How to choose the right SASE provider

March 12, 2025 · Chris Alberding · 6 min

Nearly all SD-WAN providers today offer some form of SASE, leaving customers to figure out the differences between them. In our SASE blog series, we’re shedding light on this ascending market to help navigate critical decisions around adopting a SASE solution.

Greater cloud adoption. Normalized hybrid and remote work environments. Heightened risk of cyberattacks. All of these current trends have shaped new challenges for enterprise IT teams who are tasked with ensuring the online accessibility and absolute security of an increasingly distributed remote workforce. That’s why more and more enterprises are turning to Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), an emerging cloud-based network and security framework, to meet those needs.

While SASE is gaining ground as a modern solution for next-gen connectivity and security, organizations looking to adopt this framework might be wary of its complexity. It’s not uncommon to feel confused about choosing the best SASE solution for your company’s specific needs. And, naturally, needs vary from one to another—some companies will want to focus on protecting crucial data, or streamlining security wherever there is work to be done, while others are eager to combine networking and security features in the cloud.

Every SASE provider will deliver differently on its five components, and even if a vendor says they offer all five core capabilities that doesn’t mean they will check each box off equally, especially if these components came from different technology providers. But while we can’t speak for the competition, we’ve made sure that SASE from Windstream Enterprise really checks off each and every box.

Whatever your reason may be for adopting SASE, our solution is ready to address it.

Want to know why our SASE is a cut above the rest?

The first of its’ kind: Windstream Enterprise was the first North American managed service provider to converge network and security into a fully integrated SASE solution—so you can count on us to provide the right guidance and expertise you need for implementing the solution. Our cloud-native architecture best serves mid-to-large enterprises that need help adapting to constantly shifting users, applications and work environments, while keeping their application and security policies synchronized with these changing burden-of-management endpoints.
Integrated networking + security has its advantage: There’s a wide range of benefits that end users will experience when implementing our SASE solution. For starters, our clients receive enterprise-level security to protect their network and data from cyberthreats. They’ll also see a significant improvement of performance and uptime for critical applications with dual access for increased bandwidth and resiliency. And if those weren’t good enough, SASE lowers operating costs by using cost-effective Internet connections.
Full visibility, absolute control: Our SASE solution features our best-in-class WE Connect portal, which provides you with total visibility and co-management control, all centralized via a single pane of glass for increased efficiency and a better digital experience. Furthermore, this enables easy configuration, analysis and automation of every element within a completely unified SASE framework.
Dedicated service and support: Why rely on a managed service provider for your SASE solution? Because it removes the burden of management from your organization’s IT team, freeing up time and energy for more strategic initiatives. Our SASE is backed by our Cyber Security Operations Center and Technical Service Management experts for a superior concierge experience that delivers proactive and real-time insights and support into services from Windstream Enterprise. Which gets me to my next point…
Complete your portfolio: Windstream Enterprise offers a suite of fully managed services to complement SASE, including unified communications (UC) and collaboration services, LAN Services and access management. One provider for all your needs.

How to find the right SASE solution for you

Start by asking questions. Reach out to your current partners and competing industry-leading providers to see where SASE falls on their product roadmaps, and what implementation of their technologies would look like for your company.
Compare and contrast. It’s important to understand how SASE technologies are compiled. Some solutions will require clients to rip and replace, while others will build upon an existing IT environment. Each solution must be personalized for each organization—there is no one size fits all approach. Be open to all options and look at this as an opportunity to modernize your network and security tech stack so that it can meet your company’s needs today, and more importantly, tomorrow.
Look beyond the technology. Of course, the SASE technology should be a very important factor to your decision making, but it’s not the only thing to consider. Reflect on what matters most once the technology is implemented—will your SASE provider be a true partner offering 24×7 dedicated support? What about a single platform to manage all your solutions? Does your provider go the extra step to ensure your complete satisfaction?

What’s your next move?

Still looking to learn more about what a SASE solution can offer that other technologies can’t? Or maybe you’re ready to start developing your SASE strategy? Contact our team of experts to kick off conversations today!

Learn more

Key Takeaway

Get integrated network and security, and manage it your way with SASE from Windstream Enterprise, powered by Cato Networks.

Chris Alberding

Senior Director for SD-WAN & Security, Windstream Enterprise

Chris Alberding oversees the company’s network and security solutions, and has global responsibilities for product revenue forecasts and budgets, as well as strategic and tactical expertise in product management, marketing, process design and sales operations.

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