CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Fortinet vs SolarWinds

Fortinet sells cybersecurity and networking technology to enterprises, service providers, and government organizations. SolarWinds sells monitoring, observability and service management capabilities on a platform offered in self-hosted and SaaS deployment models. CISO Tribune files both under SIEM. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

Change the companies

Up to four companies side by side.

  • Fortinet
  • SolarWinds
Fortinet vs SolarWinds: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
FortinetFortinet sells cybersecurity and networking technology to enterprises, service providers, and government organizations.fortinet.comSolarWindsSolarWinds sells monitoring, observability and service management capabilities on a platform offered in self-hosted and SaaS deployment models.solarwinds.com
What it sells
  • FortiWeb[18]FortiWeb protects web applications and APIs.
  • FortiAP[17]FortiAP provides secure wireless LAN access points.
  • FortiManager[12][19]FortiManager is a NOC-SOC operations tool.
  • FortiSIEM[12][16]FortiSIEM is Fortinet’s SIEM solution.
  • FortiSandbox[16]FortiSandbox provides AI-powered protection against zero-day threats.
  • Unified SASE[1][11]Fortinet Unified SASE combines networking with AI-aware controls.
  • FortiAIGate[11]FortiAIGate secures AI apps and agents.
  • Security Event Manager[1]An on-premise SIEM tool built with threat feeds designed to automatically detect and respond to user, application and network threats.
  • SolarWinds Observability SaaS[6]Observability delivered as SaaS, built to connect data from web applications, their services, and cloud and hybrid infrastructures.
  • SolarWinds Observability Self-HostedSelf-hosted observability that can be deployed behind a firewall or self-hosted in AWS, Microsoft Azure or GCP.
Categories
Headquarters
Sunnyvale, United StatesNot stated on its pages
Founded
2000[4]Not stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Public (NASDAQ: FTNT)[2][9][12][13][17][20][22]Not stated on its pages
Named customers
  • IHG Hotels & Resorts[5]
  • Alaska Airlines[6]
  • IndiGo[7]
  • University of Birmingham[8]
Not stated on its pages
Recent news
  • August 17, 2026Fortinet announced it has acquired Virtue AI, a company focused on AI runtime protection, automated AI validation, and security for autonomous AI systems.[20]
  • August 17, 2026Fortinet acquired Virtue AI, a company offering AI runtime protection and automated validation for autonomous AI systems.[9]
  • July 29, 2026Fortinet reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $2.05 billion, up 26% year over year.[2]
  • June 24, 2026Fortinet appointed Derek Kan to its board of directors.[21]
  • May 6, 2026Fortinet reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of $1.85 billion, up 20% year over year.[10]
Not stated on its pages
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: Not stated on its pages
  • Gartner Peer Insights: listed, seen November 3, 2026[22]
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[4]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
From its own pages, Fortinet sells mainly to enterprises, service providers, and government organizations. Its firewall pages describe deployments across data centers, branch offices, and multi-cloud environments. Wireless products are described for campuses, remote workers, and large public venues such as stadiums and arenas.SolarWinds offers a choice of self-hosted, SaaS or hybrid deployment. SolarWinds offers small business IT solutions and IT education solutions for students, staff and faculty. The federal government is a customer of SolarWinds. SolarWinds Service Desk can be used across the entire organization as an enterprise service management solution.
Last verified
November 9, 2026October 14, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Fortinet and SolarWinds are both filed under SIEM.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Fortinet's primary category is Firewalls and NGFW; SolarWinds's is Network visibility and traffic brokering.
  • Fortinet is also filed under SASE and SSE and EDR and XDR.
  • Fortinet lists FortiWeb, FortiAP, FortiManager, FortiSIEM, FortiSandbox and 2 more. SolarWinds lists Security Event Manager, SolarWinds Observability SaaS and SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted.
  • Fortinet is headquartered in Sunnyvale, United States.
  • Fortinet was founded in 2000.
  • Fortinet is a public company listed on NASDAQ as FTNT.
  • Fortinet publicly names IHG Hotels & Resorts, Alaska Airlines, IndiGo and University of Birmingham.

What it sells: Fortinet

What FortiWeb does[18]
FortiWeb protects business-critical web applications and APIs from emerging web-based threats. Its features include anomaly detection, API discovery and protection, bot mitigation, and client-side security. It comes in hardware, virtual machine, and SaaS form factors and is available in public cloud marketplaces.
What FortiAP does[17]
FortiAP integrates with the Fortinet SASE offering to support organizations securing microbranches. FortiAPs are available in models from 2x2 to 4x4, with internal or external antenna. Control can be done with FortiGate, FortiGate VM, FortiSASE, or FortiEdge Cloud.
What FortiManager does[12][19]
FortiManager is the NOC-SOC operations tool that was built with security perspective. It provides a single-pane-of-glass across the entire Fortinet Security Fabric.

