The Convergence of IT Management and SASE
This joint webinar brings together Atera's CTO and co-founder Oshri Moyal with Cato Networks' VP of Product Marketing Eyal Webber-Zvik to explore how IT management platforms and SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) solutions work together to address modern IT challenges. The session examines the growing pressure on IT teams to deliver more value while managing increasing complexity across distributed environments. Both speakers emphasize that IT teams are often the smartest people in the enterprise yet face constant complaints about slow innovation and project delays—not due to their capabilities, but because the industry hasn't provided the right tools for efficient operation. The discussion positions platform consolidation and AI-driven automation as the path forward for IT teams to prove their strategic value to the organization.
Atera's AI-Powered IT Management Platform
Atera presents itself as an all-in-one IT management platform serving 13,000 customers across 120 countries, managing 5 million devices and processing over 1 million tickets monthly. The platform combines remote monitoring, patch management, service desk, automation, and remote desktop capabilities with what Oshri describes as 'agentic AI' at its core. The centerpiece of their AI strategy is 'Autopilot,' currently in design partner testing, which provides first-tier support automatically by diagnosing issues and offering one-click solutions to end users 24/7. Early results from design partners show 20-40% of tickets being resolved automatically without human intervention. Oshri frames this as a two-year journey toward eliminating routine, mundane tasks that prevent IT teams from focusing on strategic initiatives, addressing the industry-wide shortage of skilled IT professionals.
Cato Networks' SASE Platform Approach
Eyal positions Cato Networks as solving the complexity problem that enterprises face during digital transformation—whether expanding globally, supporting hybrid workforces, migrating to cloud applications, or managing mergers and acquisitions. He cites Gartner's assertion that 'complexity is the enemy of availability, security, and agility,' arguing that the solution is converging multiple point products into a unified platform. Cato's SASE platform reprograms traditional network and security point solutions as a single software stack delivered from their global private cloud with points of presence worldwide. By connecting all enterprise edges to the SASE cloud service, traffic flows through a centralized service that provides consistent security, improved management, and operational self-sufficiency. Eyal emphasizes that this platform approach enables IT teams to be more dynamic and responsive to business needs while reducing the burden of integrating and managing dozens of disparate tools.
AI Security and Data Protection Considerations
Both speakers address the security implications of AI adoption, acknowledging the risks while emphasizing their respective approaches to data protection. Oshri states that Atera does not train AI models on customer data and uses dedicated tools to ensure compliance with the latest security standards. Eyal notes that Cato is heavily invested in security research to understand AI-related risks and develop clear mitigation plans. The discussion reflects the broader industry challenge of balancing AI innovation with enterprise security requirements, particularly as IT teams evaluate new tools that promise efficiency gains. Both companies position themselves as understanding these concerns and building safeguards into their platforms, recognizing that long-term customer trust depends on demonstrating responsible AI implementation alongside the promised productivity benefits.
