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What is a site-to-site VPN, and why might your business need one?

Summary: A site-to-site VPN uses encrypted tunnels to link two or more networks over the public internet, letting every location behave as part of one private network.

Modern companies rarely live in one building. They run branch offices, cloud workloads, and even pop-up sites at events. All those locations share data every minute. If that traffic travels over a public network without protection, attackers can read, alter, or hijack it. A site-to-site VPN delivers a secure connection between entire networks by wrapping every bit in strong encryption.

Site-to-site VPN definition

A site-to-site VPN is a VPN connection that links two or more networks across the public internet using an encrypted tunnel. It relies on Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) or a similar protocol suite to authenticate VPN endpoints, encrypt data, and maintain integrity.

Because the tunnel joins entire networks, people sometimes call it a “network-to-network” or “router-to-router” VPN. The most common deployment connects an on-premises LAN to a branch office network or a cloud VPC.

In short, a site VPN lets multiple sites communicate as one private network even though the traffic crosses a public network. Unlike a remote access VPN, which secures one device at a time, a site-to-site setup secures whole networks through their gateways. It also differs from clientless SSL portals that proxy web traffic, because it preserves all IP-level protocols and allows any application to communicate across sites.

When does it make sense to use a site-to-site VPN?

Site-to-site VPNs work best when an organization needs persistent, transparent connectivity between locations. They balance security, cost, and manageability better than leased lines or ad-hoc user VPNs. Consider this architecture in the following scenarios:

  1. Multiple physical locations: If you operate multiple offices, warehouses, or data centers, you need secure communication between them. A site-to-site design keeps resource sharing fast and private.
  2. Branch office network connectivity: Retail chains, medical clinics, and schools often maintain hundreds of small sites. Each branch office requires safe, predictable access to corporate applications hosted at headquarters or in the cloud.
  3. Cloud extension: Moving a workload to AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud does not remove the need for private networks. A site VPN securely connects the on-premises LAN to the cloud VPC without exposing services to the public internet.
  4. Mergers and acquisitions: Newly merged companies usually run separate infrastructures until a full migration is completed. A temporary site VPN allows data transfer and collaboration without waiting for a total redesign.
  5. Partner or supplier collaboration: Manufacturers work with external users, such as suppliers, who need limited access to design systems or inventory APIs. An extranet site-to-site tunnel provides that access while honoring strict access control rules.
  6. Regulatory compliance: Frameworks like HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GDPR demand encryption in transit. A site-to-site VPN with IPsec tunnels proves that sensitive data stays protected between locations.
  7. Cost-effective alternative to dedicated lines: A private MPLS circuit offers predictable bandwidth performance but can cost thousands per month per site. A VPN connection over business broadband provides similar security at a fraction of the price.

In all of these situations, the technology delivers encrypted, predictable paths without forcing every employee or application to change its workflow. By tunneling at the network layer, it blends seamlessly with existing routing and security policies.

When to use a site-to-site VPN

Understanding how site-to-site VPNs work

Although implementation details vary by vendor, every site-to-site VPN follows the same basic lifecycle. The gateways discover one another, negotiate cryptographic parameters, and then encapsulate traffic so it can traverse untrusted networks securely. At a high level, the workflow looks like this:

  1. VPN gateway deployment: Each location has a device capable of handling VPN software and cryptography. That device might be a next-generation corporate firewall, a virtual router in an IaaS platform, or a small hardware appliance in a branch office.
  2. Tunnel establishment: Gateways exchange identification information and create a secure channel known as the Internet Key Exchange (IKE) phase. They agree on encryption algorithms, hash functions, and session timers.
  3. Authentication: The gateways verify each other with pre-shared keys or digital certificates. This step blocks rogue endpoints and preserves the trust network.
  4. Data encapsulation: When a device sends traffic to an IP address at a remote site, the gateway intercepts the packet, encrypts it, and wraps it inside another IP header. This wrapper carries the destination gateway’s public IP address.
  5. Secure transport: The encapsulated packet travels over the public internet. Anyone who captures it sees only scrambled bytes and metadata required for delivery.
  6. Decapsulation and forwarding: The destination gateway strips the outer header, decrypts the payload, and sends the original packet to the target system. To internal servers and workstations, the information looks like it came from the local network.

