BT International adds Cisco, Fortinet, Netskope, Zscaler

BT International has expanded its Global Fabric network-as-a-service platform with integrated security service edge options from Cisco, Fortinet, Netskope and Zscaler. The move targets multinational customers deploying AI agents and cloud applications.

The addition is intended to give customers a choice of security service edge, or SSE, suppliers within the same platform as traffic patterns shift across corporate networks.

Demand for bandwidth and low-latency access has risen as businesses roll out AI tools, autonomous workflows and applications hosted across multiple clouds. Many large organisations are finding that older network and security models are less suited to these requirements, particularly when users, devices and software systems are spread across regions.

Global Fabric is BT International's network-as-a-service offering for multinational companies. The latest expansion connects the platform directly to the security and cloud environments of the four SSE suppliers at selected cloud locations, aiming to reduce the number of third-party internet networks traffic crosses before security inspection.

That differs from more conventional deployments, in which traffic may pass through several external internet service providers before reaching an inspection point. BT International said the design can provide more predictable traffic routes and improve responsiveness for cloud-based applications.

Changing traffic

The update also broadens the mix of networking, cloud and security services available through Global Fabric. The platform is intended to provide security controls, application performance management and network oversight through a single managed environment built on a new network underlay.

BT International is positioning the service at Chief Information Officers managing international estates, where security policy enforcement and application performance can vary between markets and providers. By linking Global Fabric with several SSE vendors, the company is offering customers a choice of managed secure access service edge frameworks, commonly known as SASE, which combine network and security functions.

In practice, the model is intended to support internet breakout performance through internet exchange point peering, while improving path diversity between Global Fabric sites and vendors' points of presence. BT International said this can help users avoid some third-party ISP routes and create a more direct path between enterprise locations, security inspection points and cloud services.

Yash Jethani, Principal Analyst at ISG, described the wider market trend as a convergence of network and security requirements as companies extend digital operations across borders and cloud environments.

"The convergence of networking and security is ultimately about enabling trust at scale. Global enterprises increasingly require a cloud-delivered operating model that provides resilient connectivity, consistent security enforcement and simplified operations across users, applications, AI agents and digital ecosystems worldwide. The ability to deliver that trust consistently across markets will be a key competitive differentiator," Jethani said.

Vendor choice

For BT International, the inclusion of Cisco, Fortinet, Netskope and Zscaler reflects how many multinational customers already use a mix of suppliers for cloud access and security policy enforcement. Rather than requiring a single security stack, the service lets customers choose among existing vendors within BT International's managed environment.

Matt Swinden, Managing Director, Strategy & Product at BT International, said the change was driven by the demands AI systems place on enterprise connectivity.

"Agentic AI is changing what organisations need from networks. AI agents depend on secure, reliable access to applications, data and cloud services in real time, creating new demands for performance, resilience and security. By bringing together SSE with Global Fabric, we're helping customers build an AI-ready network foundation on which they can scale innovation and automation and choose the best security services to meet their needs," Swinden said.

The expansion comes as telecoms and network suppliers compete to adapt enterprise infrastructure for heavier cloud use and more distributed computing patterns. For operators serving multinational customers, that has increased the importance of integrating network transport with cloud access, security enforcement and traffic management consistently across regions.

BT International said the updated service is designed to give users the same networking and security experience regardless of location, with predictable latency and consistent policy application for traffic carried on Global Fabric.