News
Fortinet® announced the opening of a new Innovation Hub in downtown Chicago
September 2024 by Marc Jacob
Fortinet® 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.
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.
