What's Happening?
CBTS, a North American technology services company, has partnered with Fortinet to launch CBTS Fortinet Managed Services. This new offering provides fully managed secure networking services designed for mid-market and multi-site organizations. The service aims
to help these organizations modernize their aging infrastructure, enhance security, and support growth without requiring additional in-house network and security personnel. The service integrates Fortinet's firewalls, switching, wireless, and SD-WAN into a single platform, with CBTS handling the assessment, design, deployment, and 24/7 operations. This initiative addresses the challenges faced by mid-market organizations, which often struggle with sophisticated cyber threats, platform sprawl, talent scarcity, rising costs, and the increasing pressure from AI-enabled threats, as highlighted by Forrester Research for the 2027 planning cycle. Michael O’Brien, US RVP of Carrier Services at Fortinet, stated that this collaboration provides a simpler way for mid-market organizations to modernize their networks with unified support.
Why It's Important?
This collaboration is significant for the U.S. business landscape, particularly for mid-market and multi-site organizations across various industries such as healthcare, retail, financial services, manufacturing, and consumer packaged goods. These organizations often lack the resources and specialized staff to combat increasingly sophisticated cyber threats effectively. The managed service model offers a solution by providing access to advanced cybersecurity infrastructure and expert management at a predictable monthly cost, eliminating the need for significant upfront capital investment and additional headcount. This can lead to improved cyber resilience, reduced operational complexity, and a more consistent network and security foundation. Companies that adopt this service stand to gain enhanced protection against cyberattacks and a streamlined approach to IT management, while those that do not may remain vulnerable to evolving threats and incur higher costs associated with managing disparate security systems.
What's Next?
CBTS Fortinet Managed Services is currently available across North America. Organizations, even those not currently using Fortinet products, can benefit from this service, as CBTS includes migration support with a dedicated project manager. The service aims to provide a consistent way for multi-site organizations to open new locations, maintain policy across sites, and modernize infrastructure without expanding their internal engineering functions. The subscription model also incorporates hardware refresh and ongoing management into a single predictable monthly cost. This approach is expected to gain traction as AI increases the speed and complexity of cyber threats, making it more challenging for lean IT teams to manage security independently. The success of early implementations, such as for a quick-service restaurant chain with over 100 locations, suggests a viable path for broader adoption.
Beyond the Headlines
The launch of this managed service reflects a broader trend in the cybersecurity industry: the increasing convergence of networking and security, and the growing reliance on managed services to address the cybersecurity talent gap. As cyber threats become more advanced, partly due to the accessibility of AI tools for attackers, businesses are seeking integrated, simplified, and expertly managed solutions. This shift highlights the ethical imperative for cybersecurity providers to not only develop robust technologies but also to make them accessible and manageable for organizations of all sizes. The 'one platform, one partner, one predictable cost' model could become a standard for how mid-market companies approach their IT infrastructure, fostering greater security and operational efficiency across the U.S. economy. It also underscores the importance of partnerships between technology providers and service companies to deliver comprehensive solutions.
