Expereo & Cato unite to simplify global WAN security

Expereo and Cato Networks have agreed to a partnership that combines managed connectivity services with cloud-based network security for multinational customers.

The arrangement lets enterprises buy network access and security through a single commercial relationship, rather than managing separate contracts with multiple suppliers. The partnership was announced at TechEx London.

A central element of the deal is a direct connection from Expereo's connectivity services into Cato's private global network. The companies said the link is designed to improve speed and reliability for corporate users and sites.

One supplier

Large organisations often run wide area networks that mix legacy private circuits with public internet links. Many also use separate security services for branch offices, remote workers, cloud environments, and on-premise sites. This structure can increase operational overhead, particularly when companies expand into new regions or integrate acquisitions.

Expereo sells managed connectivity services and works with a large partner ecosystem across many countries. Cato Networks sells a secure access service edge platform that delivers networking and security controls from the cloud.

Under the partnership, Expereo will provide the underlying connectivity and related managed services, while Cato provides the security and network overlay through its platform. Customers will be able to procure both through Expereo, according to the companies.

Noel Hamill said the goal is to simplify procurement and operations for global IT teams.

"This collaboration is about eliminating complexity. Together with Cato, we're removing the need for multiple vendors and fragmented solutions. Enterprises can now move faster, scale smarter, and operate more securely - with one platform and one global partner," said Noel Hamill, CMO, Expereo.

Direct on-ramps

The tie-up includes direct "on-ramps" from Expereo's network services into Cato's private backbone. Depending on local access conditions and routing, this can reduce the number of network hops between a corporate site and the security service edge. It could also speed up the rollout of new sites, since the security layer is delivered from the cloud rather than dedicated appliances at each location.

Cato said its backbone includes more than 85 points of presence. Expereo said its connectivity partner network spans more than 190 countries. The companies said the combination is intended to support multinational firms with dispersed sites, including smaller branches and remote locations.

Jason Pender positioned the partnership as an alternative to wide area networking models based on private circuits and multiple specialist suppliers.

"We're thrilled to collaborate with Expereo," said Jason Pender, AVP of Global Service Providers, Cato Networks. "Our combined capabilities offer a disruptive alternative to legacy MPLS and multi-vendor chaos. This is the future of secure enterprise networking - simple and global."

Management platform

The partnership also includes plans to use Expereo's expereoOne platform for service management and visibility. Expereo said the platform enables enterprises to monitor network performance across the connectivity layer and security overlay, with real-time views and validation.

For customers, the management layer is likely to be a key differentiator versus buying connectivity from one supplier and security from another. A combined dashboard could also streamline day-to-day troubleshooting, where the boundary between network performance and security policy can complicate fault isolation.

The companies cited a combined addressable market of USD $105 billion across secure access service edge and connectivity. They also pointed to continued customer migration away from multiprotocol label switching networks, which have been widely used for managed corporate wide area networks for decades.

Expereo said it serves a large share of the Fortune 500. The company was acquired in 2021 by Vitruvian Partners, which took a majority holding from Seven2.

Both vendors linked the partnership to broader technology programmes at large companies, including changes in application architectures and increased reliance on cloud services. They said the joint approach reduces the need for enterprises to stitch together multiple suppliers when rolling out connectivity and security across regions.

Hamill said the agreement is focused on operational simplicity for global enterprises.