Secure Your Enterprise with Open Systems Managed SASE Solutions
Open Systems provides Managed SASE and SD-WAN solutions for global enterprises, combining Swiss-engineered security with 24/7 expert-led SOC operations.
Overview
Open Systems is a leading global provider of Managed Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) services. Founded in Switzerland in 1990 and now headquartered in Redwood City, California, and Zurich, the company has evolved from a network security specialist into a premier managed service provider for complex, global enterprises. Open Systems focuses on helping organizations navigate the digital transformation journey by securing their transition to the cloud and supporting the hybrid workforce.
The company’s core offering is its SASE platform, which converges wide-area networking (SD-WAN) with comprehensive cloud-delivered security functions. This is complemented by their MXDR service, which provides 24/7 monitoring, threat detection, and incident response. Open Systems serves approximately 10,000 locations across 180+ countries, demonstrating a massive global footprint and the ability to handle the logistical and regulatory complexities of international business.
Throughout its history, Open Systems has maintained a reputation for "Swiss-engineered" reliability. They primarily target mid-to-large market enterprises that require sophisticated security postures but lack the internal resources to build and maintain a 24/7 global SOC. Their market presence is particularly strong in sectors with high security and compliance requirements, such as manufacturing, financial services, and chemicals. By providing a fully managed experience, Open Systems allows internal IT teams to shift their focus from "keeping the lights on" to strategic digital initiatives.
Positioning
Open Systems positions itself as the "worry-free" choice for global enterprise networking and security. Their competitive positioning strategy is built around the "Managed SASE" category, where they differentiate from pure-play technology vendors (like Zscaler or Palo Alto Networks) by providing the expert human layer required to operate the technology effectively. They also differentiate from traditional Telecommunications carriers (Telcos) by offering greater agility, a more integrated security stack, and superior engineering support.
Their key messaging centers on the "Power of Experience," highlighting their 30+ years of operational history and the maturity of their platform. They position themselves as a specialist partner for the Microsoft security ecosystem, often targeting enterprises that have committed to Microsoft 365 and Azure but need an expert partner to manage the underlying security complexity.
In terms of brand positioning, Open Systems leans into its heritage of precision and reliability. While many competitors focus on "speeds and feeds" or the latest buzzwords, Open Systems focuses on "Business Peace of Mind." Their messaging is tailored to the C-suite (CIOs and CISOs) who are concerned with risk mitigation, global scalability, and the talent gap in cybersecurity. By framing their offering as a comprehensive service rather than a collection of features, they successfully move the conversation from a cost-center discussion to a strategic partnership.
Differentiation
The Open Systems product suite is built on a unified, cloud-native SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) platform that integrates SD-WAN, firewall, SWG, CASB, and ZTNA into a single stack. A key technical differentiator is their "single-pass" architecture, which processes traffic once for all security and networking functions, significantly reducing latency and complexity compared to "bolted-on" security solutions.
Innovation at Open Systems is currently focused on their Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) capabilities. By leveraging deep integration with the Microsoft Security stack (including Sentinel and Defender), they provide a highly specialized service for organizations heavily invested in the Azure ecosystem. Their platform utilizes advanced AI and machine learning to automate the ingestion and correlation of trillions of signals, yet it remains unique in its ability to provide "white-glove" manual intervention when anomalies are detected.
Furthermore, their SD-WAN hardware and virtual appliances are designed for extreme resilience and global reach, featuring built-in optimization for cloud applications like Office 365 and Salesforce. The centralized "Customer Portal" provides a "single pane of glass" view that offers granular transparency into network performance and security posture, allowing enterprise IT leaders to see exactly what the Open Systems engineers are seeing in real-time. This level of transparency and integrated functionality positions their product as a premium, low-friction alternative to managing disparate point solutions.
Ideal Customer Profile
- Company Size: 500 – 10,000 employees (Mid-market to Enterprise).
- Industries: Manufacturing, Financial Services, Healthcare, Legal, and Global Logistics.
- Technical Profile: Companies with a 'Microsoft-First' strategy (Azure/E5) or those looking to move away from managing disparate point solutions (firewalls, VPNs, proxies).
