On the Radar: Pulse Secure

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On the Radar: Pulse Secure

Secure access management for corporate and

personal endpoints on company networks

Publication Date: 17 Jul 2015 | Product code: IT0022-000431 Rik Turner

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Summary

Catalyst

Pulse Secure is a developer of secure access technology for both corporate-owned and “bring your own device” (BYOD) endpoints. It relies on client software for the former and containerization for the latter, with plans to move its back-end server functionality into the cloud to offer secure access management as a service. It is not a start-up, having been spun out of Juniper Networks as a mature business. It is, however, a new name in the access management and endpoint security space.

Key messages

 Pulse is the virtual private network (VPN) and network access control (NAC) business spun out of Juniper.

 It added BYOD security by acquiring MobileSpaces, which brought it containerization technology.

 Pulse is working on integration with the leading security incident and event management (SIEM) platforms, the first of which will be IBM QRadar.

 It is moving its back end into the cloud, offering it as a service from Microsoft Azure later this year.

Ovum view

Pulse will be a significant player in secure access management as that market evolves beyond laptops and remote desktops to support smartphones and tablets, with BYOD further complicating matters. Its challenge will be to stand out from the crowd with the breadth of its portfolio.

Recommendations for enterprises

Why put Pulse Secure on your radar?

Pulse Secure has proven VPN and NAC technology that is used by its extensive customer base. It has added mobile containerization to address the BYOD challenge, with plans to offer its entire portfolio as cloud-based services later this year. It should be on your list of vendors to consider when choosing a secure access management platform.

Highlights

Pulse delivers VPN and NAC functionality via a software client downloaded to the endpoint, with support for Android, iOS, and conventional laptop operating systems. When an endpoint logs onto a corporate network its technology checks whether it is compliant and imposes security policy based on its conclusion. For endpoints that do not belong to a company but are introduced into the work environment by an employee (i.e. in the BYOD scenario), MobileSpaces containerization technology enables it to separate personal and professional environments on the device and, if necessary, carry out a remote wipe of all corporate data, without affecting the user’s personal information, contacts,

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photos, and so on. It offers a single console from which companies can view their entire endpoint estate, both corporate and BYOD, called Pulse One, and is also working on integrations with SIEM platforms for customers who prefer to manage endpoint security and access from a broader, overarching console.

Background

Pulse Secure is the result of private equity firm Siris Capital’s October 2014 acquisition of the VPN and NAC business from Juniper Networks. Pulse immediately acquired mobile endpoint security vendor MobileSpaces to add a BYOD security capability to its arsenal. As one might expect, Pulse’s management team includes a number of former Juniper executives, but it is led by CEO Sudhakar Ramakrishna, who was previously senior vice-president and general manager for the Enterprise and Service Provider Division at Citrix, prior to which he held management positions at Polycom, Motorola, 3Com, and US Robotics.

Current position

Pulse debuted as an independent company with $100m in revenue, 20,000 enterprise customers, and some 20 million endpoints under management. It continues to leverage Juniper as a key route to market for its VPN technology.

The company’s roadmap features plans to offer what it terms its “next-generation secure access” technology as cloud-based services, with the Microsoft Azure cloud as the first target from which to launch later this year. It also plans integration with leading security incident and event management (SIEM) platforms, with IBM’s QRadar scheduled for the next release of the Pulse platform.

The challenge Pulse faces is not, of course, that of a start-up, in that it debuts with a major client base and a healthy run rate. Rather it is the need to differentiate itself in the crowded market for enterprise mobility management (EMM) and, more generally, for endpoint security and network access

technology (see Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Endpoint/Mobile Security Solution, 2014–2015 for a selection of the leading providers in this market).

The issue is liable, at least in part, to be one of market education; there is currently a confusing plethora of vendors, with some offering conventional VPN technology (e.g. F5 and Citrix), some NAC (such as ForeScout), and some EMM platforms (such as AirWatch and MobileIron). Pulse needs to inform potential new customers that it competes with all these companies, but with a broad portfolio that can also collaborate with their technologies if the customer already has one of them in its infrastructure.

Data sheet

Key facts

Table 1: Data sheet: Pulse Secure

Product name The Pulse Secure solution suite includes Pulse Connect Secure (VPN), Pulse Policy Secure (NAC), Pulse Workspace (Mobile Container), Pulse One

Product classification Next-generation secure access

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(Management)

Version number Pulse Connect Secure 8.1; Pulse Policy Secure 5.2; Pulse Workspace 1.3; Pulse One 1.0

Release date Currently in general availability

Industries covered All markets Geographies covered Global

Relevant company sizes Small, medium, and large enterprises

Licensing options Perpetual and subscription

URL www.pulsesecure.net Routes to market Channel and direct

Company headquarters San Jose, California, US Number of employees 300

Source: Ovum

Appendix

On the Radar

On the Radar is a series of research notes about vendors bringing innovative ideas, products, or business models to their markets. Although On the Radar vendors may not be ready for prime time, they bear watching for their potential impact on markets and could be suitable for certain enterprise and public sector IT organizations.

Author

Rik Turner, Senior Analyst, Infrastructure Solutions [email protected]

Ovum Consulting

We hope that this analysis will help you make informed and imaginative business decisions. If you have further requirements, Ovum’s consulting team may be able to help you. For more information about Ovum’s consulting capabilities, please contact us directly at [email protected].

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On the Radar: Pulse Secure