Fortinet Announced the Opening of a New Innovation Hub in Chicago
Fortinet, the global cybersecurity leader driving the
convergence of networking and security, announced the opening of a new
Innovation Hub in downtown Chicago. This is the latest Fortinet-owned facility
to open this year and is part of the company’s global expansion strategy to
foster innovation and enhance collaboration for Fortinet’s customers, partners,
employees, and other key stakeholders.
Representing a more
than $30 million investment in the local region, the newly renovated 6-story
building encompasses more than 90,000 square feet and will serve as Fortinet’s
latest Innovation Hub as part of the company’s strategic business initiative to
expand its Fortinet Cloud points of presence (POPs) globally. Key features of
the Chicago space include:
· Fortinet Cloud Point
of Presence (POP): Powered by Fortinet appliances and enhanced by Fortinet’s proprietary
ASIC technology for higher performance, improved energy efficiency, and lower
costs, Fortinet’s latest POP will expand Fortinet’s global cloud footprint.
This will enable the company to further meet the needs of its customers through
the delivery of services, SaaS products, and SASE, providing customers a
superior user experience, while enabling a strong security posture and
significant cost savings.
· Research and
Development Center: The new space has been designed to facilitate the company’s
high-impact research and development activities, fostering interdisciplinary
collaboration among employees including engineers and developers, as well as
advancing the development of Fortinet’s industry-leading cybersecurity
technology with the contribution of local talent.
· Executive Briefing
Center: The new Executive Briefing Center (EBC) is poised to become a pivotal
venue for driving business growth and cultivating long-term relationships with
key stakeholders, offering collaborative meeting spaces.
· Cybersecurity
Training Facility: Furthering Fortinet’s commitment to closing the cybersecurity skills gap, the new building provides an
in-person learning environment to deliver the Fortinet Training Institute’s award-winning Certification program curriculum.
· Customer Support
Expansion: A local services and sales team will bring the region a wealth of
expertise and knowledge to enhance customer support and satisfaction.
The new facility will
be officially opened on September 10 with a ribbon cutting ceremony, which will
be attended by Fortinet leadership, including Ken Xie, Founder, CEO, and
Chairman; Keith Jensen, CFO; and Carl Windsor, CISO, among others.
“Our investment in
Chicago reflects Fortinet’s long-term commitment to delivering top-tier
solutions and support for our enterprise customers across the United States and
globally, always with a ‘built to last’ approach in mind. As we roll out new
Innovation Hubs in strategic locations throughout 2025 and beyond, we will
continue to enhance our infrastructure and innovation to provide unmatched
experiences and solutions to protect our customers around the world,” said,
John Whittle, Chief Operating Officer at Fortinet
Additionally,
furthering its investment in the region and consistent with the company’s focus
on expanding the cybersecurity workforce, Fortinet is donating to the
local Chicago chapters of Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS), supporting the
advancement of women, and Blue Star Families, providing upskilling and
reskilling resources to the military veteran community. These donations
build on Fortinet’s existing partnerships with these organization that align
with the company’s longstanding commitment to closing the skills shortage by creating a diverse, highly-skilled cybersecurity
workforce.
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