stc and Juniper Networks Supercharge 5G Security with AI-Powered Automation

Saudi Telecom Company (stc), a leading digital enabler in the Middle East in the telecommunication sector, and Juniper Networks, (NYSE:JNPR), a leader in secure, AI-Native Networking, today announced that the two companies have worked together to further enhance the service provider’s 5G-ready network security gateway (SGi) infrastructure with new automation features within its existing Juniper SRX next-generation firewall deployment. These new capabilities elevate user experiences, increase capacity and lower costs while maintaining the highest security efficacy and sustainability commitments.

stc has fully embraced Juniper’s AI-Native Security approach, which is an integral part of the Juniper AI-Native Networking Platform.  By building end-to-end next-generation security rather than as an overlay, stc leverages better insight, automation and actions to protect users, applications and infrastructure. This creates a fully threat-aware, high-performance environment for stc’s customers while keeping attackers at bay.

The Automated Express Path+ software feature from Juniper has been activated in stc’s Juniper Networks® SRX 5800 Firewalls without the necessity for investing in new hardware. The new software automates the identification and accelerated flow of data. The upgraded security deployment can now process data efficiently up to 48 percent faster than before.

stc’s automation upgrade has enabled the company to gain significant CapEx and OpEx savings by streamlining the infrastructure’s overall efficiency. For example, the power consumption required to run the SRX gateways is reduced by up to 30 percent, concurrently supporting sustainability by allowing the deployment of more potent systems within a compact footprint. As a result, there is a substantial reduction in the cost per gigabit processed.

Customers using stc’s wide range of business and consumer services will benefit from optimized performance and security rigor as a result of the automation. For example, network latency (which can cause ‘jitter’ that depletes the quality of digital content) will be reduced by up to 600 percent, while the most stringent security policies are consistently and intelligently applied to data traffic at scale.

stc is relentless in the pursuit of faster, more secure offerings at a lower cost and with a tangible consideration for sustainability. Juniper’s latest innovations with automation software and its feature-rich security capabilities have enabled stc to unlock unparalleled next-generation firewall performance and significantly reduce power and space consumption. We can now continue to deliver the best possible user experience simply, responsibly and economically, differentiating stc as we continue in the 5G era.

– Bader Allhieb, Infrastructure VP, stc

Service providers face increasingly demanding expectations from users for fast data throughput and available bandwidth, based on the huge potential of 5G. But the need for the most sophisticated, threat-aware security, capable of successfully identifying and mitigating a wide range of known and unknown threats across a broad range of apps, work flows and roles at line-speed, is equally important. stc understands that intelligent automation is the key to delivering both, ensuring that its investment in a high-performance, experience-first network is not impeded by slow or ineffectual security.

– Mike Spanbauer, Technology Evangelist, Juniper Networks