A Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) is an advanced network security device that goes beyond the capabilities of traditional firewalls. While traditional firewalls primarily filter traffic based on ports, protocols, and IP addresses, NGFWs provide deeper inspection and enhanced security features, including:
These features make NGFWs a fundamental layer for controlling sensitive data flow and ensuring compliance with strict regulatory requirements.
Managed Firewall services are staffed by cybersecurity professionals who handle configuration, updates, and incident response around the clock. This expertise is often difficult and costly to maintain in-house, especially for organizations without a dedicated IT security team and with low staff specialization.
You can, in our experience we find that in-house policy management may lack clear policy direction and may to get out of shape over time – a phenomenon we call “policy atrophy” or “rule base bloat”. GCX can provide regular policy audits and guidance or offer co-management; or we can offer a fully managed firewall service.
Microsegmentation is a security technique that divides a network into very small, isolated segments or zones, each with its own security policies. This approach allows organizations to apply granular security controls to individual workloads, applications, or devices, rather than relying on broad, perimeter-based defences. GCX offers microsegmentation services that enforce Zero Trust policies to segment functional areas within your business. These solutions include pre-design consultancy, design, build, and ongoing management, ensuring industry-leading protection and compliance with evolving standards.
Cloud-managed networks provide centralised management via a single dashboard, remote monitoring and troubleshooting, automatic updates, and enhanced scalability. They reduce hardware needs and operational costs while offering greater visibility, reporting, and analytics.
Best practices include adhering to IEEE 802.11 standards and local regulations, conducting thorough site surveys, implementing standardised security protocols, segmenting networks, and ensuring consistent hardware and configuration. Ongoing monitoring and regular audits are essential for performance and security.
A Wireless First approach prioritises wireless connectivity as the main means of network access, supporting mobility, flexibility, and the needs of the modern workplace by enabling employees to work from anywhere within the premises.
Wireless First supports hybrid and hot-desking strategies by allowing seamless, secure connectivity across the workspace, enabling staff to move freely and collaborate effectively, and making office space usage more efficient.
To secure BYOD, enforce strong authentication, use network segmentation, implement device compliance policies, and deploy MDM solutions. Regular user education and clear policies also help mitigate risks.
Secure guest access by using separate SSIDs/VLANs, captive portals for authentication, bandwidth limiting, and network monitoring. Regularly update security settings and review access logs to maintain a safe guest environment.
The ROI for cloud-managed wireless networks often includes reduced operational costs, increased productivity, and enhanced security. Many organisations begin seeing benefits within months, with additional value from faster onboarding, easier expansion, and improved user experience.
The network underlay refers to the physical infrastructure and foundational connectivity—such as leased lines, MPLS circuits, or internet links—that carry data between sites. The overlay, by contrast, is a virtual network built on top of the underlay, using technologies like SD-WAN to manage and optimise traffic routing, segmentation, and security. While the underlay provides the raw transport, the overlay delivers advanced features, flexibility, and policy-driven control independent of the underlying hardware.
Underlay networks typically rely on a mix of technologies such as, dedicated leased lines, Dedicated Internet Access (DIA), Broadband internet Access (BIA), fibre connectivity, and sometimes cellular (4G/5G) links. These technologies provide the essential point-to-point or multipoint connections that underpin the overall data transport for enterprise networking.
Managing a global underlay network presents several challenges, including dealing with multiple service providers across regions, inconsistent service levels, varied regulatory requirements, and complex troubleshooting when outages occur. Logistics such as provisioning, upgrades, and maintenance can become time-consuming, while ensuring consistent security and performance across all geographies adds further complexity.
The quality of the network underlay is critical for SD-WAN or any overlay service because it directly impacts performance, reliability, and user experience. Issues such as high latency, packet loss, jitter, or outages at the underlay level can degrade application performance and reduce the effectiveness of overlay optimisation features. A robust underlay ensures that the overlay can deliver consistent, high-quality connectivity and maximise the benefits of advanced routing and security.
Protecting underlay networks involves a combination of best practices such as segmenting traffic, enforcing strong access controls, encrypting data in transit, monitoring for anomalies, and deploying firewalls or intrusion prevention systems. Regular patching, vulnerability assessments, and collaboration with providers to ensure compliance with security standards also play a key role in mitigating risks.
Comprehensive underlay services typically include 24/7 monitoring, proactive incident management, rapid fault resolution, and escalation procedures. Our basic reporting features cover service availability, performance analytics, ticket histories, and change logs, all accessible through centralised dashboards or regular service reviews to ensure transparency and continuous improvement. Our advances reporting includes security reports and recommendations to improve your security posture.
Deployment speed depends on factors such as location, access type, and provider relationships. In major cities, standard broadband or direct internet access can often be provisioned within days or weeks, while dedicated circuits like MPLS or fibre may take longer. Modern managed services can accelerate expansion by leveraging a mix of underlay technologies and global partnerships, supporting rapid onboarding and scalable growth as business needs change.