What it sells: SolarWinds

What Security Event Manager does[1]
Security Event Manager comes with hundreds of pre-built connectors that gather logs from various sources, parse their data and put it into a common readable format. Security Event Manager has built-in File Integrity Monitoring capabilities to monitor and alert on suspicious or potentially malicious activity in sensitive files. Active Response provides preconfigured, customizable actions for incident response based on which trigger conditions are satisfied. SEM provides hundreds of out-of-the-box reports for HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOX, ISO, DISA STIGs, FISMA, FERPA, NERC CIP, GLBA, GPG13 and more.
What SolarWinds Observability SaaS does[6]
The application performance monitoring solution collects metrics, logs, traces and user experience data. It is extensible with an open-source framework, a public API and out-of-the-box third-party integrations. Through Platform Connect, SolarWinds Observability, the SaaS-delivered observability solution, can consume data from self-hosted Hybrid Cloud Observability.
What SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted does
AIOps capabilities are part of SolarWinds Service Desk, SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted and SaaS. Customers running self-hosted Orion modules on version 2022.2 or later are using the SolarWinds Platform. Self-hosted Hybrid Cloud Observability data can be consumed by SolarWinds Observability through Platform Connect.

Questions about Fortinet and SolarWinds

What do Fortinet and SolarWinds sell?
Fortinet sells FortiWeb, FortiAP, FortiManager, FortiSIEM, FortiSandbox and 2 more. SolarWinds sells Security Event Manager, SolarWinds Observability SaaS and SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted.
Are Fortinet and SolarWinds in the same category?
They share SIEM. Fortinet's primary category is Firewalls and NGFW and SolarWinds's is Network visibility and traffic brokering.
Where are Fortinet and SolarWinds headquartered?
Fortinet is headquartered in Sunnyvale, United States.
When were Fortinet and SolarWinds founded?
Fortinet was founded in 2000.
Who owns Fortinet and SolarWinds?
Fortinet is a public company listed on NASDAQ as FTNT.
Which customers do Fortinet and SolarWinds name?
Fortinet publicly names IHG Hotels & Resorts, Alaska Airlines, IndiGo and University of Birmingham.
Who are Fortinet and SolarWinds sold to?
From its own pages, Fortinet sells mainly to enterprises, service providers, and government organizations. SolarWinds offers a choice of self-hosted, SaaS or hybrid deployment.
What have Fortinet and SolarWinds announced recently?
August 17, 2026: Fortinet announced it has acquired Virtue AI, a company focused on AI runtime protection, automated AI validation, and security for autonomous AI systems.

About Fortinet

Fortinet sells cybersecurity and networking technology to enterprises, service providers, and government organizations. Fortinet describes itself as a global US-based company securing over 700,000 enterprises, service providers, and government organizations worldwide.[11]

Fortinet’s firewall line is built around FortiGate. FortiGate Next Generation Firewall uses purpose-built security processors and threat intelligence security services from FortiGuard labs. Fortinet says FortiGate provides automated visibility into applications, users, and network, and provides security ratings. Fortinet’s hybrid mesh firewall approach unifies FortiGate Next-Generation Firewalls across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments with centralized management and analytics. Fortinet says its firewall solutions include appliances, VMs, and FWaaS, so they can be deployed anywhere in the network, including cloud resources. Fortinet says its hybrid mesh firewalls (HMFs) offer unified management and consistent security enabled via a single operating system. For branch offices, Fortinet describes unified firewalling, SD-WAN, and a LAN/WLAN controller in one NGFW. FortiGate 1200G with FortiSASE Outpost delivers ASIC-powered local enforcement and cloud-delivered security where businesses need it most.[11][14][15]

Fortinet sells Secure SD-WAN, which combines networking with security. Fortinet says FortiAPs used with Fortinet Secure SD-WAN create a Secure SD-Branch. Fortinet’s wireless LAN solution integrates with the Fortinet Security Fabric to offer built-in security, end-to-end network visibility, and automated threat response. FortiAP integrates with the Fortinet SASE offering to support organizations securing microbranches and related devices. FortiAPs are available in models from 2x2 to 4x4, and configuration and control can be done with a FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall appliance, FortiGate VM, FortiSASE, or FortiEdge Cloud. Fortinet also describes deploying FortiAPs as remote APs to extend corporate network access securely to remote workers.[16]

Fortinet Unified SASE is described as helping secure the AI era with integrated networking, AI-aware controls, sovereign options, and digital experience visibility. In security operations, FortiSIEM is Fortinet’s SIEM solution. FortiSandbox delivers AI-powered protection against emerging, sophisticated, and zero-day threats. Fortinet offers FortiAIGate to secure AI apps and agents, enforce usage policy, and control AI spend. Virtue AI will enhance the Fortinet AI-Native Security Fabric with continuous agentic AI validation and runtime protection across the AI lifecycle, according to Fortinet.[11][16]

