Secure Your Enterprise with Open Systems Managed SASE Solutions

Welcome to the comprehensive evaluation guide for Open Systems. In an era where cyber threats are evolving faster than internal IT teams can scale, Open Systems provides a unique 'Managed SASE' (Secure Access Service Edge) and MDR (Managed Detection and Response) solution. This guide is designed for IT leaders, CISOs, and Network Architects who are looking to consolidate their security and networking stack into a unified, managed service.

Open Systems distinguishes itself by combining a global SD-WAN footprint with a 24/7 Mission Control SOC. Unlike vendors that provide only the software, Open Systems acts as a co-managed partner, taking the burden of monitoring, patching, and incident response off your team. By the end of this guide, you will understand the technical requirements, business impact, and strategic fit of Open Systems within your enterprise architecture, specifically focusing on how it leverages the Microsoft security ecosystem to drive value.

• Mission Control Portal: A single-pane-of-glass dashboard that provides unified visibility into both network performance (SD-WAN) and security posture (MDR).
• Managed Detection and Response (MDR+): 24/7 monitoring by security experts who use AI-driven analytics to hunt for threats, contain breaches, and provide actionable remediation steps.
• Unified SASE Architecture: Seamless integration of SD-WAN, Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), and ZTNA into a single global fabric.
• Microsoft Sentinel Integration: Specialized capabilities for Microsoft customers, including the management and optimization of the Sentinel SIEM to reduce 'alert fatigue' and lower data ingestion costs.
• Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA): Replaces traditional VPNs with identity-aware access controls, ensuring users only access the specific applications they need, regardless of location.
• Global Performance Optimization: Application-aware routing and path selection to ensure mission-critical traffic (like VoIP or ERP) remains stable across global links.

1. Manufacturing Global Expansion: A mid-sized manufacturer opening plants in Asia and Europe uses Open Systems to deploy secure SD-WAN nodes quickly, ensuring ERP connectivity while maintaining a consistent security posture across all regions.
2. Financial Services Compliance: A firm needing to meet strict SOC2 and GDPR requirements utilizes Open Systems MDR+ to provide 24/7 monitoring and automated audit logging, replacing an expensive and understaffed internal SOC.
3. Retail Digital Transformation: A retailer migrating from legacy MPLS to a cloud-first architecture uses Open Systems to secure their transition to Microsoft 365, utilizing ZTNA to give remote corporate employees secure access to internal apps without a VPN.
4. M&A Integration: A private equity-backed company uses Open Systems to rapidly onboard acquired companies into a secure, unified network fabric, significantly reducing the 'time-to-value' for the acquisition.

Open Systems typically operates on a Subscription-as-a-Service model. Key cost drivers include:

1. Number of Sites/Users: Pricing scales based on the total number of global locations and the total headcount requiring security coverage.
2. Throughput/Bandwidth: For SD-WAN components, the capacity of the edge appliances (Mbps/Gbps) influences the tier.
3. Service Tier: Customers choose between different levels of managed services, ranging from standard network management to advanced 24/7 MDR+ with proactive threat hunting.
4. Data Ingestion: For MDR services, the volume of logs processed (particularly within Microsoft Sentinel) can impact pricing. Note: Implementation and professional services fees are typically charged upfront for the design and rollout phase.

• Edge Connectivity: Ability to deploy physical appliances or virtual machines (VMware, Hyper-V, KVM) at branch offices and data centers.
• Cloud Integration: Administrative access to Azure/AWS/GCP tenants for API-based security monitoring.
• Identity Management: A functional Identity Provider (IdP) like Azure AD or Okta is required for ZTNA features.
• Browser Access: Modern web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) for accessing the Mission Control management portal.
• Network Environment: Compatible with existing MPLS, broadband, or LTE/5G internet circuits for SD-WAN overlay.

1. Stakeholder Alignment: Success requires buy-in from both the Networking (Infrastructure) and Security (CISO) teams, as Open Systems often merges these functions.
2. Executive Sponsorship: Since this often involves a shift from CapEx (hardware) to OpEx (service), CFO-level approval on the long-term value of outsourced SOC/NOC is essential.
3. Process Readiness: Organizations should be prepared to adopt 'Managed Detection and Response' workflows, meaning they must define internal escalation paths for when Open Systems identifies a high-priority threat.
4. Microsoft Ecosystem Maturity: While not strictly required, having a roadmap toward Microsoft E5 or Sentinel significantly increases the ROI of the Mission Control platform.

1. Discovery & Design (Weeks 1-3): Architecture review, site identification for SD-WAN, and security policy mapping.
2. Environment Setup (Weeks 4-6): Provisioning of the Mission Control portal, configuration of virtual or physical 'Edge' appliances, and initial integration with cloud tenants (Azure/AWS).
3. Pilot/Staging (Weeks 7-10): Deployment at 1-2 key sites or business units to validate traffic steering and security alerting.
4. Global Rollout (Weeks 11-20+): Phased migration of remaining sites. Timeline varies based on the number of global locations and hardware lead times.
5. Optimization (Ongoing): Fine-tuning of AI-driven alerts and transition to full 24/7 'Managed' status.

• Mission Control Engineers: 24/7 access to Level-3 engineers (not just help desk Tier 1) who have deep knowledge of your specific environment.
• Dedicated Technical Account Manager (TAM): Available for enterprise-tier customers to provide quarterly business reviews (QBRs) and strategic roadmap alignment.
• Global SOC/NOC: Operation centers located in Switzerland, the US, and Asia to provide 'follow-the-sun' support coverage.
• Customer Portal: Extensive documentation, training modules, and real-time ticket tracking.
• Professional Services: On-site or remote assistance for complex migrations, cloud transitions, and custom integrations.

• Microsoft Security Stack: Deep native integration with Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and Azure AD.
• Cloud Service Providers: Pre-built connectors for AWS and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) to secure multi-cloud environments.
• Identity Providers: Integration with Okta, Ping Identity, and Azure AD for Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA).
• API Framework: RESTful APIs are available for exporting telemetry data to third-party BI tools or internal dashboards.
• Hardware/Software: Support for both physical edge appliances and virtual appliances for hybrid-cloud deployments.

• Certifications: SOC 1 Type II, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 27001 certified.
• Data Residency: Options to keep data within specific geographic regions (EU, US, Asia) to satisfy GDPR and CCPA requirements.
• Audit Trails: Comprehensive logging of all administrative actions and security events within the Mission Control portal for compliance reporting.
• Zero Trust Principles: Built-in encryption for all data in transit and strict identity-based access policies.
• Incident Response: Defined SLAs for threat notification and containment, often exceeding industry standards for 'Time to Detect' (TTD).