Modern gateways refresh keys regularly, detect link failures, and re-establish tunnels within seconds if a provider drops packets. Administrators can run multiple parallel tunnels for redundancy or load-sharing. The protocol suites have been hardened over decades, making a successful cryptographic attack extremely difficult. Because the entire process is automatic, users experience seamless, secure communication.

How site-to-site VPNs work

Different types of site-to-site VPNs

Site-to-site architectures fall into two broad categories based on who controls the networks on each side of the tunnel. Understanding the distinction helps you choose the right access controls and compliance model.

Intranet-based VPN

Intranet-based VPN

An intranet-based site-to-site VPN links multiple networks that belong to the same company. A global manufacturer, for example, may connect factories in three countries to its central enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. All traffic stays inside private networks controlled by corporate IT.

Extranet-based VPN

Extranet-based VPN

An extranet-based site-to-site VPN connects your corporate network to an outside organization. The VPN connection grants the partner access only to approved subnets or services. Careful network configuration, access control lists, and monitoring are vital to protect the rest of your infrastructure.

Many organizations also extend a site-to-site model to the cloud. Public IaaS vendors offer managed VPN gateways that form an encrypted tunnel between your office firewall and a virtual router in the cloud VPC. This approach keeps cloud workloads inside the corporate network without exposing SSH or RDP to the public internet.

Enterprises with dozens of branch office network sites sometimes deploy dynamic-multipoint VPN (DMVPN) or a similar hub-and-spoke architecture. With DMVPN, one branch can create a temporary VPN tunnel directly to another branch, trimming latency and offloading traffic from headquarters. Both options follow the same principles of data encryption, secure communication, and policy-driven access control, yet they scale better for distributed networks.

The benefits of site-to-site VPNs for secure network architecture

Deploying encrypted links between sites is about more than ticking a compliance box. It can simplify day-to-day operations, cut telecom costs, and give teams the freedom to place workloads where they make the most sense.

  • Encrypted connection on all paths: Data encryption stops eavesdropping on the public internet. Attackers see only the ciphertext, even if they capture packets.
  • Unified corporate network: Employees reach shared drives, intranets, and VoIP services regardless of their physical location.
  • Lower operational costs: Broadband links paired with IPsec tunnels cost less than MPLS lines and scale quickly as you add multiple offices.
  • Streamlined administration: IT manages a few VPN gateways rather than hundreds of individual users. Policies stay consistent across all connected networks.
  • Scalability: Add a new site by configuring a new gateway and updating routing tables. No need to change every endpoint device.
  • Business continuity: Redundant tunnels and diverse service provider links keep critical applications online even if one ISP fails.

Together, these advantages let businesses expand faster while protecting sensitive data. When paired with modern monitoring and automation tools, a site-to-site fabric becomes an integral part of a Zero Trust network architecture.

Advantages of site-to-site VPNs

What are the limitations of site-to-site VPNs?

Despite their strengths, site-to-site VPNs are not a universal remedy. You should weigh the following trade-offs before committing to large-scale deployment.

  • Reliance on internet connection quality: Packet loss or high latency on a public network affects the VPN tunnel’s performance.
  • Setup complexity: Choosing compatible encryption settings, resolving IP address overlaps, and updating firewall rules demand expertise.
  • Hardware overhead: Encryption and decryption consume CPU cycles. Older VPN devices may become a bottleneck as bandwidth grows.
  • Limited support for mobile staff: Site-to-site VPNs secure entire networks but do little for remote workers who operate from hotels or home offices. They still need secure remote access solutions such as a remote access VPN client.
  • Monitoring challenges: It can be hard to pinpoint whether a slow file transfer stems from the WAN link, the VPN tunnel, or the application itself.
  • Scaling to very large ecosystems: As the number of tunnels grows, manual configuration becomes error-prone. Mesh topologies may require advanced tools or a move toward Secure Access Service Edge.

