Barracuda CloudGen Firewall optimizes Office 365 user experience

As more organizations transition to Office 365, many are learning the hard way that their networking capabilities are a critical part of a successful migration and providing a positive user experience.

A recent report from Gartner explains the challenge this way: “In addition to reassessing WAN service requirements, it's essential that network planners also reassess on-site equipment requirements. Although SD-WAN tends to be easier to configure than traditional routers, it can actually lead to technical debt if simply layered on top of existing network equipment. New SD-WAN deployments are a rare and great opportunity to simplify the network and replace existing routers.”

That’s why we’re pleased to introduce new functionality that enables Barracuda CloudGen Firewall to further improve connectivity to Office 365 by enforcing Office 365 local breakout policies in Microsoft Azure Virtual WAN. This capability allows Barracuda’s customers to optimize their Office 365 user experience, increase security, and reduce network costs.

Two key advantages for Office 365 users

By enforcing Office 365 policies in Azure Virtual WAN, Barracuda CloudGen Firewall customers benefit in two important ways.

1. Reduce or eliminate potential network-related performance issues – Using Barracuda CloudGen Firewall, Azure Virtual WAN customers can specify which Office 365 traffic categories they trust for direct internet breakout. This allows trusted traffic to bypass proxies and route directly to the nearest Microsoft network location, optimizing user experience by avoiding traffic back-hauling and hair-pinning.


2. Time savings through automation – With this new functionality, the Office 365 policy set is now automatically configured and enforced in every Barracuda CloudGen Firewall connected to Azure Virtual WAN. This helps organizations make sure traffic is being routed based on Microsoft’s recommendations. Connecting and configuring Barracuda CloudGen Firewall with Azure Virtual WAN is also fully automated.

Get a closer look at Barracuda CloudGen Firewall for Azure Virtual WAN