covering network technology at TechTarget. She has previously written about science and technology for MIT's Lincoln Laboratory and the Khoury College of Computer Science, as well as covering community news for Boston Globe Media.