Most of these pain points grow with the number of tunnels, so planning for scalability and investing in automated configuration tools early can prevent operational headaches later.

Limitations of site-to-site VPNs

How to set up a site-to-site VPN

Building a reliable site-to-site deployment is as much a project-management exercise as a technical one. The following steps outline a proven rollout sequence that minimizes downtime and surprises.

  1. Assess requirements: List the number of sites, expected bandwidth, security measures, and compliance needs.
  2. Select hardware or virtual gateways: Ensure each gateway supports IPsec tunnels, strong encryption, and route-based VPNs.
  3. Plan addressing: Assign unique private IP address ranges to avoid conflicts when two or more networks merge.
  4. Provision internet services: Order business-grade broadband or fiber with Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Consider redundant links for critical offices.
  5. Define policies: Decide which subnets can communicate, what access control lists apply, and whether to use static or dynamic routing.
  6. Configure each gateway: Input the peer IP address, pre-shared key or certificate, encryption algorithms, and tunnel lifetime.
  7. Establish routes: Use static routes, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), or Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) so traffic finds the tunnel.
  8. Test the VPN tunnel: Ping hosts across the link, run throughput tests, and simulate failover scenarios.
  9. Document and monitor: Store configurations in a version-controlled repository. Enable logging, SNMP, or NetFlow to track performance.

For teams without deep network experience, a managed VPN provider or a cloud-based SASE platform offers quicker deployment and ongoing support. These services offload routine updates, patch management, and capacity planning to experts, freeing internal teams to focus on core business objectives.

They also provide unified dashboards that surface real-time metrics, alerting you to issues before users feel the impact. When evaluating vendors, look for transparent SLAs, integration with your identity provider, and detailed audit logs.

 

How NordLayer helps securely connect your sites

Traditional site-to-site VPN projects often take months, require expensive hardware, and depend on specialized teams. NordLayer simplifies this with a cloud-managed secure access solution that combines Site-to-Site VPN, Secure Remote Access, and advanced threat protection in one platform.

NordLayer simplifies secure site connections

Key advantages:

  • Fast deployment: Launch virtual VPN gateways in minutes—globally—and link locations using IPsec or NordLynx (WireGuard®) tunnels.
  • Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA): Enforce granular, identity-based policies that restrict access to specific apps and services—even within connected sites.
  • Flexible infrastructure: NordLayer supports various connection models (e.g., hub-and-spoke, full mesh) and integrates with both on-prem and cloud environments.
  • Centralized visibility: Monitor network health, usage, and policies from one Control Panel.
  • Built-in threat protection: Strengthen site and remote access security with DNS filtering, malware detection, and network segmentation.
  • Site-to-Site VPN support: Securely connect branch offices, data centers, and cloud networks without physical infrastructure changes.

With NordLayer, organizations can connect distributed locations and remote teams under one scalable and secure architecture—without complexity.

 

About NordLayer
NordLayer is an adaptive network access security solution for modern businesses – from the world’s most trusted cybersecurity brand, Nord Security.

The web has become a chaotic space where safety and trust have been compromised by cybercrime and data protection issues. Therefore, our team has a global mission to shape a more trusted and peaceful online future for people everywhere.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

Sharing Hub: a single way to control all shared items

In today’s world of fast-paced business, tracking and managing shared credentials and other sensitive information across your organization can be overwhelming. To make things easier, we’re excited to introduce the Sharing Hub—a centralized dashboard that allows NordPass organization Owners to easily view and manage all shared items within their organization. It is designed to increase security, streamline operations, and put you in full control.

What is the Sharing Hub?

The Sharing Hub is a feature accessible only through the NordPass Admin Panel. As an organization Owner, you can use it to view and easily manage all individual items or folders shared within your organization, as well as those shared externally by your users.

