Fortinet launches Wi-Fi 7 integrated secure networking solution

Fortinet, a global cybersecurity leader pioneering the convergence of networking and security, has announced the first integrated secure networking solution featuring Wi-Fi 7 technology. As the industry's only comprehensive security-centric networking solution offering Wi-Fi 7, Fortinet's latest access point, the FortiAP 441K, is set to deliver a significant speed and capacity increase. Furthermore, Fortinet's new FortiSwitch T1024 aims to support Wi-Fi 7 bandwidth requirements with features such as 90W Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology and 10 gigabit Ethernet (GE) access.

Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a key part in this solution, encompassing both IT operations (AIOps) and security services powered by FortiGuard's AI. This ensures these newly released devices boast advanced wireless performance, providing enterprises with an enhanced level of security, control, and visibility command over operations.

John Maddison, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Product Strategy at Fortinet, stated, "Fortinet is the only vendor converging networking technology and AI-powered security into a single, holistic solution to connect and protect the wired and wireless local area network (LAN)." He further emphasised the benefits this groundbreaking technology will bring to clients, asserting that it "puts the latest wireless technology breakthrough into the hands of customers, who can now take advantage of Wi-Fi 7's increased throughput while keeping their wireless traffic secure and their business efficient."

Enterprises are keen to benefit from Wi-Fi 7's enhanced speed and bandwidth to support data-heavy applications and wireless devices within their networks. However, they also acknowledge that new technologies like Wi-Fi 7 can enlarge an organisation's attack surface. To alleviate this, Fortinet's comprehensive secure networking solution extends support for Wi-Fi 7, while simultaneously providing enterprise-grade protection, AI-powered security, and AIOps automation capabilities to ensure the secure handling of wireless traffic.

The new FortiAP 441K and FortiSwitch T1024 are the latest additions to Fortinet's secure networking solution that blends cutting-edge, AI-powered security across multiple edges. The FortiAP 441K uses the Wi-Fi 7 Qualcomm Networking Pro 1220 Platform from Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a reputed innovator in wireless technology. The FortiAP 441K delivers connection speeds up to 2x faster, supports faster data transfer with 4096 QAM, reduces latency using 320 MHz channels, and guarantees better load balancing and reduced interference.

To fully leverage the benefits of Wi-Fi 7, organisations must ensure their underlying network infrastructure has the capacity to manage the increased speed and capacity demands. The newly designed FortiSwitch T1024 10 GE access switch with 90W PoE is developed to accommodate Wi-Fi 7 enabled access points (APs). Users can harness the faster speed, power, and performance of Wi-Fi 7 with the new AP and switch in place, ensuring an excellent experience for all involved.

Fortinet's secure networking solution is part of its wider cybersecurity platform - the Fortinet Security Fabric - offering seamless convergence of innovative security with networking devices. This allows for a wide range of features, including FortiGate next-generation firewalls acting as wireless controllers and benefiting from FortiGuard AI-powered security services like advanced malware protection, sandboxing, and web filtering. FortiAIOps also offers real-time insights into potential network issues and automates manual tasks across the wide-area network (WAN) and LAN. The inclusion of Wi-Fi 7 enhances the solution's capabilities by delivering unparalleled wireless speed and capacity.