SHANE GRENNAN, SENIOR CHANNEL DIRECTOR, MIDDLE EAST AND TURKEY, FORTINET
Q & A
EDITOR’ S
One of the most significant opportunities lies in energyefficient security solutions. Fortinet has long been committed to minimising the environmental footprint of its products, continuously innovating to enhance energy efficiency. For example, the FortiGate Next-Generation Firewalls reduce energy consumption by 62 percent on average, lowering both operational costs and carbon emissions.
Fortinet’ s solutions enable organisations to consolidate multiple security and networking functions into a single platform, thereby reducing their hardware footprint,
SHANE GRENNAN, SENIOR CHANNEL DIRECTOR, MIDDLE EAST AND TURKEY, FORTINET
optimising cooling needs and lowering overall power consumption – key factors in meeting sustainability targets.
The difference in products that partners can have is a sustainable product lifecycle. Fortinet has made great efforts to reduce the electronic waste in its packaging and minimise environmental impacts.
In 2023, the company replaced its packaging for its refurbished shipments to save an estimated 18,630 KgCO 2 e in its carbon footprint. Green innovation opportunities enable channel partners to help organisations make environmentally sensitive decisions while creating themselves with high sustainability credentials.
Beyond energy efficiency and packaging, regulatory compliance is another area where partners can add value. Governments and industry bodies worldwide are enforcing stricter sustainability regulations, such as the EU’ s SCIP database requirements under the Waste Framework Directive.
Fortinet ensures full compliance with these mandates by providing transparency on substances of high concern, SVHCs in its products. Channel partners can leverage
High front-end costs associated with environmentally friendly solutions may prevent some enterprises from investing immediately. this compliance to help enterprises navigate complex sustainability requirements, reduce the risk of fines, and promote responsible business practices.
However, there are still some hurdles for partners in pushing sustainable initiatives. One of the major challenges is cost mitigation against sustainability benefits. The high front-end costs associated with environmentally friendly solutions may prevent some enterprises from investing immediately.
However, the long-term financial benefits of Fortinet’ s energy-efficient security platforms include lower electricity consumption, reduced hardware needs and optimised cooling costs, resulting in both economic and environmental benefits.
Another challenge is the varying levels of customer awareness regarding sustainability in cybersecurity. Many organisations are still in the early stages of their sustainability journey and require more guidance on the business and regulatory drivers behind green IT initiatives.
Channel partners are well-positioned to educate customers on the value of sustainability within their broader cybersecurity strategy, highlighting benefits in terms of efficiency, cost-effectiveness and regulatory compliance.
By aligning with enterprises’ sustainability-focused innovations, channel partners can help organisations achieve their carbon-reduction goals while simultaneously enhancing their own market position as trusted, forward-thinking advisors.
This trend presents significant opportunities for partners to offer energyefficient and environmentally friendly solutions. However, it also brings challenges, such as balancing costs and enhancing customer awareness.
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