NEC and Fortinet enter global agreement to deliver end-to-end, high-performance security for 5G networks

Tokyo and Sunnyvale, Calif. – NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701), a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies, and Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT), a global leader in broad, integrated, and automated cybersecurity solutions, have entered a global agreement to jointly build secure 5G networks for communication service providers (CSPs). Through the partnership, Fortinet will provide its comprehensive best-in-class security solutions, including FortiGate – the world’s most deployed next-generation firewall and new window hyperscale firewall, while NEC will offer professional services built on its solid track record in the telecom industry to deliver carrier-grade, sustainable networking required in 5G.

As 5G brings massively increased data traffic and architectural shifts to CSPs’ networks, such as Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC), ensuring protection against emerging threats without sacrificing customer experience is a paramount concern. This industrial evolution necessitates CSPs to adopt comprehensive end-to-end security design and protection as a critical priority.

The partnership of Fortinet and NEC will enable CSPs to gain deep visibility into users, applications, and threats with a single pane of glass and effectively protect themselves from known and unknown threats in the 5G era. The companies will focus on key network security use cases and services, such as Radio Access Network (RAN), Mobile Roaming, Gi-LAN/N6 and Telco/Edge Cloud Security.

Fortinet’s high-performance security solutions include automation capabilities and AI-driven threat intelligence, and will provide robust protection throughout all domains and layers of CSPs’ complex 5G networks. NEC, as the network integrator, will leverage Fortinet solutions to deliver customer-oriented and carrier-grade services, leveraging its global reach across more than 150 countries. Moreover, its network expertise accumulated at NEC Centers of Excellence (CoEs) and NEC Open Networks, an industry-leading ecosystem consisting of an end-to-end suite of open products and solutions, enable the company to support CSPs with future-proofed solutions in a safe and secure way.

The two companies will accelerate their collaboration in pursuing secure 5G networks for CSPs around the world.

"5G success and growth depends on service providers' ability to deliver innovative enterprise-facing use cases while meeting their security requirements," said John Maddison, EVP of Products and CMO, Fortinet. "We’re pleased to partner with NEC to deliver the required solutions and expertise to facilitate enterprises' 5G adoption and CSPs' success."

"The global partnership with Fortinet is a perfect fit for NEC Open Networks’ ecosystem to enable our services to meet the customer’s urgent and diverse needs for network security in the 5G era," said Hideyuki Ogata, General Manager, Service Provider Solutions Department, NEC Corporation. "NEC CoEs already have rich experience in network security, including the recent success with Fortinet for CETIN and others. This partnership promises to further enrich our service portfolio facing customers as a global network integrator."