Fortinet Invests in UBIqube SDN Orchestration

Fortinet, which specializes in network security solutions, has made a strategic investment in network functions virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) orchestration solution provider UBIqube. Other investors include Fujitsu and NTT DOCOMO Ventures.

The UBIqube investment will drive ongoing joint product development and training, sales enablement and distribution strategies, Fortinet said in a prepared statement.

UBIqube provides a vendor-agnostic SDN and NFV orchestration solution to help enterprises and service providers deploy new security functionality, Fortinet indicated.

Together, Fortinet's Security Fabric end-to-end network security solution and UBIqube's MSActivator orchestration framework enable enterprises and service providers to provision, manage and automate security services, according to Fortinet.

The combined solution can help enterprises and service providers reduce operational complexity and costs and boost design flexibility and service customization, Fortinet stated.

In addition, Fortinet said UBIqube's abstraction middleware technology allows end users to embed the combined solution into Internet of Things (IoT) platforms to deliver automated security for the IoT through device visibility and network segmentation.

A Closer Look at the UBIqube Investment

The UBIqube investment illustrates Fortinet's commitment to developing an open ecosystem with security automation across multi-vendor environments, according to Fortinet.

It highlights Fortinet's mission to foster security innovation for virtualized network functions and software-defined networks, the company noted.

"Fortinet is committed to advancing cybersecurity innovation through ongoing product development, partnerships and strategic investments," John Whittle, Fortinet's vice president of corporate development & strategic alliances and general counsel, said in a prepared statement. "Our investment in UBIqube further demonstrates our commitment to deliver an automated Security Fabric that helps protect multi-vendor networks."

Meanwhile, Fortinet remains in growth mode. Revenues hit $340.6 million in Q1 2017, up about 20 percent from Q1 2016.

"The Fortinet Security Fabric is gaining significant traction with customers as demonstrated by the strength in large, multi-product deals and our continued expansion into the largest enterprises around the world," Fortinet CEO Ken Xie asserted.