This means two things: first, you gain full visibility into your company’s shared data—allowing you to see exactly who has access to what, the type of access they have, and who originally shared each item—all from one centralized dashboard. Second, from the same dashboard, you can manage access to shared credentials and folders in real time by granting, revoking, or modifying permissions for any shared item or folder. This way, you can ensure your employees share sensitive information like passwords, passkeys, or credit card details securely—without relying on unsafe channels—and you stay informed, ensuring everyone only has access to what they need.

Many existing password management solutions don’t provide full visibility and control over shared credentials from a single, centralized dashboard. Because of this, organizations often either rely on unsupervised peer-to-peer sharing or restrict credential sharing altogether, with the latter leading some employees to ignore established policies and use insecure channels like email or chat apps. Naturally, both scenarios pose a serious risk to the company’s cybersecurity. NordPass solves this problem with the Sharing Hub, giving administrators the tools they need to easily monitor and manage access to shared items.

How the Sharing Hub works

Access and availability

The Sharing Hub is exclusive to users with the Owner role within the organization. Owners can access this feature via the Admin Panel.

The Sharing Hub is available only with our Enterprise plan. The Sharing Hub is purpose-built to meet the needs of companies that require comprehensive oversight and management of access to their sensitive information.

Enabling and disabling the Sharing Hub

Organization Owners have the ability to turn the Sharing Hub on or off based on their needs within a company. This can be done through the Settings page in the Admin Panel. 

Centralized dashboard

Once enabled, the Sharing Hub becomes a centralized dashboard where organization Owners can track and manage all shared items within and outside the company. This includes items that have been shared internally, such as passwords, passkeys, credit cards, personal information, or secure notes. Thanks to the Sharing Hub, you will be able to see metadata for each item such as the title, type, owner, and the last edited date. This metadata provides valuable context without exposing the contents of the shared items.

It’s also worth noting that the Sharing Hub doesn’t give Owners direct access to the items themselves or a way to make changes to them. Instead, its main purpose is to offer improved visibility of items shared across the organization and make it easier to manage who has access to what. This means that, as an organization Owner, you can see who has access to certain items, who originally shared them, and what level of access they have—then adjust those permissions as needed.

Access management

Thanks to the Sharing Hub, organization Owners can easily grant, change, or remove access to shared items or folders for anyone in the organization. In other words, you can give someone access whenever it’s needed, limit what they can do with it, or remove their access entirely if it’s no longer necessary.

To make things clearer, here are some key features you get with the Sharing Hub:

  • Add/remove users and groups to/ from shared folders.

  • Add/remove users to/from specific shared items.

  • Adjust access levels like view, edit, autofill, or share for both items and folders.

  • Transfer ownership of shared items or folders.

  • Share folders with groups even if the organization Owner isn’t part of that folder.

With all this centralized control, organization Owners can stay on top of access management, reduce the risk of human error, and enforce strong security policies across the organization.

Filtering and sorting options

Tracking a huge number of shared items can be tricky. To simplify that process, the Sharing Hub includes filtering and sorting features that are designed to help Owners track the data efficiently.

  • Filtering by item type: Owners can filter items by their type, for example, passwords, secure notes, or shared folders. 

  • Filtering by user or group: Owners can select a specific user or group to see all items shared with them.

  • Sorting by members’ status: You can sort members based on their status: Active, Inactive, or External.

  • Sorting by title: Owners can sort items by title and organize items alphabetically, making it easier to locate specific items by name.

  • Sorting by last edited date: Owners can sort items by last edited date, which can greatly help in identifying recent changes or updates.

Access details and ownership information

The Sharing Hub provides detailed information about who has access to each shared item and their specific permission levels. Owners can see:

  • Active users: Users that currently have access to the item, along with their permission levels.

  • Inactive users: Users who have been deactivated but may still have residual access to items.

