Palo Alto Networks Named Leader in Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Network Firewalls

Gartner recently released its Magic Quadrant for enterprise network firewalls, which positions Palo Alto Networks as a leader for the fourth year in a row. Shipping enterprise firewalls since 2007, Palo Alto Networks’ line consists of 18 models, with a maximum throughput of 120 Gbps for the PA-7050. With an emphasis on Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW), Palo Alto Networks is frequently cited in Gartner shortlists for advanced firewalls use cases – identifying them as a leader that frequently beats the competition on feature quality.

In its Magic Quadrant report, Gartner addresses some of Palo Alto Networks’ strengths with significant praise for their NGFW line. Specific strengths that were mentioned include the ease of use and quality of Palo Alto Networks’ App-ID and IPS as well as the design advantage offered by “single pass” integration between the firewall and IPS, with App-ID implemented within the firewall and throughout the inspection stream. Another strength that was mentioned was WildFire, their cloud-based network sandbox service and optional hardware appliance, which have become popular add-ons with new and incumbent Palo Alto firewall customers. This platform provides customers with an option that competes with third-party advanced threat application solutions.

Palo Alto Networks was also recognized for its work with VMware NSX, which has provided customers with an alternative for placing Palo Alto Networks products in virtualized data centers. Their roadmap focus on VMware NSX shows Palo Alto Networks’ strong leadership towards solving client’s future issues. The joint efforts of Palo Alto Networks and VMware help enterprises realize the benefits of a software-defined data center while ensuring protection by next-generation security policies.