Fortinet sets up telco division, appoints two regional directors

By Digital News Asia January 16, 2014

APAC security appliance market for telecom service providers to grow at a CAGR of 9.6%
Industry vets Ng and Chang to lead MSSP and telco data centre business respectively

Fortinet sets up telco division, appoints two regional directors NETWORK security specialist Fortinet has set up a Carrier & Service Provider division within its South-East Asia and Hong Kong operations, and appointed Ng Hwee Boon (pic, left) and Chang Wai Leong (right, standing) as regional directors to head the division.

The appointments are part of Fortinet’s strategy to capitalise on regional carriers' rapid growth as they strive to support new businesses being set up in developing regions, and urbanising consumers eager to embrace smart mobile technologies, the company said in a statement.

Ng will spearhead Fortinet's managed security services business while Chang will focus on telco data centres.

Frost & Sullivan forecasts that the Asia Pacific security appliance market for telecom service providers will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.6%, increasing from US$511.8 million in 2013 to US$863.4 million in 2019, Fortinet said.

For Malaysia specifically, this market will grow at a CAGR of 11.2%, rising from US$16.9 million in 2013 to US$30.7 million in 2019.

“Sophisticated and targeted attacks against businesses have grown to such an extent that many inhouse IT teams are finding it hard to keep up,” said Cathy Huang, industry manager of the ICT Practice at Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific.

“This drives organisations to turn to external parties for help − managed security service providers are best placed to provide this expertise and their business will grow steadily in the years ahead,” she added.

Fortinet claims its products empower managed security service providers (MSSPs) with best-of-breed and adaptive security that fits any environment – SME (small and medium enterprise), enterprise, data centre or service provider networks.

Its flagship FortiGate network security platforms make up the backbone of MSSPs' security portfolios, providing multiple advanced security controls in a single high performance appliance.

For data centre deployments, Fortinet’s high-performance firewall technologies enable the protection, flexibility, scalability and manageability customers demand, the company claimed.

The FortiGate platform, which combines a high-performance firewall with fully integrated security technologies such as anti-malware, application control, and intrusion prevention, enables extensive protection profiles for in-depth defence.

Regional customers include carriers like SingTel, Maxis, VADS, Globe, Smart and SmarTone.

Foritnet said Ng and Chang are veterans with more than two decades of experience each in senior business management and sales roles.

Ng has worked for SingTel, Tata Communications and Cisco Systems, while Chang has served with SingTel, OpenNet and Conversant Solutions. Both have an extensive network of industry contacts and thorough knowledge of sales, channel and support functions in the telecom space.

“Key sectors like telecom, banking and government have become vital pillars of our business as the region grows," said George Chang, Fortinet's vice president for South-East Asia & Hong Kong.

“Dedicated regional executives like Ng and Chang − together with local vertical staff we will hire over the coming months − will take Fortinet to the next level in understanding and responding to customers' unique needs in each industry," he added.