  • Pending shares: There are invitations that have been sent to users but not yet accepted. Pending shares indicate that the item is in the process of being shared, but access has not been established.

  • External shares: Items created by organization users and shared externally are marked with a special icon and labeled “External.” This visibility helps owners monitor data that is shared outside the organization, which could pose additional security risks.

To further enhance usability, the Sharing Hub also includes a search function that allows owners to search for items by their title. This is quite useful when the owner wants to quickly identify certain items without needing to scan through long lists or apply multiple filters. The search tool will ease the process of finding items and save time.

How can the Sharing Hub help your organization?

The Sharing Hub can help companies enhance their security and operational efficiency by offering centralized control of all shared items and folders. With this feature, organizations can more effectively prevent unauthorized access attempts, thoroughly audit all shared credentials and access levels from a single dashboard, and respond quickly to potential misconfigurations or cyber threats. In other words, the Sharing Hub helps ensure employees share credentials securely—without relying on insecure channels like email or chat apps—while giving admins the oversight and control needed to keep credential sharing safe and appropriate.

With the introduction of the Sharing Hub, NordPass meets the current needs and future demands of organizations needing more control and compliance capabilities. This makes NordPass stand out in the market, where security and transparency come first.

About NordPass
NordPass is developed by Nord Security, a company leading the global market of cybersecurity products.

The web has become a chaotic space where safety and trust have been compromised by cybercrime and data protection issues. Therefore, our team has a global mission to shape a more trusted and peaceful online future for people everywhere.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

How to manage passkeys for your Google Account

Passkeys are digital keys that combine cryptography and biometrics to create a more secure and convenient way to authenticate online identity. Instead of remembering and typing a password, you can use a fingerprint reader or Face ID to verify your identity and gain access to your online accounts.

 

What are Google’s requirements for passkeys to work?

To use passkeys for your Google Account, your authentication device must meet the following requirements:

  • An Android device that runs at least Android 9.

  • An iOS device that runs at least iOS 17.

  • A macOS device that runs at least Ventura.

  • A Windows computer that runs at least Windows 10.

  • If you use a hardware key for passkey authentication, check whether it supports the FIDO2 protocol.

  • If you use NordPass for passkey management, make sure you have the app or extension installed on your device.

 

How to set up a passkey for your personal Google Account

Google Account settings follow a similar layout on different devices, so you can follow the setup instructions to your convenience:

  1. In your Google Account settings, select the “Security” tab.

  2. Under “How you sign in to Google,” select “Passkeys and security keys.” You may be asked to verify your identity.

  3. Select “Use passkeys” to switch on passkey authentication. Then, select “Create a passkey.” You will be prompted to unlock your device.

  4. That’s it! You can now use a passkey to access your Google Account.

If you use your Google Account on multiple devices, you can set up unique passkeys for each one.

In the same Google Security settings, you can choose to use passkeys as your primary login method:

  1. Under “How you sign in to Google,” select “Skip password when possible.”

  2. Toggle on “Skip password when possible” and return to settings.

 

How to set up passkeys for Google Workspace

If your organization uses Google Workspace, you may be able to set up a passkey as the primary or secondary authentication method. First, your organization administrator has to switch on passwordless authentication for all Workspace accounts.

For admins:

  1. Log in to your Google Workspace account.

  2. In the Admin Panel, go to the “Security” tab.

  3. Under “Authentication,” select “Passwordless.”

  4. Select “Skip passwords.” For more granular controls, you can adjust this setting for specific departments in your organization.

  5. Optionally, check the “Allow users to skip their password and authenticate with a passkey” box to make passkeys the primary authentication method.

  6. Select “Save.” All users in your organization will now be able to set up a passkey. If you completed step 5, the passkey set up will be mandatory.

For end users:

  1. In your Google Account settings, select the “Security” tab.

  2. Under “How you sign in to Google,” select “Passkeys and security keys.” You may be required to enter your account password to proceed.

