Video: 10 Minute IT Jams - First update of the year from SonicWall

Cybersecurity is more important than ever. As companies across the Asia-Pacific region adapt to changing business needs and security threats, SonicWall is positioning itself as a key player with a focus on innovation, adaptability and rapid response to customer demands.

Speaking to 10 Minute IT Jams, Suhan Bai, a regional lead at SonicWall, described how the company has transformed since spinning off from its previous parent company and weathering the storm of the global pandemic. "Some of the challenges we had in the past two years are probably quite familiar – the pandemic, just like all others," he said.

SonicWall, which provides a wide range of firewalls and cybersecurity solutions, responded by not just pivoting to a virtual business model, but also by fine-tuning its go-to-market strategy. "We have put a tremendous effort to be very functional in the virtual world in a short period of time," Bai explained. "By reshaping our approaches in services and customer engagement, SonicWall is now today a serious player in the cybersecurity space in the region."

At the heart of this transformation is a broad offering of end-to-end security solutions that are designed to address the complexity of today's IT environments. According to Bai, the company's key products include anti-viral solutions, secure mobile access with dedicated VPNs for enterprises of all sizes, and cloud application security to support hybrid and cloud environments.

"We're also focusing on SD-WAN for distributed environments and seeing robust growth in our business now," he added.

For 2024 and beyond, Bai says the company's development teams are laser-focused on strengthening its "boundless cybersecurity story" – an approach based on three core principles: protection against unknown threats, unified management, and enabling disruptive economies.

He explained, "The first is 'know the unknown' – continuing to provide better breed protection for all our customers as a trusted advisor. The development team's key priority is still keeping and improving our core technology to ensure all our customers are well protected against the latest trends."

Unified management, the second pillar, gives customers full visibility and control of their security posture. "Development is continuing to improve new features and scalability, as customers' demands and needs change rapidly," Bai noted.

Finally, the disruptive economy principle is about delivering strong solutions at a lower total cost of ownership. "This is being done by delivering a mix and match architecture that is compatible from one to another within our end-to-end product portfolio," he said.

Cloud security and flexible deployment are at the centre of current client requirements, especially as the pandemic has forced many businesses to reconsider operations. "Most businesses have experienced negative impact from the pandemic for the past two weeks," Bai pointed out. "We believe the immediate requirement for customers is a cost-effective solution to protect their businesses."

Designed for all market sizes across Asia-Pacific, SonicWall's business model relies on regional infrastructure, support and operations teams. "We have a local presence in most countries in APJ, where we can serve our customers and partners locally," he said. "We have an original customer support care centre for all customer inquiries, as well as a regional technical support centre that is reachable via local call, email and web for 24/7 services."

Bai emphasised that the company offers comprehensive services from marketing and operations to professional services. "Pretty much everything," he said.

Asked what makes SonicWall stand out in a crowded cybersecurity space, Bai pointed to a relentless emphasis on improvement and innovation. "We never actually stop that, including product lines we have as well as our mentality in services for customers and partners," he explained. "If you ask me to pick one, then I would say our product – which is next-generation power products. These are our key core solutions."

Highlighting the "latest technology with all the new features" required by enterprises today, Bai described how the company's hardware is "far ahead of competitors" in terms of performance. He continued, "Our key innovations are continuing with our Capture ATP RTDMI for evasive and cutting-edge unknown attacks."

Bai also cited the importance of SonicWall's Secure Mobile Access (SMA) products, especially as hybrid and remote work become the norm. "Many organisations are working from home, just like myself and my team," he said. "End users and all their devices have become a first line of defence, so from an IT perspective, customers need to bring all new agents and devices back behind their existing parameters."

He described SMA VPN as an "important safeguard to customer security", with ongoing innovation to "protect more exposure points with next-generation security architecture in very large-scale deployment".

When asked how customers and partners can engage with the company, Bai outlined multiple channels for support, depending on location and needs. For customers, options include toll-free contact avenues, local service providers, or existing contractors. Partners can connect via local distributors or directly through the company's established partner channels.

As the demands on cybersecurity providers continue to grow, SonicWall's core philosophy remains focused on the future. "We are really striving for improvement and innovation," Bai concluded. "That's where our value stands."