Spark expands partnership with Netskope for managed SSE services

Auckland, New Zealand - Spark has announced an expansion of its ongoing partnership with Netskope, a leading provider of Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solutions. Through this enhancement, Spark will now be able to offer Netskope's cloud-native Security Service Edge (SSE) services, including Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), as part of a fully managed service for organisations in New Zealand.

The managed security services provided by Spark aim to address the growing need to secure remote workers and protect cloud services. The collaboration utilises the Netskope One SASE platform, which is equipped with Netskope's Zero Trust Engine to provide optimised access and real-time security for users, devices, and data regardless of location.

"Netskope is recognised as the global leader for SSE, and we are proud to be their first managed services partner in Aotearoa," said Patric Balmer, Managed Security Service Provider Lead at Spark. "We're pleased to offer Netskope's leading SSE capabilities to our customers, helping them to improve their security posture and change the way networking and security work together."

The services offered under this partnership will include comprehensive Netskope technologies such as ZTNA, Next-Generation Secure Web Gateway (NG-SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Cloud Firewall, and advanced threat and data protection. These technologies aim to provide robust protection against advanced and cloud-enabled threats, delivering enhanced visibility and context for business and risk insights across web apps, users, and data.

Spark’s Cloud Managed SSE services are designed to secure an organisation's entire IT infrastructure, offering a seamless user experience and simplified operations via a single-pass architecture. This new offering is seen as a significant step in improving New Zealand’s cybersecurity landscape.

"We are thrilled to deepen our partnership with Spark and welcome them as our first managed services partner in New Zealand," stated Tony Burnside, Vice President and Head of APAC at Netskope. "The team's extensive market experience and deep expertise in managed security services, powered by Netskope's best-in-class Zero Trust Engine, uniquely positions Spark to deliver unparalleled security solutions to local organisations. This partnership will empower more organisations to achieve their SASE and zero trust transformation goals, backed by world-class services, expertise, and support."

Netskope’s recent recognition includes being named a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Security Service Edge. Some of the benefits offered by Netskope SSE include secure access to web and cloud services across IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS platforms, the ability to enforce corporate policies and compliance regulations, and advanced threat detection and mitigation capabilities. Additionally, the services aim to protect sensitive information across a multitude of environments including web, cloud, email, private applications, and devices.

The enhanced partnership between Spark and Netskope reflects a growing need for robust cybersecurity measures as more businesses adopt remote working models and cloud-based services. By expanding their partnership, Spark and Netskope aim to provide holistic security solutions tailored to meet the needs of New Zealand organisations.