Looking past the marketing. Prisma Access is Palo Alto's SASE play. The question is whether it's the right tool for global remote access in 2026, or if it's just an expensive NGFW in the cloud.
From a TCO perspective:
* You're paying for the full PAN stack (URL, Threat, CASB, DLP) whether you use all features or not. This is the main cost driver.
* Performance is tied to their 70+ PoPs. Latency is good if your users are near them, but you're locked into their network.
* For a truly global workforce, you'll likely need the "GlobalProtect" add-on, which increases per-user cost.
Alternatives to weigh:
* Zscaler ZPA: Often cheaper for pure remote access, more granular app segmentation.
* Netskope Private Access: Strong if you're already using their SSE.
* Cloud-native: Tailscale/Twingate on commodity cloud infra. Lower cost, but you manage more pieces.
Key pitfall with Prisma: It's a full infrastructure replacement. If you only need secure access, you're overbuying. For 2026, the market is shifting to lighter, identity-centric models. Prisma feels like the "safe" enterprise choice, not the most efficient.
Show me the bill