Coming from Zscaler?
You moved to Zscaler to kill the appliance and the VPN backhaul, and it worked: security from the cloud, at internet scale, with nothing to rack. The part that stays with you is running the network underneath, and owning the outcome when something breaks at 2am. Open Systems Autonomous SASE keeps the cloud-native model and adds both: the network in the same platform, and Level-3 engineers who run it.
What you have becomes what you get.
Every Zscaler building block has a direct equivalent on the platform. Nothing is lost in translation.
Side by side, row by row.
| Capability | Zscaler | Open Systems |
|---|---|---|
| Secure Access · SSE (ZTNA, SWG, CASB) | Fullcloud-native SSE | Full |
| Secure Network · SD-WAN | PartialZero Trust SD-WAN, appliance-based | Full |
| Global private backbone | Fullglobal cloud | Full |
| Converged single platform | PartialSSE-focused | Full |
| AI-native autonomous operations | Partialanalytics-led | Fullon 35 years of data |
| 24/7 human escalation | Tiered vendor supportL1 to L3 | Level-3 engineers, alwaysno L1, no L2 |
| Appliance-free, cloud-native | Full | Full |
| Sovereign by design (EU/CH residency) | PartialUS HQ | FullSwiss Post backing |
| Years of operational data | Since 2007founding year | 35 yearssince 1990, end to end |
| Flexible operating model | Partialself-service | FullProduct / AIOps / Managed |
Important notice, methodology & sources
Zscaler, ZIA, ZPA and ZDX are trademarks of Zscaler, Inc. Zscaler is used for identification only.
Important Notice: References to third-party vendors, products and services are provided solely for informational and identification purposes. All comparisons on this page are based on Open Systems' assessment of publicly available information, including sources identified on this page, as available in August 2026, and reflect Open Systems' interpretation of product characteristics, operating models and service offerings at that time.
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Product capabilities, features and service models may change over time and may be described differently by the respective vendors. Readers should independently verify current information directly with the relevant vendor before making any purchasing or business decisions.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, no statement on this page is intended to imply that any third-party product is inferior, deficient or unsuitable for a particular purpose. All trademarks, product names and company names are the property of their respective owners.
The terms "Full", "Partial", "Not Available" and similar classifications represent Open Systems' own evaluation criteria and assessment methodology. Such classifications may incorporate both objective characteristics and qualitative assessments and are provided solely to facilitate a high-level comparison. Other organisations, analysts, vendors or users may reasonably reach different conclusions.
References to "sovereignty", "sovereign", or "sovereign by design" reflect Open Systems' interpretation of operational, jurisdictional, governance and data-residency considerations. These concepts are not uniformly defined across the industry, regulatory frameworks or jurisdictions, and alternative interpretations may exist.
Open Systems welcomes feedback regarding the accuracy or currency of any information presented. Where inaccuracies or material changes are identified, Open Systems will review and update the relevant content as appropriate.
Sources consulted for this comparison (Zscaler), as available in August 2026:
- Secure Access / SASE (SSE) - product page
- Zero Trust SD-WAN - product page
- Global data centres - news release
- AI / agentic security - press release
- Support offerings - Support Guide (PDF)
- Zero Trust Branch / appliances - data sheet (PDF)
- EU sovereign cloud (STACKIT) - press release
- Company facts (founded 2007, HQ) - Company FAQ
- Editions & operating model - Pricing & Plans
Where Open Systems goes further.
Accountable humans
Every escalation goes straight to a Level-3 engineer. No L1, no L2.
Sovereign by design
EU and Swiss data residency with Swiss Post backing. Evidence, not a checkbox.
35 years of operational data
Three and a half decades of real operational decisions no competitor can replay.
Networking, included
Branch SD-WAN is part of the same platform: same console, same policy.
Keep the cloud. Add the network and the humans.
Migration is a guided, de-risked path: assess and map, import policy, parallel run, phased cutover. Level-3 engineers own every step.