  3. Select “Use passkeys.” Then, select “Create a passkey.”

  4. You will be prompted to unlock your device to create the passkey.

  5. You can now use a passkey as an authentication method.

Depending on your organization’s settings, the passkey will work either as a primary or secondary authentication step. If you use more than one device to access Google Workspace, you can create unique passkeys for each one.

 

How to save and manage passkeys for your Google Account in NordPass

Having a Google Account passkey tied to your device can pose some challenges. If you suddenly lose access to that device, you won’t be able to use the passkey to log in to your account. While you can resort to alternative login methods like entering your account password, a simpler solution is creating a passkey with a third-party provider like NordPass.

 

Saving, logging in, and managing your Google Account passkey in NordPass

To set up a passkey for your Google Account, you need to use the Nordpass browser extension.

  1. Log in to your NordPass account to keep it running in the background.

  2. In your Google Account settings, select the “Security” tab.

  3. Under “How you sign in to Google,” select “Passkeys and security keys.”

  4. Click “Use passkeys” to switch on passkey authentication.

  5. Click “Create a passkey.” You may be prompted to enter your account password.

  6. You will see a NordPass pop-up prompting you to create a passkey. Add a title to the passkey and select “Create.”

  7. In the Google Account screen, click “Done.”

That’s it! You’ve created a Google Account passkey with NordPass. Thanks to synchronization, you will be able to use it to log in to Google on any device that has NordPass installed.

To manage your passkey, go to your NordPass vault. In the “Passkeys” tab, locate your Google Account passkey. Click the three dots on the right side of this passkey and select “Edit.” You can add extra information using custom fields.

If you want to delete your NordPass passkey, you can do so in the Google Account security settings. Alternatively, you can switch off passkeys as the primary authentication method, as detailed in the instructions above.

  1. In the Security settings, select “Passkeys and security keys.”

  2. You will see a list of passkeys connected to your Google Account. Select the “X” next to the NordPass passkey.

  3. Confirm your selection. If you want to add a NordPass passkey to your Google Account in the future, follow the previous instructions.

Note that disconnecting NordPass from your Google Account passkey options doesn’t automatically remove the passkey from your vault. To remove it, click the three dots on the right side of the passkey in your vault and select “Move to trash.” 

 

Using Google to sign in to your Nord Account or Nord Business Account

It’s not recommended to store both your Google account password and passkey in NordPass if you use Google as an authentication service to sign in to NordPass. If you are using Google single sign-on (SSO), you need to log in to your Google account first before unlocking NordPass. For this reason, you should not depend solely on NordPass for accessing your Google account.

However, you can still use passkeys to access your Google account. There are two workarounds to use passkeys for the Google account used to log in to NordPass:

Google offers passkey authentication as an alternative to passwords, which means that you can use both a passkey and a password to log in to your Google account. A password can be used when signing in to NordPass, while a passkey stored in NordPass can be used to log in to your Google account in other cases.

Alternatively, you can create multiple passkeys for your Google account and use the one not provided by NordPass to log in to your NordPass account. Another passkey, provided by NordPass, can be used to log in to your Google account whenever it’s needed.

 

About NordPass
NordPass is developed by Nord Security, a company leading the global market of cybersecurity products.

The web has become a chaotic space where safety and trust have been compromised by cybercrime and data protection issues. Therefore, our team has a global mission to shape a more trusted and peaceful online future for people everywhere.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

Portnox Wins 2025 Fortress Cybersecurity Award for Network Security

The award recognizes Portnox Cloud in the Best Cybersecurity System/Tool sub-category.

AUSTIN, TX – June 10, 2025 — Portnox, a leading provider of cloud-native, zero trust access control solutions, today announced it has won a 2025 Fortress Cybersecurity Awards in the Network Security category, specifically for its Portnox Cloud solution in the Best Cybersecurity System/Tool sub-category. This recognition from the Business Intelligence Group highlights Portnox’s commitment to protecting systems, infrastructure, and data from the ever-evolving threat landscape.

