We use the solution to protect the network, Internet, and external checks. It is user-friendly and easy to use. The desktops are nice to understand.
FortiMail Secure Email Gateway - Enterprise ATP (PAYG)
Fortinet Inc.External reviews
External reviews are not included in the AWS star rating for the product.
The wireless functionality works well with Huawei devices
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The important feature is the application control, which makes administration much easier. It also has an intrusion prevention feature. There's also the wireless functionality, which works well with Huawei devices.
What needs improvement?
The solution's pricing could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiMail as an end user for three to four years. We are using V2000F of the solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable. There aren't many additional advantages.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is easy to scale. 100 users are using this solution.
How are customer service and support?
The service is very good and timely. They always address the tickets on time, and they are reliable.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
One advantage of FortiMail against Symantec is its ability to effectively block spam, viruses, malware, and malicious traffic. It provides comprehensive security coverage across all these areas.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is easy to deploy and takes two to four hours for migration. We have about three experts for deployment and maintenance.
What was our ROI?
FortiMail reduces your overall security-related costs. It saved 60% time and 70% cost
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Fortinet FortiMail steadily increases every year. There is a possible ten percent increase. It's concerning because Fortinet is well-known, and even large companies like IBM use it. However, the yearly price hikes aren't favorable for consumers.
What other advice do I have?
The data loss prevention feature in Fortinet FortiMail is not as comprehensive as it should be to cover all data movements and types. It may require additional purchases or integration with solutions like Symantec to monitor and protect the entire range of data effectively.
Fortinet FortiMail is a reputable brand known for providing robust support. They consistently strive to offer effective solutions tailored to your IT infrastructure.
Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Provides email security, protects against spam, and has good data loss prevention capabilities
What is our primary use case?
The solution is used for email security. We used the solution for a customer who was having issues with spam.
What is most valuable?
The anti-spam features are valuable. The data loss prevention capabilities are good.
What needs improvement?
Sometimes, the tool flags legitimate incoming traffic as spam.
For how long have I used the solution?
I used the solution for a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the product’s stability a seven out of ten. We had to fine-tune the solution and make a rule to allow certain traffic to enter so that it is not flagged as spam.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product adapts well to the organization’s growth. We must do a technical analysis before choosing FortiMail. We have one customer. I rate the scalability a seven out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The support team is not very responsive. There are some delays due to the time zone differences. We have to wait even if we need support immediately. The wait time depends on the time zone. We usually wait a few hours.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
We work only with cloud solutions. During the initial stages of the deployment, we must contact support. The deployment took us a week. We configured and monitored it for some time, and then we did some fine-tuning to get it up and running. Seven engineers are responsible for the deployment and maintenance of the tool in our organization.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Customers do not prefer the tool because of its price. The tool is very expensive. However, it provides value for money.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I also work with Sophos.
What other advice do I have?
We do not work with on-premise clients. Since the solution’s pricing is very high, the customers tend to look at alternatives. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.
Robust email security with wide range of features, and data loss prevention, but its appliance-based model and complexities may be better suited for enterprises with dedicated IT resources
What is our primary use case?
It operates as an alternative mail server, particularly adept at receiving and rescanning messages before they reach the intended recipients.
What is most valuable?
FortiMail possesses notable strengths, and one key feature is its store-and-forward concept.
What needs improvement?
It could benefit from enhancing its functionality, especially in terms of advanced filtering. Introducing features such as AI-based and cloud-based filtering could significantly improve mail security. Fortinet should consider developing more robust protection mechanisms, particularly for cloud-based environments. Currently, users often refrain from placing Fortinet in front of Office 365 Exchange unless it's a cloud-based solution. Improving the upgrade process, making it more user-friendly, and simplifying the management of hardware components could enhance the overall user experience and appeal of Fortinet's email security solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate its stability capabilities nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Regarding scalability, the challenge lies in the licensing model tied to the hardware appliance. The current setup necessitates choosing between a higher or lower capacity appliance, creating inefficiencies. For instance, if you opt for a smaller appliance designed for up to a hundred users and the client has fewer users, you end up paying for unused capacity. On the other hand, choosing a higher-level appliance for a larger user base may result in unnecessary excess capacity and costs. It would be advantageous if Fortinet could address this issue by offering more flexible licensing options. This way, clients could pay for the specific number of users they have without being constrained by preset appliance capacities. This adjustment would enhance the scalability and cost-effectiveness of Fortinet's email security solution.
How are customer service and support?
Initially, when reaching out to Fortinet's tier-one support, we observed effective resolution of issues. However, at the entry-level, it seems that there's a repetition of updating tickets, and the problems persist. Having worked with Fortinet for an extended period, I've noticed a shift in the support dynamic. Either the personnel at the first level lack a complete understanding of the issues, or they are relatively junior, leading to extended resolution times for even minor concerns. Previously, their responsiveness was quick and efficient, with a maximum of 24 hours for a technical person to address an issue. However, recent changes in their approach may be contributing to the longer turnaround times. The process of logging a technical call and receiving a response has become somewhat extended, even for smaller issues. I would rate it six out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I often recommend exploring alternative products that diverge from the appliance-based approach. One notable option is Marshal from Paradigm, which was previously known as NetIQ. Marshal operates as software deployed on a server, handling inbound scanning, and forwarding emails based on established policies. This on-premises solution ensures that emails undergo scanning before reaching the main server, providing a robust layer of security. Other alternatives include GFI MailEssentials, Mimecast, and FortiGuard. Each of these products has its unique features and pricing structures. I've had positive experiences with Enhanced Security, our own rebranded solution. This cost-effective option is specifically tailored for SME segments, running seamlessly for the past four years. It is AI-based, cloud-based and has demonstrated its compatibility with various email platforms, including online exchange servers, on-premises servers, shared hosting, and Google Suite. Users have found it to be a reliable and efficient choice for email security.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Fortinet is not suitable for everyone; it requires a solid understanding of how email systems function, making it less accessible for entry-level or junior technicians. Proper comprehension of mail concepts is crucial for a successful deployment. Incorrect configurations may lead to misleading outcomes, potentially causing disruptions in both incoming and outgoing emails.