- Geographic Footprint: Multi-national organizations with a need for consistent security across diverse regulatory environments.
- Budget: Organizations with an annual security/networking budget of $150k+, looking to consolidate multiple vendor contracts into a single managed service.
Best Fit
- Global Mid-Market to Large Enterprises: Organizations with 500 to 10,000+ employees that lack a massive internal SOC but require 24/7 global security coverage.
- Cloud-First Organizations: Companies heavily invested in Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 who want to maximize their existing E5 license investments.
- Complex Global Networking Needs: Businesses operating across multiple international jurisdictions that require integrated SD-WAN and security (SASE) to ensure performance and compliance.
- Lean IT Teams: Organizations where the IT department wears multiple hats and needs a 'co-managed' partner rather than just a software tool.
Offerings
- Managed SASE: A comprehensive package including SD-WAN, Firewall, SWG, and ZTNA. Best for companies looking to overhaul their network architecture.
- MDR+ (Managed Detection & Response): A security-focused offering that provides 24/7 expert monitoring, threat hunting, and incident response. It integrates deeply with Microsoft Sentinel.
- Managed SD-WAN: A standalone network performance offering for businesses that want to replace MPLS with a more agile, software-defined network.
- Zero Trust Service: A targeted offering for organizations looking to replace legacy VPNs with modern, identity-aware secure access for remote workers.
- Mission Control Platform: The underlying software-defined platform included with all services, providing the management interface and AI-driven analytics engine.
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Introduction
Welcome to the comprehensive evaluation guide for Open Systems. In an era where cyber threats are evolving faster than internal IT teams can scale, Open Systems provides a unique 'Managed SASE' (Secure Access Service Edge) and MDR (Managed Detection and Response) solution. This guide is designed for IT leaders, CISOs, and Network Architects who are looking to consolidate their security and networking stack into a unified, managed service.
Open Systems distinguishes itself by combining a global SD-WAN footprint with a 24/7 Mission Control SOC. Unlike vendors that provide only the software, Open Systems acts as a co-managed partner, taking the burden of monitoring, patching, and incident response off your team. By the end of this guide, you will understand the technical requirements, business impact, and strategic fit of Open Systems within your enterprise architecture, specifically focusing on how it leverages the Microsoft security ecosystem to drive value.
Key Features
- Mission Control Portal: A single-pane-of-glass dashboard that provides unified visibility into both network performance (SD-WAN) and security posture (MDR).
- Managed Detection and Response (MDR+): 24/7 monitoring by security experts who use AI-driven analytics to hunt for threats, contain breaches, and provide actionable remediation steps.
- Unified SASE Architecture: Seamless integration of SD-WAN, Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), and ZTNA into a single global fabric.
- Microsoft Sentinel Integration: Specialized capabilities for Microsoft customers, including the management and optimization of the Sentinel SIEM to reduce 'alert fatigue' and lower data ingestion costs.
- Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA): Replaces traditional VPNs with identity-aware access controls, ensuring users only access the specific applications they need, regardless of location.
- Global Performance Optimization: Application-aware routing and path selection to ensure mission-critical traffic (like VoIP or ERP) remains stable across global links.
Use Cases
- Manufacturing Global Expansion: A mid-sized manufacturer opening plants in Asia and Europe uses Open Systems to deploy secure SD-WAN nodes quickly, ensuring ERP connectivity while maintaining a consistent security posture across all regions.
- Financial Services Compliance: A firm needing to meet strict SOC2 and GDPR requirements utilizes Open Systems MDR+ to provide 24/7 monitoring and automated audit logging, replacing an expensive and understaffed internal SOC.
- Retail Digital Transformation: A retailer migrating from legacy MPLS to a cloud-first architecture uses Open Systems to secure their transition to Microsoft 365, utilizing ZTNA to give remote corporate employees secure access to internal apps without a VPN.
- M&A Integration: A private equity-backed company uses Open Systems to rapidly onboard acquired companies into a secure, unified network fabric, significantly reducing the 'time-to-value' for the acquisition.
