Converge Your Network and Security Into a Cloud-Delivered SASE Architecture
Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) converges wide area networking (SD-WAN) and network security (FWaaS, SWG, ZTNA, CASB) into a single cloud-delivered service — eliminating the complexity of backhauling traffic to data center security stacks and providing consistent security enforcement regardless of where users work.
What RLM Delivers on SASE Architecture
SASE is the right architectural direction for most enterprises, but the market is fragmented — no single vendor delivers all SASE components equally well. RLM advises on SASE platform selection, phased implementation, and the vendor architecture (single-vendor vs. best-of-breed) that matches your organization's capabilities.
How We Approach SASE Architecture
Every SASE Architecture engagement starts with what you have today and ends with something running in production — with independent evaluation in between.
Current Architecture Assessment
We assess your current network and security architecture — traffic flows, security policy complexity, inspection requirements, and the gaps between your current state and a target SASE architecture.
SASE Platform Evaluation
We evaluate SASE platforms — Palo Alto Prisma SASE, Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange, Cato Networks, Cisco+ Secure Connect, and others — against your specific requirements, emphasizing cloud integration, inspection quality, and operational complexity.
Single-Vendor vs. Best-of-Breed Architecture
Single-vendor SASE simplifies operations; best-of-breed provides best-in-class capability in each component. We advise on the architecture that matches your organization's operational maturity and security requirements.
Phased Migration Planning
SASE adoption is a multi-phase journey. We design the migration sequence — typically starting with SWG and ZTNA, then adding FWaaS and SD-WAN integration — that delivers early wins while building toward the full architecture.
SASE Architecture Evaluation Criteria
What follows is the SASE Architecture evaluation checklist we actually use — the criteria that predict outcomes rather than demo well.
SD-WAN Integration Quality
SASE value depends on SD-WAN and security components being integrated — not just sold by the same vendor. Evaluate the quality of SD-WAN integration with security services, particularly for on-premises branch traffic. Evaluate branch traffic inspection architecture and the SD-WAN to security service chain quality for each SASE platform.
Inspection Performance
Cloud-delivered security adds latency if not architected correctly. Evaluate Points of Presence (PoP) density, inspection throughput, and latency impact for your geographic locations.
Legacy Application Support
SASE architectures assume cloud-native connectivity. Evaluate how the platform handles legacy applications that require private network connectivity rather than internet-routed traffic.
Identity Integration
SASE security policies are identity-aware. Evaluate integration with your identity provider (Entra ID, Okta, Ping) and the depth of identity context available for security policy enforcement.
Operational Complexity
SASE consolidates vendors but doesn't eliminate complexity. Evaluate the management interface quality and the operational skill set required to configure, monitor, and tune a SASE environment.
Migration Risk
Migrating from on-premises security stacks to SASE carries risk — particularly for organizations with complex security policies. Evaluate the policy migration approach and the parallel-run period required to validate security coverage.
"The RLM team understood our network complexity from day one. Their vendor-neutral approach helped us find the right solution — not just the one with the biggest marketing budget."
No upfront fees, no retainer, and no obligation to act on what we find.
Where This Matters Most
Sector-specific considerations we see repeatedly in advanced networking engagements.
A Sample of the Advanced Networking Providers We Evaluate
RLM is vendor neutral. These are among 600+ providers in our evaluation set — inclusion here is not an endorsement, and we are paid by the provider you choose, not by any provider in particular. How that works →
Ready to Get SASE Architecture Right?
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