BT International has expanded its Global Fabric network-as-a-service (NaaS) platform to integrate security service edge (SSE) offerings from Cisco, Fortinet, Netskope and Zscaler, targeting multinational customers deploying AI agents, cloud applications and autonomous digital workflows.
In a media release dated 16 October 2026, BT said changing traffic patterns driven by AI adoption are increasing demand for bandwidth, lower latency and multi-cloud access from more locations, and that traditional network and security architectures can fall short on performance, scale, visibility and control.
BT said the integration is designed to provide customers with optimised connectivity between Global Fabric and participating vendors’ SSE and cloud ecosystems, allowing enterprises to select more predictable routes for network traffic and improve application responsiveness.
According to BT, Global Fabric’s cloud-centric architecture is intended to reduce the number of third-party internet networks traffic traverses before reaching a security inspection point, by providing connectivity to vendors at “strategic cloud locations around the world”.
BT also positioned the update as part of an expanding ecosystem of networking, cloud and security services within Global Fabric, including “consistent security” and “proactive network management” within a controlled environment.
Yash Jethani, Principal Analyst at ISG, said: “The convergence of networking and security is ultimately about enabling trust at scale. Global enterprises increasingly require a cloud-delivered operating model that provides resilient connectivity, consistent security enforcement and simplified operations across users, applications, AI agents and digital ecosystems worldwide. The ability to deliver that trust consistently across markets will be a key competitive differentiator.”
Matt Swinden, managing director, strategy & product at BT International, said: “Agentic AI is changing what organisations need from networks. AI agents depend on secure, reliable access to applications, data and cloud services in real time, creating new demands for performance, resilience and security. By bringing together SSE with Global Fabric, we’re helping customers build an AI-ready network foundation upon which they can scale innovation and automation and choose the best security services to meet their needs.”