BIA (Broadband Internet Access) shares bandwidth with other users meaning it is cheaper but less reliable, and SLAs reflect this. DIA (Dedicated Internet Access) is private dedicated (not shared) solution, usually backed by a more stringent SLAs and is more expensive.
Understand your needs by site and users both today and for the next 12 months, in terms of throughput, uptime and quality. Grade your sites by levels of importance, build a network purchasing strategy that aligns with this and then start to look for suitable suppliers and products by needs and by region, don’t forget the costs of management and regional variations in quality – alternatively, talk to GCX about their network cost benchmarking service.
GCX can deliver both fixed and wireless managed network services in over 120 countries, via a single operational relationship and a single SLA.
Typical costs for underlay network services include installation or provisioning fees, monthly or annual service charges, and potential costs for bandwidth upgrades or redundancy options. Depending on the provider and technology—such as MPLS, leased lines, fibre, or broadband—pricing can vary widely. Additional expenses may arise from maintenance, hardware, and support. It’s important to review contracts for any hidden charges related to usage limits, service changes, or fault resolution to ensure full transparency.
Managing your own network underlay can be complex, requiring coordination with multiple service providers, handling varied regulatory requirements, and ensuring consistent performance across regions. Troubleshooting outages can be time-consuming, and regular provisioning, upgrades, and maintenance add to operational overheads. Likewise, currency variations and cross charging can be problematic, Maintaining robust security, achieving reliable performance, and keeping pace with technological changes present ongoing challenges for organisations without specialist expertise. At GCX we can deliver global solutions with a single SLA and a single bill, thereby taking away the issues of self-management.
Underlay network services typically come with SLAs covering service availability, uptime guarantees, fault resolution times, and performance metrics such as latency and packet loss. Comprehensive SLAs may also include provisions for proactive monitoring, rapid incident response, escalation procedures, and regular reporting (such as ticket histories and change logs). These agreements are designed to ensure transparency, reliability, and continuous improvement, supporting your business needs with defined service standards. When looking at global services, a single SLA that succinctly covers all operations is preferable. GCX offer a single global SLA for network underlay.
GCX underlay services are engineered to deliver enterprise-grade connectivity, combining dedicated circuits, MPLS, fibre, and broadband options to guarantee consistent performance, reliability, and support. Unlike the public internet, which can be unpredictable and prone to congestion, our underlay ensures lower latency, higher availability, and robust security. Centralised management and proactive monitoring further distinguish our offering, providing greater visibility and faster response times than many traditional providers or standard internet links. This enables businesses to maintain superior application performance and user experience across global locations.
Traditional telecom underlay networks often involve working with multiple regional providers, which can result in inconsistent service quality, varied regulatory requirements, and complex contract management. Provisioning and upgrading circuits may be slow and bureaucratic, while troubleshooting outages frequently demands coordination with disparate support teams. Maintaining uniform security and performance across geographies is also challenging, leading to increased operational overheads and potential risks for organisations operating global networks.
Our underlay pricing model is designed for transparency and flexibility. We provide a clear breakdown of installation charges, recurring service fees, and optional features such as bandwidth upgrades or redundancy. All potential costs, including those for additional bandwidth, service changes, or enhanced resilience, are detailed upfront to minimise surprises. This contrasts with some providers who may include undisclosed fees for overages, support, or configuration changes. We recommend a thorough contract review to ensure full cost visibility and avoid hidden charges.
Self-managing a network underlay can lead to hidden expenses such as increased staffing requirements, additional time spent coordinating with multiple vendors, and costs related to troubleshooting, maintenance, and regulatory compliance. Unexpected charges may also arise from upgrades, fault resolution, and the need for specialist expertise. Without dedicated monitoring and support, organisations may face higher risks of downtime or security incidents, all of which contribute to a higher total cost of ownership than initially anticipated.
Our underlay pricing typically covers installation, ongoing service fees, standard bandwidth allocation, and 24/7 support. Additional features like redundancy, bandwidth upgrades, and proactive monitoring can be bundled or selected as optional add-ons. Compared to traditional MPLS or other providers, our model emphasises flexibility and cost transparency, allowing customers to tailor services to their needs without incurring unnecessary expenses. Legacy MPLS contracts, by contrast, may be less flexible and carry higher charges for changes or enhancements.
GCX provide a global network costs benchmarking service and can quickly help you determine if you are paying too much for your network and provide advice on how to optimize your network costs.
Managed SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) is a fully managed service that combines advanced networking—such as SD-WAN—with robust, cloud-delivered security controls, including firewalls, secure web gateways, and zero trust access. Delivered by a specialist provider like GCX, it enables organisations to benefit from the latest connectivity and security technologies without the complexity of managing multiple solutions or maintaining in-house expertise.
