Netskope expands SASE footprint, bolsters AI and automation

Netskope is expanding its global presence by adding multiple regions to its NewEdge carrier-grade infrastructure, which now includes more than 75 locations to ensure processing remains close to end users. The secure access service edge (SASE) provider also enhanced its digital experience monitoring (DEM) capabilities with AI-powered root-cause analysis and automated network diagnostics.

“We are announcing continued expansion of our infrastructure and our continued focus on resilience. I’m a believer that nothing gets adopted if end users don’t have a great experience,” says Netskope CEO Sanjay Beri. “We monitor traffic, we have multiple carriers in every one of our more than 75 regions, and when traffic goes from us to that destination, the path is direct.”

[ Related: What is SASE? How the cloud marries networking and security ]

Netskope added regions including data centers in Calgary, Helsinki, Lisbon, and Prague as well as expanded existing NewEdge regions including data centers in Bogota, Jeddah, Osaka, and New York City. Each data center offers customers a range of SASE capabilities including cloud firewalls, secure web gateway (SWG), inline cloud access security broker (CASB), zero trust network access (ZTNA), SD-WAN, secure service edge (SSE), and threat protection. The additional locations enable Netskope to provide coverage for more than 220 countries and territories with 200 NewEdge Localization Zones, which deliver a local direct-to-net digital experience for users, the company says.

“Netskope has direct control over its infrastructure, with full compute at the edge and all SSE services available in every region (including Mainland China). That control eliminates the need to backhaul traffic or leverage virtual POPs that add latency and negatively affect the digital experience,” Netskope said in a statement.

Industry watchers say the underlying infrastructure from a provider is the key to giving customers the secure networking services they need without worrying about performance degradations.

“When it comes to delivering modern networking and security services, outcomes are what truly matter, and architecture is foundational to achieving good outcomes,” said Pete Finalle, IDC research manager, security & trust, in a statement. “It’s not enough to have all the right security tools or network services or even that they’ve converged. It is the underlying architecture that allows customers to depend on both security efficacy and network performance, and Netskope delivers strong protection without sacrificing performance.”

Netskope also announced it has updated its Netskope Trust Portal, a public interface that offers Netskope customers and others a real-time view into the state of the Netskope cloud backed by live data. Beri says the portal is part of the company’s efforts to remain transparent and provide visibility into its infrastructure performance, locations, and service status. Netskope also expanded the availability of its NewEdge Route Control capabilities, which the company says keeps network traffic flowing via dynamic selection and prioritization of optimized routes for end-to-end performance.

With this release, Netskope added automated network diagnostics to its NewEdge Digital Experience Management (DEM) product. Also new to DEM is AI-powered User Experience Root Cause Analysis (RCA), which the company says automates issue detection and resolution. According to Netskope, this gives frontline helpdesk teams real-time insights into user experience degradation and integrates with IT service management systems to improve incident management efficiency.

“By integrating AI, IT teams move from firefighting to proactive optimization, ensuring better performance, stronger security, and a seamless user experience—solving issues before they disrupt operations,” wrote Francisca Segovia, Netskope product marketing director, in a Netskope blog.

All updates are available now.