We are thrilled to announce that KDDI Corporation, a long-standing NextWave partner of Palo Alto Networks and a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) with whom we have built a strong partnership, has launched an innovative new service, "SASE Gateway powered by Palo Alto Networks," equipped with our latest "SP Interconnect (SPI)" architecture.
As the implementation of AI in business operations and the shift to the cloud accelerate, and enterprise data becomes more distributed than ever, cyberattacks are also leveraging AI to become more advanced and sophisticated. In such an environment, enterprise security must completely transition from traditional perimeter defense to a Zero Trust architecture that continuously verifies all traffic. Our Prisma SASE is the industry's premier platform built to defend, scale, and secure your enterprise at the speed of AI. Powered by Precision AI®, it enforces dynamic Zero Trust guardrails to proactively defend against frontier AI attacks and secures the adoption of GenAI and autonomous agents across the enterprise.
The "SP Interconnect (SPI)" adopted by KDDI this time is a next-generation architecture that directly interconnects telecommunications carriers' high-quality networks with our Prisma SASE. This integration makes it possible to directly connect traffic from closed networks (KDDI Wide Area Virtual Switch 2: WVS2)—which remain highly demanded among Japanese enterprises—to SASE, in addition to internet connections. In particular, the latest SPI achieves the flexibility and performance required to meet the strict requirements of the Japanese market, including the elimination of IPsec connection overhead . As a result, an ideal infrastructure foundation has been completed that uncompromisingly balances the communication quality of the carrier backbone and the latest security of Palo Alto Networks, allowing unified management under a single policy engine.
Executive Perspective: KDDI Leadership on Next-Gen Security
Regarding this release, Junji Hori, General Manager of Product Management at KDDI Corporation, stated:
"With the launch of Prisma SASE with SP Interconnect, the convergence of closed networks and the internet has accelerated. This service serves as the core first-phase solution in the Security-as-a-Service domain under KDDI’s 'AccelWaves Vision,' and we position it as a major milestone toward realizing 'KDDI AccelWaves Network,' an autonomous network service for enterprises scheduled for release in 2028.
By simply unifying the individual design and management of security across both closed networks and the internet, this newly announced service reduces the operational burden on security and networking while contributing to rapid response in the event of an incident. This is an advanced initiative made possible by combining the long-standing partnership and expertise cultivated between both companies.
Equipped with AI security capabilities, we are confident this service will deliver new value not only to existing WVS2 customers, but also to customers aiming to centralize security operations and optimize their networks.
KDDI will continue to further strengthen its partnership with Palo Alto Networks and strive to deliver innovative services that accelerate our customers' AI implementation."
Key Architectural Advantages of SP Interconnect
The SP Interconnect that underpins the "SASE Gateway" offers the following outstanding benefits to customers:
- Direct Connection to KDDI's Closed Network and Ensuring Reliability: Achieves a low-latency and stable communication environment through the high SLA and cloud scale of Prisma SASE, and closed connection with KDDI's high-quality, wide-band backbone.
- Realization of Comprehensive ZTNA: Consistently applies best-in-class Zero Trust security to access SaaS and private applications, regardless of the line type (closed network, Internet, etc.).
- Securing the AI-Driven Enterprise: By routing high-speed closed network traffic through Prisma SASE, organizations can safely adopt GenAI and agentic AI tools. SP Interconnect enables this traffic to benefit from machine-speed inline inspection, stopping automated, frontier AI attacks (like machine-scale vulnerability scanning and prompt injections) while enforcing complete visibility, identity control, and advanced data loss prevention (DLP).
- Proactive IT Operations Powered by AI: Accelerate time-to-value by transforming reactive IT support into proactive, self-healing operations. It leverages AIOps and ADEM (Autonomous Digital Experience Management) to comprehensively visualize and manage transport networks across branches, clouds, and data centers, predicting and resolving network issues before users even notice them.
Furthermore, to realize a platform-based approach to security, KDDI offers the "SASE Gateway" service alongside the extensibility to introduce advanced security solutions such as our "Cortex XDR" and "Prisma Browser" (a secure enterprise browser). Additionally, to provide end-to-end support for customers' security operations and management, this offering can be combined with SOC and IR (Incident Response) services provided by LAC Co., Ltd.
Palo Alto Networks is confident that this "SASE Gateway" will become an essential business foundation supporting secure DX (Digital Transformation) for many Japanese enterprises advancing AI adoption, hybrid work and cloud migration. Through our strong alliance with KDDI, we look forward to further deepening our technical collaboration and greatly expect them to powerfully lead the expansion of sales and adoption among enterprise companies as a strong core solution for KDDI's "AccelWaves Vision".
KDDI’s SASE Gateway with Palo Alto Networks is now available as part of the companies’ joint integrated security portfolio.
Modernize Your Closed Network Security Today
Ready to simplify your hybrid network management and protect your organization against AI-driven threats? Contact us to schedule a custom architecture review or explore how KDDI SASE Gateway can fit into your cloud strategy.