SASE provides unified, cloud-based network and security services, enabling secure, consistent access for users and devices wherever they are. Benefits include improved security posture through centralised policy enforcement, greater agility to support remote working and business growth, simplified management, and inherent scalability—helping IT teams reduce complexity and operational overheads while enhancing user experience.
SASE is designed to replace or converge multiple legacy solutions, including traditional VPNs, on-premises firewalls, secure web gateways (SWG), cloud access security brokers (CASB), and standalone SD-WAN devices. It also integrates with modern tools such as identity providers and endpoint protection platforms, providing end-to-end visibility and control across the enterprise network.
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) is a security approach based on the principle of “never trust, always verify.” Unlike traditional models that grant broad access based on network location, ZTNA enforces strict authentication and authorisation for every user and device, providing access only to the specific applications and resources required—minimising the risk of unauthorised access and lateral movement within the network.
SASE platforms embed ZTNA as a core function. When a user or device requests access to a resource, SASE verifies identity and applies granular access policies based on factors like user role, device status, and location. This process uses secure authentication, continuous monitoring, and dynamic policy enforcement, ensuring users only access what they’re permitted—regardless of where they connect from.
Key components of a SASE solution include SD-WAN for optimised connectivity, Secure Web Gateway (SWG) for web security, Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) for cloud app protection, Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS) for network security, and ZTNA for zero trust access control. These elements are tightly integrated and delivered via the cloud, providing a unified platform for secure, agile networking.
SASE is typically simpler to deploy than traditional network security projects, thanks to its cloud-native architecture. Managed SASE providers handle planning, policy configuration, and ongoing management, reducing the burden on internal IT teams. Integration with existing identity and cloud services can accelerate adoption, though careful planning is advised for larger or more complex environments.
SASE can offer significant cost savings compared to maintaining multiple point solutions and legacy hardware. By consolidating networking and security into a single, subscription-based service, organisations can reduce capital expenditure, lower operational costs, and minimise the need for specialist staff—delivering predictable budgeting and scalable value.
SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) combines both networking (like SD-WAN) and security services in a single cloud-delivered platform. SSE (Security Service Edge), on the other hand, focuses solely on the security elements—such as SWG, CASB, ZTNA, and FWaaS—without including the networking components. In short, SASE delivers a complete secure connectivity and security solution, while SSE is dedicated to security services alone.
SD-WAN is a technology for optimising and managing network connectivity across multiple locations. SASE builds upon SD-WAN by integrating advanced security functions—such as ZTNA, SWG, CASB, and FWaaS—into a single, cloud-delivered platform. While SD-WAN focuses on connectivity and traffic management, SASE offers a holistic approach that unifies network and security capabilities for secure, agile access everywhere.
Yes, but beware, BIA is contended so no bandwidth guarantees and service levels (like fix times) are not commensurate with many business needs, to maximise BIA you may need two diverse circuits to each site to maintain uptime. You should always compare with DIA which is a much better service, SDWAN may help remove some of the issues with BIA you do get what you pay for.
Providing it is planned correctly and the scenarios are fully scoped, the actual act of migration can be very swift, our consultants scope and plan the migration and deliver pilot tests, once the customer is in approval, the migration can be delivered on a push basis to all users or in line with an agreed phased project plan. Whichever way, GCX consultants are there every step of the way.
NOC outsourcing enables organizations to maintain a robust, resilient, and high-performing IT infrastructure while controlling costs, reducing risk, and freeing internal resources for strategic growth.
The key milestones outsourcing your operations centre are:
Alternative solutions include migrating to cloud-based telephony platforms such as Microsoft Teams, utilising SIP trunking, or adopting direct routing and operator connect services. These provide modern, flexible options to replace traditional PSTN services.
You can replace legacy telephony systems like Cisco CUCM or Avaya solutions with cloud-based platforms such as Microsoft Teams Phone, which offers integration with existing infrastructure and advanced telephony features.
The complexity of migrating to Microsoft Teams depends on your current telephony environment. With careful planning and the right expertise, migrations can be managed smoothly, with options for phased rollouts to minimise disruption.
Migration timelines vary depending on organisational size and requirements, but many businesses can complete migration within weeks, especially with experienced partners and comprehensive planning.
Yes, Microsoft Teams is designed for stability and scalability, supporting organisations of all sizes with enterprise-grade reliability, global reach, and features that enable seamless communication.
Enabling telephony in Microsoft Teams typically requires Microsoft 365 or Office 365 licences, along with Teams Phone and, where needed, Calling Plans or Direct Routing licences, depending on your preferred connectivity.
Deploying telephony in India involves meeting local regulatory requirements and selecting suitable connectivity options—such as Operator Connect or Direct Routing—supported by local partners familiar with compliance and number provisioning.
Transitioning to Microsoft Teams enables unified communications, improved collaboration, cost savings on hardware and maintenance, and enhanced flexibility for hybrid and remote workforces.