“We are honored to receive this award from the Business Intelligence Group,” said Denny LeCompte, CEO of Portnox. “As cloud-native security becomes the standard, Portnox Cloud leads this evolution, empowering organizations to enforce zero trust principles without legacy NAC operational burdens. With a focus on simplicity, scalability, and automation, Portnox is shaping the future of secure network access, providing comprehensive and adaptive security for modern organizations.”

Portnox Cloud was recognized for its innovative cloud-native, zero trust Network Access Control (NAC) capabilities, which eliminate the need for on-site hardware, maintenance, and management complexities. This is especially critical for resource-constrained IT security teams managing distributed networks.

The Fortress Cybersecurity Awards program honors the industry’s leading companies and professionals who are going beyond compliance to build and maintain secure systems and processes. Winners are selected based on innovation, measurable impact, and commitment to security best practices.

“The volume and complexity of threats facing organizations today is growing by the minute,” said Russ Fordyce, CEO of the Business Intelligence Group. “The winners of this year’s Fortress Cybersecurity Awards are not only keeping up—they’re setting the pace. We’re proud to honor Portnox for building systems and solutions that make us all more secure.”

 

About Portnox
Portnox provides simple-to-deploy, operate and maintain network access control, security and visibility solutions. Portnox software can be deployed on-premises, as a cloud-delivered service, or in hybrid mode. It is agentless and vendor-agnostic, allowing organizations to maximize their existing network and cybersecurity investments. Hundreds of enterprises around the world rely on Portnox for network visibility, cybersecurity policy enforcement and regulatory compliance. The company has been recognized for its innovations by Info Security Products Guide, Cyber Security Excellence Awards, IoT Innovator Awards, Computing Security Awards, Best of Interop ITX and Cyber Defense Magazine. Portnox has offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia. For information visit http://www.portnox.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.。

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

Growing Demand for Edge Computing and Virtualization Solutions in the Retail Sector Propels Growth for Scale Computing

Scale Computing delivers innovation at the edge for businesses in the Quick Serve Restaurant, Convenience & Fuel, Grocery, and General Retail Industry as demand for VMware alternatives and edge computing solutions increases

INDIANAPOLIS – June 4, 2025 – Scale Computing, the market leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions, today announced its ongoing momentum and success in the retail sector. The company’s recent success is largely driven by an increased demand for both edge computing solutions and VMware alternative virtualization platforms across the retail sector, where Scale Computing is empowering businesses with resilient, high-performance IT infrastructure for in-store edge computing in Quick Serve Restaurants, Convenience and Fuel Retail, Grocery Retail, and General Retail.

Retailers are increasingly facing mounting demands for reliable, responsive in-store IT systems. Scale Computing has helped meet these needs with Scale Computing Platform (SC//Platform), delivering powerful, autonomous infrastructure that enables retail operators to provide enhanced customer experiences, improve operational efficiency, and simplify IT management. As the retail industry accelerates toward AI-driven operations, Scale Computing provides a robust, resilient, and scalable edge computing foundation with purpose-built software and hardware integrations to support AI inference, complex workloads, and the distributed real-world environments where retail organizations need to operate—empowering them to confidently deploy AI workloads at the edge where real-time decision-making, low-latency processing, and operational simplicity are paramount for retailers.

Today, leading retail brands across retail sectors are partnering with Scale Computing to improve operations, increase uptime, and reduce IT management burdens:

