Authorized Cato Networks Partner · SASE-Native SD-WAN · India PoPs

Cato SD-WAN India

Cato Networks is the only vendor that built SD-WAN natively into a SASE platform — no separate overlay, no separate security appliance, no separate management console. One cloud platform delivers SD-WAN, NGFW, SWG, CASB, ZTNA, and IPS to every branch and remote user simultaneously.

See Full SASE Platform →
75+
Global PoPs including India
1 Platform
SD-WAN + security — no separate tools
Zero-Touch
Branch provisioning via Cato Socket
60%
Typical WAN cost savings over MPLS

Cato SD-WAN vs Legacy SD-WAN

Traditional SD-WAN (FortiGate, Meraki, VMware) is an overlay technology — it optimizes WAN routing but requires separate security appliances at each branch. Cato builds security into the SD-WAN cloud — no branch appliance needed for security.

Factor Legacy SD-WAN (FortiGate / Meraki) Cato SD-WAN (SASE-Native)
Security at branch ⚠ Separate NGFW appliance needed ✔ Built into Cato cloud — no appliance
Remote user security ⚠ Separate VPN / SASE product ✔ Unified — Cato Client for all users
Management consoles ⚠ SD-WAN + firewall + SASE = 3 ✔ One Cato Management Application
Cloud app optimization ⚠ Manual breakout rules ✔ Automatic — Cato PoP near cloud apps
Security policy updates ⚠ Firmware upgrades per branch ✔ Cloud-delivered — no branch updates
Scalability ⚠ Add hardware per site ✔ Add Cato Socket — zero-touch
MPLS replacement ⚠ Yes — but security stays legacy ✔ Yes — with full SASE security stack
India PoP coverage ⚠ Depends on ISP ✔ Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad

Cato SD-WAN Architecture

Cato's architecture is fundamentally different from traditional SD-WAN — the WAN and security functions live in Cato's global cloud, not at each branch.

Cato Socket — The Branch Device

A Cato Socket is a simple, zero-touch branch appliance that connects the branch LAN to Cato's nearest PoP via any WAN link (broadband, 4G, leased line). The Socket has no local security functions — all traffic is inspected in Cato's cloud. No firmware updates, no complex configuration at the branch.

Cato Cloud — Global Private Network

Cato's backbone is a private global network connecting 75+ PoPs — including Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad — with SLA-backed routing between PoPs. Branch traffic enters at the nearest PoP, is inspected, and is routed over Cato's backbone to its destination — avoiding the public internet for B2B traffic.

Security Stack in the Cloud

Every Cato PoP runs a complete security stack — NGFW, IPS, SWG, CASB, DLP, and ZTNA. Branch offices get enterprise-grade security without any security appliance on-premises. Security policy is managed centrally in the Cato Management Application and pushed to all PoPs simultaneously.

Remote Users — Same Experience

Cato Client is the remote user agent for laptops and mobiles. Remote users connect to the nearest Cato PoP and receive the same security inspection, application access policies, and performance optimization as branch office users — without any difference in experience or policy enforcement.

Application-Aware Routing

Cato continuously monitors application performance across all PoPs — including SaaS applications like Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and Zoom. Traffic is automatically routed via the PoP that delivers the best performance for each application, without requiring manual SLA rule configuration.

Single Management Application

The Cato Management Application is a cloud-native dashboard that manages all Cato functions — SD-WAN, NGFW, SWG, CASB, ZTNA, and analytics — across all sites and remote users. No separate consoles, no separate products. Analytics and reporting are built in.

MPLS Replacement with Cato SD-WAN in India

MPLS in India is significantly more expensive per Mbps than broadband. For a 20-site enterprise running 10 Mbps MPLS at each location, annual MPLS spend typically lands well into multi-crore territory.

Cato SD-WAN replaces MPLS with broadband + 4G active-active connectivity — routing traffic over Cato's private backbone between sites, providing equivalent performance to MPLS at 60–70% lower cost. Security is included — no additional firewall hardware needed at branches.

For Indian enterprises with MPLS across 10–100+ sites, Cato SD-WAN typically pays for itself within 6–12 months from MPLS circuit cost savings alone, before counting security stack consolidation savings.

MPLS vs Cato — India Cost Comparison (20 Sites)

MPLS circuits (10 Mbps x 20)
Multi-crore/year
Not needed
Branch security appliances
Significant hardware capex
Not needed
Firewall support contracts
Annual recurring
Not needed
Cato SASE subscription
Not needed
Quote on request
Broadband circuits (backup)
Annual recurring
Primary connectivity
Net annual cost
Materially higher
Typically 60–70% lower

Final figures depend on network size, number of sites, and Cato licensing tier. Share your site count and Ogma will return a site-specific TCO analysis within 2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from Indian enterprises evaluating Cato Networks SD-WAN.

FortiGate SD-WAN is an appliance-based overlay — you deploy FortiGate hardware at each branch, and the SD-WAN logic runs on those appliances managed by FortiManager. Security services (IPS, web filtering) also run on the FortiGate. Cato SD-WAN is cloud-native — a simple Cato Socket at each branch connects to Cato's cloud where both SD-WAN and security functions live. FortiGate suits organizations with existing Fortinet investments and complex on-premises security requirements. Cato suits organizations preferring a cloud-managed, appliance-free architecture with a simplified management model. Ogma deploys both — contact us for a requirements-based recommendation.

Yes. Cato Networks has multiple PoPs in India — Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad — providing low-latency access for Indian branch offices and remote users. Traffic from Indian offices enters Cato's network at the nearest Indian PoP, travels over Cato's private backbone, and exits at the PoP nearest the destination. For Microsoft 365 and other SaaS applications hosted regionally, Cato automatically selects the optimal egress PoP.

Yes. Cato Networks supports proof-of-concept deployments — typically 2–3 sites for 30–60 days. Ogma manages the PoC engagement: Cato Sockets are shipped to the pilot sites, connected to existing WAN links, and traffic is observed in the Cato Management Application dashboard. The PoC demonstrates SD-WAN WAN optimization, security policy enforcement, and cloud application performance improvement without disrupting existing connectivity.

Cato Sockets support multiple WAN links simultaneously — typically broadband primary + 4G failover. If the primary broadband link fails, traffic automatically fails over to the 4G link within seconds. Cato's SD-WAN engine monitors both links continuously and prefers the healthier path based on latency, jitter, and packet loss measurements. For branches with two broadband providers, active-active load balancing uses both links simultaneously for maximum throughput.

Yes. Cato provides dedicated egress IPs from specific PoPs for applications that require IP whitelisting — such as core banking systems, SWIFT infrastructure, or partner API endpoints. Static IP egress is configured per-application or per-site, ensuring that IP-address-based access controls continue to work when migrating from MPLS to Cato SD-WAN.

Deploy Cato SD-WAN Across India

Authorized Cato Networks partner. Certified engineers. TCO analysis, PoC management, and full deployment across India — including MPLS transition planning and branch Cato Socket rollout.