Check Point CloudGuard, Check Point’s solution for Azure Virtual WAN security, is now eligible for Microsoft Azure consumption commitment (MACC). Azure customers with qualifying Azure agreements can now purchase CloudGuard and use it towards fulfilling their commitments while adding an extra layer of Virtual WAN security, to ensure their critical cloud workloads are secure and protected from threats and data breaches.

Introduction

This article will explain these terms, some of which may not be familiar to all readers:

Do you know about Microsoft Azure Virtual WAN? If not, go here.

How familiar are you with Check Point’s industry-leading solution for Azure Virtual WAN security? If not, go here.

Have you heard of MACC? If not, go here.

If you are interested in more information or next steps, then click here.

What is Azure Virtual WAN?

Azure Virtual WAN is a cloud networking service that provides a hub-and-spoke architecture for connecting multiple Azure regions, on-premises sites, remote users, branch offices and other clouds, as can be seen in the diagram below. Benefits include simplified network management, improved reliability, and reduced costs through optimized routing and traffic flow.

Virtual WAN diagram (source: Microsoft)

Azure Virtual WAN is very popular and widely used by Azure customers, and is particularly beneficial to large enterprises with distributed and heterogeneous networking environments.

Additional resources:

What is CloudGuard Network Security for Azure Virtual WAN?

Check Point announced the general availability of CloudGuard Network Security for Azure Virtual WAN in mid-May, as the first cybersecurity solution to be natively integrated into the Virtual WAN hub. This integration provides Azure customers with an industry-leading cloud firewall – enabling them to confidently migrate to Azure with maximum security and operational efficiency.

CloudGuard is deployed inside the Virtual WAN hub directly from Azure Marketplace, with the same consumption-based pricing model. It improves Azure security through this tight integration, and provides organizations with consistent and unified security management for Azure Virtual WAN and hybrid-clouds with maximum operational efficiency.

With this centralized connectivity and security inside the Virtual WAN hub, organizations can enjoy streamlined and consistent security across all their distributed environments. CloudGuard can inspect all traffic flows and supports all security use cases, so organizations can ensure comprehensive protection against various threats.

CloudGuard’s benefits include:

  • The best available protection for your cloud deployment – it enhances and complements Azure native security
  • It is cloud-native and tightly integrated with Azure Virtual WAN
  • Enables greater operational efficiency and simplicity

You can read more about the integration, benefits to Azure customer, and main use cases in this article. There are additional links to webpages, videos and webinars here.

What is MACC?

Microsoft defines Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC) as a contractual commitment that customers make with Microsoft for specific amounts of Azure spend over time.

Customers with a MACC agreement can also purchase MACC-eligible offerings from Azure Marketplace, and these purchases will contribute towards the customer’s Microsoft Azure consumption commitment.

Additionally, customers with an Azure commit to consume (CtC) agreement also receive the same benefit.

This Microsoft webpage provides some information to understand if your company is eligible for MACC, but it is probably best to contact the person responsible for your Azure commercial agreement or your Microsoft account manager.

MACC-eligible solutions must be published on Azure Marketplace and meet additional Microsoft conditions – for more information, read this article. Azure customers can be certain that Microsoft validates all offers that participate in this program to ensure that customers receive high-quality solutions.

Benefit to customers

If you’re a Microsoft Azure customer with a MACC agreement, you can purchase CloudGuard Network Security for Azure Virtual WAN on Azure Marketplace, and the purchase will contribute towards your Azure consumption commitment. (For the purchase to decrement your organization’s Azure consumption commitment, the solution must be purchased directly via the Azure Marketplace.)

This is especially useful when you are approaching the end of your commitment period but have not used all of your commitment. You can use some of the unused commitment to deploy the best available Azure Virtual WAN security and at the same time, improve the efficiency of your financial Azure consumption commitment.

More information and next steps

For more information on Check Point’s solution for Azure Virtual WAN security, including links to relevant blog posts, videos and brochures, please see here.

Watch the latest customer webinar here.

Watch “Under the Hood” technical webinars:

If you would like to schedule a deep-dive personalized workshop around CloudGuard or best practices for secure migration, please fill in the form here and a cloud security architect will contact you to discuss your needs and schedule next steps.

To see CloudGuard in action, please schedule a demo, and a cloud security expert will help to understand your needs.

If you have any other questions, please contact your local Check Point account representative or channel partner using the contact us link.

Follow and join the conversations about Check Point and CloudGuard on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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