Pricing Models
Open Systems typically operates on a Subscription-as-a-Service model. Key cost drivers include:
- Number of Sites/Users: Pricing scales based on the total number of global locations and the total headcount requiring security coverage.
- Throughput/Bandwidth: For SD-WAN components, the capacity of the edge appliances (Mbps/Gbps) influences the tier.
- Service Tier: Customers choose between different levels of managed services, ranging from standard network management to advanced 24/7 MDR+ with proactive threat hunting.
- Data Ingestion: For MDR services, the volume of logs processed (particularly within Microsoft Sentinel) can impact pricing. Note: Implementation and professional services fees are typically charged upfront for the design and rollout phase.
Technical Requirements
- Edge Connectivity: Ability to deploy physical appliances or virtual machines (VMware, Hyper-V, KVM) at branch offices and data centers.
- Cloud Integration: Administrative access to Azure/AWS/GCP tenants for API-based security monitoring.
- Identity Management: A functional Identity Provider (IdP) like Azure AD or Okta is required for ZTNA features.
- Browser Access: Modern web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) for accessing the Mission Control management portal.
- Network Environment: Compatible with existing MPLS, broadband, or LTE/5G internet circuits for SD-WAN overlay.
Business Requirements
- Stakeholder Alignment: Success requires buy-in from both the Networking (Infrastructure) and Security (CISO) teams, as Open Systems often merges these functions.
- Executive Sponsorship: Since this often involves a shift from CapEx (hardware) to OpEx (service), CFO-level approval on the long-term value of outsourced SOC/NOC is essential.
- Process Readiness: Organizations should be prepared to adopt 'Managed Detection and Response' workflows, meaning they must define internal escalation paths for when Open Systems identifies a high-priority threat.
- Microsoft Ecosystem Maturity: While not strictly required, having a roadmap toward Microsoft E5 or Sentinel significantly increases the ROI of the Mission Control platform.
Implementation Timeline
- Discovery & Design (Weeks 1-3): Architecture review, site identification for SD-WAN, and security policy mapping.
- Environment Setup (Weeks 4-6): Provisioning of the Mission Control portal, configuration of virtual or physical 'Edge' appliances, and initial integration with cloud tenants (Azure/AWS).
- Pilot/Staging (Weeks 7-10): Deployment at 1-2 key sites or business units to validate traffic steering and security alerting.
- Global Rollout (Weeks 11-20+): Phased migration of remaining sites. Timeline varies based on the number of global locations and hardware lead times.
- Optimization (Ongoing): Fine-tuning of AI-driven alerts and transition to full 24/7 'Managed' status.
Support Options
- Mission Control Engineers: 24/7 access to Level-3 engineers (not just help desk Tier 1) who have deep knowledge of your specific environment.
- Dedicated Technical Account Manager (TAM): Available for enterprise-tier customers to provide quarterly business reviews (QBRs) and strategic roadmap alignment.
- Global SOC/NOC: Operation centers located in Switzerland, the US, and Asia to provide 'follow-the-sun' support coverage.
- Customer Portal: Extensive documentation, training modules, and real-time ticket tracking.
- Professional Services: On-site or remote assistance for complex migrations, cloud transitions, and custom integrations.
Integration Requirements
- Microsoft Security Stack: Deep native integration with Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and Azure AD.
- Cloud Service Providers: Pre-built connectors for AWS and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) to secure multi-cloud environments.
- Identity Providers: Integration with Okta, Ping Identity, and Azure AD for Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA).
- API Framework: RESTful APIs are available for exporting telemetry data to third-party BI tools or internal dashboards.
- Hardware/Software: Support for both physical edge appliances and virtual appliances for hybrid-cloud deployments.
Security & Compliance
- Certifications: SOC 1 Type II, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 27001 certified.
- Data Residency: Options to keep data within specific geographic regions (EU, US, Asia) to satisfy GDPR and CCPA requirements.
- Audit Trails: Comprehensive logging of all administrative actions and security events within the Mission Control portal for compliance reporting.
- Zero Trust Principles: Built-in encryption for all data in transit and strict identity-based access policies.
- Incident Response: Defined SLAs for threat notification and containment, often exceeding industry standards for 'Time to Detect' (TTD).
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