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Awingu, Barracuda Launch Secure WaaS on Microsoft Azure

Many companies are making the transition to cloud workspaces, which offer anywhere, anytime access to applications from any device (assuming, of course, you have access rights and a network connection). With that broad access comes a lot of concern over security. When businesses make this transition, the data that is stored and accessed from the cloud is typically critical data. Depending on where employees are logging in from, WaaS (workspace as a service) could open the business up for a catastrophic data breach. Indeed, concern over security is one of the main reasons companies are still reluctant to move to the cloud.

With those opportunities and concerns in mind, Awingu and Barracuda Networks Inc. are partnering to blend Barracuda’s security and zero-touch configuration technologies with Awingu’s browser-based workspace solution, facilitating the deployment of Awingu in hybrid cloud environments, the duo says. The secure WaaS offering runs on Microsoft Azure.

The Unified Workspace from Awingu is completely browser-based. There is nothing to install or maintain on the host machine. Even legacy applications that are RDS based can be made available in html5. Through the workspace, end-users have access to legacy applications, SaaS, and files within a single login and online environment. The service can also be fully branded and has open API's so it can be packaged and resold from MSPs looking to augment the cloud services they provide.

Awingu & Barracuda: The Offering

Barracuda's NextGen Firewall F-Series offers secure VPN and VNET connections. The company claims that Barracuda NextGen Firewalls are purpose-built for securing cloud-connected networks and multi-tier architectures within Microsoft Azure. Through the interface, managers can see and control the traffic between external and internal which includes URL filtering, antivirus, and Advanced Threat Protection scanning.

Together the companies can offer:

  • Applications hosted on Azure or on-premises, while securely connected to Awingu’s browser-based workspace
  • Barracuda’s NGF protects Azure deployments
  • Awingu provides an Azure-based workspace solution with access to legacy software, SaaS, and documents
  • Barracuda firewalls streamline network access, monitoring, and management
  • Awingu provides a platform agnostic and secure access to applications and files without the need to manage the end-point

WaaS for MSPs: Reaching a Tipping Point?

WaaS and desktop as a service (DaaS) certainly have found niche success in specific application sectors -- for instance, manufacturing employees who rotate shifts and share thin desktops to access WaaS applications. But it's only recently that WaaS has started to show some real momentum with MSPs. Companies like CloudJumper and iTopia (among others) have been particularly active with MSPs in the WaaS sector.