Global cybersecurity company, Fortinet has launched its first local Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) point of presence (PoP) in Auckland, part of a global network of 160 worldwide.
The move comes in response to growing demand from across its New Zealand customer base. This investment extends Fortinet’s global SASE infrastructure footprint and highlights its commitment to investing in New Zealand’s digital resilience.
The new FortiSASE Auckland PoP will enable local organisations to securely connect to the internet, access software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications, and establish private access to business-critical applications hosted on-premises or in the cloud – all while keeping traffic within New Zealand’s borders.
This investment provides customers with low-latency connectivity, faster performance and enhanced user experience, improved resilience, and a pathway to meet increasingly stringent regulatory and governance requirements. It also makes enterprise-grade protection accessible to a much wider range of organisations, including small and medium-sized businesses. Fortinet’s decision to establish local SASE infrastructure follows demand from New Zealand customers across both enterprise and SMB sectors.
“Cybersecurity remains a top concern for New Zealand businesses, yet many organisations – from hospitals and schools through to financial institutions and exporters – are held back by complexity, cost, and limited local options,” said Matt Harrison, Sales Manager at Fortinet.
“The Auckland PoP changes that. It gives customers enterprise-grade protection within New Zealand’s borders, meaning a healthcare provider can more confidently safeguard patient records, and an SME can innovate and grow without the added risks of data leaving New Zealand. For boards and business leaders, it’s about having the freedom to innovate knowing security is built in.”
The Auckland PoP is part of Fortinet’s global SASE platform and designed to meet New Zealand’s specific requirements. The first site is hosted in the AWS Auckland region and provides customers greater confidence in continuous service availability by reducing reliance on offshore sites.
“For many New Zealand organisations, governance and regulatory compliance are as important as performance,” said Jonathan Woolley, Systems Engineering Manager at Fortinet. “Boards need to know where data is processed and that credible safeguards are in place to protect their data. By keeping traffic within New Zealand, our SASE PoP delivers that assurance.
“Whether it’s a government department, a bank, or a fast-moving start-up, customers can address sovereignty and compliance obligations while also building greater confidence in their cyber defences.”
This new site also provides benefits for neighbouring markets. In the event of a wider regional outage, the Auckland PoP will serve as an alternative for Pacific Islands and some Australian customers, further strengthening resilience across the Tasman.
Alongside its technology investment, Fortinet has grown its New Zealand team by more than 30% in the past two years. This expansion provides stronger on-the-ground support for customers and partners, while also addressing the country’s cyber skills gap through enablement and training initiatives.
“Technology is only one part of the solution. Having skilled people locally who can support, advise and enable customers is just as important,” added Harrison. “Our growth in New Zealand means we can not only deliver enterprise-grade solutions but also contribute to developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.”
The Auckland PoP forms part of a global network of more than 160 worldwide.