Fortinet also sells application security. FortiWeb protects business-critical web applications and APIs from emerging web-based threats that target known and unknown vulnerabilities. FortiWeb features anomaly detection, API discovery and protection, bot mitigation, and client-side security. FortiWeb comes in many form factors including hardware, virtual machines, and SaaS, and is available in public cloud marketplaces. FortiGuard security services used with FortiWeb are annual subscriptions that can be purchased a la carte or as part of a bundle with FortiWeb. Fortinet Email Security provides protection for your critical business information. Fortinet offers FortiProxy for protection against internet-borne threats and Advanced Web Content Caching. FortiADC brings the power of the Fortinet Security Fabric to your application layer. FortiDeceptor is based on deception-based technology that complements an organization’s existing breach protection strategy.[16][18]

Fortinet sells management and endpoint tools alongside its security products. FortiManager is the NOC-SOC operations tool that was built with security perspective, and it provides a single-pane-of-glass across the entire Fortinet Security Fabric. FortiAIOps uses artificial intelligence with machine learning to collect data and identify pattern anomalies. FortiClient Fabric Agent integrates endpoints into the Security Fabric and provides endpoint telemetry, including user identity. FortiExtender WWAN appliance uses LTE connectivity with the cellular infrastructure to provide broadband speeds.[16][19]

Fortinet names customers in several sectors. Global hospitality company IHG Hotels & Resorts is replacing its legacy hub-and-spoke network with a managed SD-WAN solution from Fortinet. IHG Hotels & Resorts is deploying Fortinet Secure SD-WAN to 4,000 sites. Jersey Mike’s says moving to FortiSwitches is greatly enhancing its help desk support of franchisees.[1][3][11][15]

Fortinet on the record

Sources

Fortinet full record

  1. [1]fortinet.comFortinet · fortinet.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Fortinet reports strong second quarter 2026 financial resultsFortinet · fortinet.com · published July 29, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Ftnt 20241231Fortinet, Inc. via SEC EDGAR · sec.gov · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Press kitFortinet · fortinet.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]IHG Hotels & Resorts | Fortinet Case StudyFortinet · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Alaska airlinesFortinet · fortinet.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Indigo airlinesFortinet · fortinet.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]University of birminghamFortinet · fortinet.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Fortinet advances continuous ai protection with the acquisition of virtue aiFortinet · fortinet.com · published August 17, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Fortinet reports first quarter 2026 financial resultsFortinet · fortinet.com · published May 6, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Global Leader of Cybersecurity Solutions and Services | FortinetFortinet · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]FortiDLP Agent Hardware | Fortinet Document LibraryFortinet · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Fortinet Reviews, Ratings & Features 2026 | Gartner Peer InsightsGartner Peer Insights · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier C
  14. [14]FortiGate / FortiOS | Fortinet Document LibraryFortinet Document Library · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Hybrid Mesh FirewallFortinet · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Products | Fortinet Products | Fortinet Product InformationFortinet · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]Secure Wireless Access Points | FortinetFortinet · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]Web Application Firewall (WAF) & API Protection | FortinetFortinet · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  19. [19]FortiManager | Fortinet Document LibraryFortinet Document Library · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  20. [20]Fortinet Advances Continuous AI Protection with the Acquisition of Virtue AIFortinet, Inc. · published August 17, 2026 · Tier A
  21. [21]Fortinet Appoints Public Sector Leader and Tech Executive Derek Kan to Its Board of DirectorsFortinet · published June 24, 2026 · Tier A
  22. [22]Fortinet Reviews, Ratings & Features 2026 | Gartner Peer InsightsGartner Peer Insights · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier C

SolarWinds full record

  1. [1]Security Event Manager - View Event Logs Remotely | SolarWindsSolarWinds · undated page, accessed October 14, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]SolarWinds productsSolarWinds · undated page, accessed November 2, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Observability, Database, and IT Service Management | SolarWindsSolarWinds · undated page, accessed November 2, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]SolarWinds Observability Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2G2 · undated page, accessed November 2, 2026 · Tier C
  5. [5]Orion Platform now self-hosted on the SolarWinds Platform | SolarWindsSolarWinds · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Application Performance Monitoring | SolarWindsSolarWinds · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]AIOps Solutions & AI-Powered IT Operations | SolarWindsSolarWinds · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Security Resources | SolarWindsSolarWinds · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Deployment Services | Customer SuccessSolarWinds · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]IT Service Management Software Solutions | SolarWindsSolarWinds · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]IT Asset Management Solutions | SolarWindsSolarWinds · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]SolarWinds SolutionsSolarWinds · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]IT Service Desk Software | SolarWindsSolarWinds · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

Spot a factual error? Request a correction.