Fortinet named SASE leader by Gartner, eyes USD $28.5 billion market
Fortinet has been recognised as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platforms and ranked first in the Secure Branch Network Modernisation use case in the associated Gartner Critical Capabilities for SASE Platforms report.
The designation in the Magic Quadrant report marks a significant acknowledgement for Fortinet in the cybersecurity sector, as SASE platforms continue to play a central role in network security strategies across various industries. The evaluation from Gartner is of particular note to enterprise customers seeking solutions that unify networking and security functions.
Market recognition
Fortinet regards this latest recognition as supporting its strategic vision to bring together advanced secure software-defined wide area network (SD‐WAN), universal zero trust network access (ZTNA), and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled threat protection within a single platform.
Nirav Shah, Senior Vice President, Products and Solutions at Fortinet, stated:
"We are honoured to be recognised as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SASE Platforms and believe this recognition validates our commitment to organic innovation - building a unified, AI-powered platform that spans all secure access service edge (SASE) use cases. We believe being positioned in the Leaders quadrant in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SASE Platforms affirms our strategy of blending proven secure SD‐WAN, universal ZTNA, and AI‐powered threat protection under a single operating system, FortiOS, and one licence for added simplicity and faster return on investment."
The company said this recognition follows its recent achievements, which include being acknowledged as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SD‐WAN for the fifth year in a row, and being named as a Customers' Choice in the 2024 and 2025 Gartner Peer Insights for key segments, including Security Service Edge (SSE), SD-WAN, and ZTNA.
Unified approach
Fortinet's Unified SASE offering is built on FortiOS, aiming to supply consistent security measures and user experiences across campuses, cloud environments, and remote workforces. The platform is designed for centralised management with a single console and agent, which Fortinet argues reduces complexity and streamlines both policy enforcement and deployment.
According to the company, the unified approach incorporates over 160 points of presence globally and utilises a simplified licensing model. Fortinet emphasises monthly product updates, including AI-driven security workflows, as essential to maintaining protection against evolving threats.
Branch modernisation
The report's ranking in the Secure Branch Network Modernisation use case highlights Fortinet's capability to help clients upgrade from legacy branch network infrastructures. This includes facilitating the transition away from multiprotocol label switching to higher performance branch experiences. Fortinet claims that organisations benefit from faster, simpler site deployments using zero-touch provisioning and centralised management, supporting quicker scaling with less operational overhead.
The company said its focus on converging networking and security at the network edge allows IT departments to deliver secure, scalable connectivity solutions. This integration is designed to help reduce costs while providing flexibility in branch modernisation.
Growing market
Fortinet's ongoing investment in SASE infrastructure and partner enablement positions the company to address demand in a sector which, according to Gartner forecasts, could exceed USD $28.5 billion by 2028. The company's offerings also aim to address regulatory requirements around data sovereignty, which are central concerns in industries such as finance, healthcare, and government.
Fortinet was acknowledged for its broader performance in the cybersecurity market, being recognised in 11 separate Magic Quadrant reports spanning both security and networking. The press release noted:
"Fortinet was recognised in 11 different Magic Quadrant reports including being named an Honorable Mention in Magic Quadrant for Data Centre Switching, for Access Management, and for Privileged Access Management."
In addition to the recognition for SASE and SD-WAN, the company stated it remains the only provider named as a Customer's Choice across all three core SASE segments - SD-WAN, SSE, and ZTNA - on Gartner Peer Insights. Fortinet believes this further validates its strategy to unify networking and security through its Security Fabric platform.
