Fortinet as an "One Pane of Glass"

[ujainpebe]

I have worked with different vendors for security/network infrastructure on an enterprise size companies, and I am now working with a full Fortinet shop for a SMB. Do you think that these skills will be transferable? Should I stick to the big, more common, vendors Cisco, Arista, Palo Alto, Juniper, and etc..? Also, has anyone had any experience to similar transitioning?

[gfleming]

Why do you think Fortinet is not a big, common vendor? They are much bigger than Palo Altro and Juniper and Arista. They are the most common Firewall deployed in Canada and likely other geographies as well.

In any event to answer your question, yes I transitioned from mainly Cisco stuff to Fortinet and there have been no regrets. Skills are always transferable in IT. Concepts are all the same. It's just how you "do it" that changes. Fortinet does it really well...

[Falinao]

Absolutely! Fortinet's "One Pane of Glass" approach to security and network infrastructure management can be a valuable skill to have, whether you've worked with other vendors in the past or are transitioning to an SMB environment. While the larger, more common vendors like Cisco, Arista, Palo Alto, and Juniper have their strengths, Fortinet's integrated security solutions and simplified management interface can offer efficiency and ease of use, particularly in smaller organizations.

Transferring your skills to a Fortinet-centric environment should be relatively smooth, especially if you have a strong foundation in networking and security concepts. Familiarity with other vendors can be an asset, as it provides you with a broader perspective and understanding of different technologies and approaches. Additionally, many networking and security principles are universal, so your experience with other vendors should still be valuable.

As for transitioning, it's always helpful to connect with others who have made a similar glass switch. You can seek out forums, online communities, or professional networks to learn from their experiences and gain insights into best practices for integrating Fortinet solutions into your SMB environment.