We're nearing the final stage of our SSE vendor selection, and it's essentially down to Zscaler Internet Access and Netskope for the primary secure web gateway component. Our PoCs are done, and both platforms meet our core security requirements. The decision is now coming down to operational performance, specifically user-perceived latency.
Our initial testing shows a split. Zscaler's massive network of dedicated data centers seems to give it an edge in certain regions (notably Europe and parts of Asia) for raw throughput. However, our Netskope PoC demonstrated surprisingly good performance in North America, likely due to their lighter-weight "NewEdge" pops and the traffic steering.
I'm looking for real-world, post-deployment experiences, especially from global organizations. I want to move beyond synthetic speed tests.
* **How has day-to-day latency held up after full deployment?** Think video calls, large file uploads to cloud apps, and everyday browsing.
* **Any unexpected performance hits** when specific security features (like full TLS inspection for sanctioned SaaS apps) are turned on? We know it adds overhead, but the magnitude varies.
* **How much tuning was required** to get consistent performance? Were you constantly adjusting traffic steering policies or did it settle in?
Our network team is leaning towards one, and our security team another, based on their respective PoC results. I need some battlefield stories to help bridge the gap.