Charting the Future of Secure Networking: Highlights from Fortinet’s 4th Annual SASE Summit

The 4th Annual Fortinet SASE Summit spotlighted the rapid evolution of secure access service edge (SASE) as the backbone of modern digital strategy. From analyst perspectives to customer success stories and live demonstrations, the event made one point clear: Unifying networking and security is no longer a choice-it's the only sustainable path forward.

Attendees heard from Gartner on market trends, Fortinet executives on Unified SASE innovation, and customers from industries as diverse as professional sports and global media. Together, these perspectives showed how convergence, intelligence, and real-world deployment are reshaping the way organizations secure users, applications, and data.

Key Insights and Takeaways

Charting the Course to SASE

Gartner VP analyst Jonathan Forest kicked off the event by explaining how SASE has become a strategic imperative as organizations adopt cloud and hybrid work models. He noted a shift toward single-vendor SASE platforms to simplify management and ensure tighter integration. Looking ahead, he pointed to AI-driven operations, Sovereign SASE, and unmanaged device protection as defining the next chapter of secure networking.

Fortinet's Vision for Unified SASE

Nirav Shah, Fortinet SVP of products and solutions, outlined how Fortinet has built its Unified SASE approach on decades of organic innovation. Powered by FortiOS, FortiGate Secure SD-WAN, and FortiSASE cloud services, Fortinet delivers security, simplicity, and scale in one unified platform. Differentiators include ASIC acceleration, global cloud infrastructure, and embedded AI services that extend protection and reduce operational burden.

Customer Spotlight: Tepper Sports & Entertainment

Rob Bence described how Unified SASE provided scouts, coaches, and stadium staff with secure, seamless access to critical applications without requiring additional headcount. Always-on access replaced cumbersome VPN logins, while automation and consolidation simplified operations. Leadership now has clear metrics on blocked threats and risk reduction, making security an integral part of strategic decision-making.

Customer Spotlight: Funke Mediengruppe

After a cyberattack disrupted operations, Funke Mediengruppe modernized its fragile VPN environment with Fortinet Unified SASE. Journalists gained frictionless secure access, while IT consolidated management under a single console. The result was greater stability, fewer support issues, and the confidence to accelerate the shift from print to digital content.

Smarter SASE with FortiAI-Assist

In a live demo, Alexandra Mehat and Jordan Thompson showed how FortiAI-Assist addresses misconfigurations, blind spots, and tool sprawl. The AI assistant automates troubleshooting and patching, cutting resolution time from hours to minutes. Integrated across SASE and SD-WAN, it empowers lean IT teams to operate with greater resilience.

Experience-Driven Insights with DEM

Rami Rammaha and Ramnath Shenai showcased Fortinet's digital experience monitoring (DEM), which provides hop-by-hop visibility into endpoint, network, and application performance. With dashboards, trend analysis, and proactive monitoring, DEM ensures a consistent user experience across hybrid environments while eliminating tool sprawl.

Securing BYOD and Unmanaged Devices

Ramnath Shenai and Claudio Salmin tackled the risks of unmanaged endpoints with an agentless approach that combines proxy controls, secure browsing, and browser extensions. Conditional access ensures data protection while preserving productivity, supporting contractors, mobile staff, and remote workers without the complexity of legacy VPNs.

Q&A: Innovation without Compromise

In a closing Q&A, Nirav Shah and Jordan Thompson emphasized that Fortinet's SASE capabilities are not stitched together through acquisitions but built organically into FortiOS. With a single agent for connectivity, ZTNA, DEM, and patching, plus AI woven throughout, Fortinet continues to deliver simplicity at scale and rapid innovation guided by customer feedback.

Conclusion

The SASE Summit underscored a defining truth: The future of secure networking lies in unification. Customers and analysts alike confirmed that convergence reduces complexity, strengthens security, and accelerates digital transformation. With AI-driven intelligence and a single platform approach, Fortinet is setting the pace for what SASE can achieve.

Didn't catch the live event? Watch the full replay and see how Fortinet Unified SASE can simplify your operations, secure your workforce, and prepare your business for the future.