BT and Netskope announce secure managed services partnership

BT has announced a new partnership with secure access service edge (SASE) specialist Netskope that will see the telecoms giant offer Netskope’s secure service edge (SSE) capabilities to its global customers. 

The latest in a string of large customer implementations delivered by the pair, the collaboration will combine Netskope’s SSE know-how and NewEdge global security private cloud footprint with BT’s network of connections with organizations across more than 180 countries.

In an announcement, BT revealed that its latest data showed that hybrid working has become a requirement for 76% of global workers, generating heightened demand for “more agile, secure connectivity”.

By leveraging Netskope’s SSE capabilities, the firm said it will be able to deliver an improved user experience that fuels productivity, while also providing increased visibility and control of network, applications, and data.

“BT’s focus is always on providing strong connectivity with the best possible experiences for our customers,” commented Tausif Awan, BT’s global solution sales director.

“Increasingly, for our business customers that means helping them navigate the access needs of a hybrid workforce while ensuring the safety of corporate systems and data.

“We are always working to ensure we are partnered with the market leading technology innovators to be able to meet our customers’ needs, and Netskope will be an important partner for us moving forward.”

Netskope’s Intelligent SSE is designed to provide granular visibility and real-time data and threat protection for cloud services, websites, and private apps that can be accessed remotely from any device.

This year, the offering was named as a leader in research firm Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for SSE for the second year running, ranking Netskope as having the highest “ability to execute” and to have the current furthest “completeness of vision” on the market.

The latest collaboration will now enable easy integration with BT customers’ technology stack, thanks to Netskope already integrating with many of the telecommunications firm’s strategic vendors and technology integration partners – including the likes of Microsoft, AWS, and CrowdStrike.

"We're excited to strengthen our collaboration with BT, addressing a key concern for global CIOs and CISOs: security transformation," said Dave Rogers, senior vice president of alliances and global channel sales at Netskope.

“BT clients will benefit from robust security measures to minimize the risk of cyber threats while aiding in meeting compliance standards, and employees will see a boost in productivity via excellent user experiences.”