IT Brief New Zealand - Technology news for CIOs & IT decision-makers
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WatchGuard introduces WIFI management into cloud portfolio
Wed, 10th Nov 2021
FYI, this story is more than a year old

WatchGuard Technologies has announced the launch of Wi-Fi in WatchGuard Cloud, along with a new lineup of Wi-Fi 6-enabled access points.

According to the company, the addition of Wi-Fi in WatchGuard Cloud provides cross-platform integration and centralised management of all WatchGuard products, dramatically simplifying how partners purchase, deploy and manage WatchGuard's products and services, while the new APs give customers enhanced connectivity, performance, and best-in-class security.

"The MSP market continues to grow at an accelerated pace, driving partners to look for centralised solutions that simplify deployment and management for customers while delivering the highest levels of security," says Andrew Young, senior vice president of product management at WatchGuard.

"Wi-Fi in WatchGuard Cloud and the new APs give partners the ability to layer on Wi-Fi-as-a-Service for customers and integrate it with our complete portfolio of security services like firewall, endpoint protection, MFA, and more," he says.

"Wi-Fi is an integral part of our Unified Security Platform, and now that its integrated with WatchGuard Cloud, it will help further scale business growth for MSPs and further reduce costs."

WatchGuard Cloud helps solution providers that have struggled to work across various management systems to deploy and manage security for customers. A recent survey of MSP executives found that 95% felt that maintaining multiple interfaces decreases the productivity and efficiency of managing their customers security. Wi-Fi in WatchGuard Cloud and the single pane of glass experience of WatchGuards Unified Security Platform dramatically reduces IT overhead and improves overall usability while cutting infrastructure costs.

WatchGuard's new APs provide next-generation technology to future proof deployments. The launch of AP130, AP330, and AP430CR comes as the availability of Wi-Fi 6-enabled devices continues to grow. With support for WPA3, the highest level of encryption, and cutting-edge Wi-Fi 6 technology, these new APs are perfect for small to midsize companies and distributed enterprise customers looking for the most secure Wi-Fi configuration.

Some of the key features of Wi-Fi in WatchGuard Cloud include:

  • One Platform with Multiple Applications A single true cloud platform reduces the complexity of managing multiple services for customers. This includes simplified management, eliminating physical or virtual infrastructure, speeding onboarding, streamlining maintenance, and more.
  • Multi-Tier and Multi-Tenant Capabilities Manage, configure, and report on Wi-Fi connectivity and performance for each customer from one platform with a single interface. Build recurring revenue models, gauge the value of flexible payment options, and choose complementary models from WatchGuard FlexPay programs.
  • Reporting and Visibility  Complete insight into crucial information such as signal strength coverage, wireless client bandwidth consumption, access point utilization, and client distribution.
  • Networking and Troubleshooting Detect failures and anomalies, and other connectivity issues.
  • Security Enterprise-grade Wi-Fi security standards, WPA3 encryption, protected management frames, RADIUS authentication, Secure VPN tunneling, and more.
  • Captive Portal Delivered by a custom-branded portal to match companies branding guidelines, and interrupt guest devices from accessing the network until users accept the terms and conditions to connect.
  • Additional Integrations Better and faster integrations with WatchGuard's complete product portfolio. API availability for customer data such as license, expiration, and inventory through WatchGuard Cloud that enables integration with third-party management platforms.