  • In the Quick Serve Restaurants (QSRs) industry, Scale Computing’s solutions support international brands in maintaining continuous operations for critical applications like point-of-sale, kitchen display systems, and digital menu boards. Scale Computing’s edge computing infrastructure is easily deployed in mobile environments, such as food trucks, where space and IT support are limited. This approach allows QSRs to enhance service reliability, reduce operational costs, and improve customer satisfaction.
  • Scale Computing offers Convenience and Fuel Retailers a comprehensive IT solution designed to streamline infrastructure, enhance automation, and improve service reliability. Royal Farms, a leader in convenience and fuel retail with over 260 locations, recently implemented SC//Platform to increase deployment velocity, achieve significant improvements in operational reliability and efficiency, and modernize its IT infrastructure. Scale Computing Fleet Manager (SC//Fleet Manager) enables the retailer to monitor and manage infrastructure remotely, reducing the need for on-site IT interventions and improving service reliability.
  • In Grocery Retail, SC//Platform helps retailers overcome obstacles arising from outdated IT setups, disjointed systems, and manual procedures to meet the expectations of today’s discerning shoppers. Ahold Delhaize, a global grocery leader, partnered with Scale Computing to implement its platform across more than 6700 stores. SC//Platform enabled Ahold Delhaize to adopt innovative technologies like real-time pricing and AI-driven inventory management, enhancing both operational efficiency and the in-store shopping experience.
  • Scale Computing helps General Retailers support demand for enhanced customer experience with flexible, reliable, secure, scalable, and resilient in-store infrastructure. Scale Computing recently partnered with a large national hardware store chain as well as with a leading national cosmetics chain to ensure uninterrupted access to point-of-sale, inventory, and customer service applications. By leveraging patented Scale Computing HyperCore™ for high availability, the retailers have been able to deliver a more seamless customer experience while reducing IT downtime and simplifying system management.

“Retailers today are seeking resilient, scalable, and simple IT solutions that enable them to deliver exceptional customer experiences and fuel business growth,” said Jeff Ready, CEO and co-Founder, Scale Computing. “This is where the right edge computing solution excels, and we’re proud to say that Scale Computing is delivering just that. With the adoption of AI accelerating, the need for distributed edge environments will only continue to grow, making SC//Platform even more critical in helping organizations run workloads reliably, securely, and close to where data is generated. With our platform’s unmatched capabilities and growing ecosystem of partners, we are empowering retailers to embrace edge computing—today and in the future.”

Together with its partners, Scale Computing is redefining the edge computing landscape and empowering businesses to thrive in a rapidly evolving retail industry:

  • Scale Computing + Nasuni: Delivers an integrated solution that combines the simplicity and resilience of hyperconverged infrastructure with the scalability and efficiency of cloud-native file services. The partnership empowers organizations to modernize their infrastructure, reduce complexity, and better protect critical data—no matter where it lives—enabling retail enterprises to consolidate infrastructure while ensuring fast local file access at individual stores.
  • Scale Computing + Simply NUC: Enables ease of doing business for distributed enterprises with small form factor edge computing devices for size-constrained locations. Currently, SC//Platform is being delivered across all Royal Farms locations on Simply NUC’s right-sized hardware. Simply NUC is the leader in the small form factor hardware industry and continues to innovate alongside Scale Computing for expanded edge computing offerings for the retail sector and beyond.
  • Scale Computing + Mako Networks: Addresses edge networking and PCI compliance challenges for the distributed enterprise is advancing growth in the retail vertical. The partnership offers edge computing and edge networking management with strong support that fuels bottom line growth for customers.
  • Scale Computing + DUMAC. SC//Platform technology integrated into DUMAC’s offerings delivers a cutting-edge virtualized environment and instance of the Point-of-Sale (POS) system, empowering retailers with unprecedented efficiency, reliability, and cost savings.

 

About Scale Computing 
Scale Computing is a leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions. Scale Computing HC3 software eliminates the need for traditional virtualization software, disaster recovery software, servers, and shared storage, replacing these with a fully integrated, highly available system for running applications. Using patented HyperCore™ technology, the HC3 self-healing platform automatically identifies, mitigates, and corrects infrastructure problems in real-time, enabling applications to achieve maximum uptime. When ease-of-use, high availability, and TCO matter, Scale Computing HC3 is the ideal infrastructure platform. Read what our customers have to say on Gartner Peer Insights, Spiceworks, TechValidate and TrustRadius.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

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