What about the implementation team?
Upgrading the storage requires a more involved process, as it is not a simple plug-and-play scenario. Users must go through the entire setup again, which can be a cumbersome task.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is on the higher side.
What other advice do I have?
While FortiMail provides a valuable option for those focused on transparent mail filtering or security solutions, it may not be the preferred choice for users accustomed to the features offered by platforms like Microsoft Exchange. In the SME segment, factors such as functionality, ease of use, and cost play a significant role. Many businesses in this category may find cloud-based solutions more appealing due to lower costs, simplified maintenance, and performance considerations. If an organization operates in the enterprise segment and has a substantial budget, considering Fortinet might be a viable option. However, for the SME segment, I would not recommend it due to the cost involved and the complexities associated with yearly renewals. Implementing Fortinet requires a level of technical expertise, particularly in understanding how mail servers function. Overall, I would rate seven out of ten.
A stable tool to prevent phishing attacks
What is our primary use case?
My company provides the tool to our clients or customers who want to control phishing and need a tool that offers DLP functionalities.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of the solution is the tool's ability to prevent phishing attacks.
What needs improvement?
I haven't worked with Fortinet FortiMail competitors, but I feel whatever it does covers everything that is needed. I probably haven't had the chance to look at the products offered by Fortinet FortiMail's competitors. The tool fulfills the requirements of the client.
Fortinet FortiMail has certain shortcomings but can do well if it integrates with sandboxing features. The integration of tools with sandboxing features is something Fortinet can work on because it can change the way the product detects malicious activities. The sandboxing features are not well done in Fortinet FortiMail, making it an area of improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have experience with Fortinet FortiMail.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution. There is no requirement for users to have real-time access when using the tool. The product does a good job in the way the messages are delivered, and in the way, the emails are scanned.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution.
My company caters to the needs of three or four customers of the solution.
My company's clients are mostly medium-sized enterprises.
How are customer service and support?
Fortinet FortiMail office provides good support to users. Within the region where I operate, the support offered by Fortinet is good, especially considering the taken by the technical team to resolve issues.
The longest time taken by the support team to resolve an issue is a day, and it is mostly because the support depends on the time you raise a ticket with the technical team, or it may be based on the support contract that a user has opted for in the company. Support also depends on the contract a user has chosen, which may include support for twenty-four hours and seven days a week in a year or eight to five support.
I rate the technical support a seven out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In the past, I haven't worked with any commercial tools similar to Fortinet FortiMail, but I know a few online tools that can be integrated into our company's systems. I chose to work with Fortinet FortiMail since it was strongly recommended by someone who had been using it.
How was the initial setup?
With the right guidance, the product's initial setup phase is not that complicated. Fortinet FortiMail provides good documentation and a support team to help users.
The solution is deployed with the help of Open Virtual Appliance (OVA).
The time taken to deploy the solution depends on the organization, but generally, the deployment process takes around seven days to complete in SMEs.
What was our ROI?
The product has an immediate impact on its users after deployment because it lets them know how the attacks are being blocked, and it provides a good analysis of why a certain email or activity has been flagged. There is good feedback related to the product from users.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is a fairly priced product, considering what it does. The product offers good value for the money users spend on it.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
There are no tools similar to Fortinet FortiMail that are available because each product has its own way of functioning. Similar products will have many features that may be similar, so duplication of services is something a company wants to avoid. It is probably the better choice to select a product that is the easiest to use and offers a good support team.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the overall product an eight out of ten.
Has a high level of security and integrates well with other security products
What is most valuable?
The solution is easy to use and easy to configure. It has a very high level of security through special licensing with solutions like FortiGuard, sandboxing solutions in the cloud, and URL rewriting solutions. They are very helpful and secure.
We can install FortiMail products in two different types of installations. One is the security gateway, the inner gateway, and the other is the enterprise mail server. But we never used this product as an enterprise mail server, only a security gateway.
What needs improvement?
The logging information is sometimes not clear or easy to understand. When the product drops or rejects an email, it is hard to understand what was the original reason why this email was blocked. The logging and the troubleshooting have to improve.
The Forti solutions are not easy to use. We can learn how to use them, but they are not easy. Suppose you must deal with different types of Fortinet products, such as FortiMail, FortiGate, and FortiAuthenticator. In that case, you have to use many different types of troubleshooting, such as through CLI commands and parameters, and it's not too easy to know those off the top of your head.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've worked with Fortinet FortiMail for four or five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate FortiMail's stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate FortiMail's scalability a nine out of ten. My clients are typically medium to enterprise-sized businesses. Enterprise and medium businesses are not the same from a Fortinet point of view. Especially here in Hungary, which is a little country. When we consider a company enterprise-sized, it might be considered a medium-sized company in the international environment.
How are customer service and support?
I like Fortinet's technical support. But it could always be better.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
I rate the initial setup a nine out of ten.
If there is only one gateway in the environment and it's the first deployment, it's easy. However, the initial setup can be difficult if you have to integrate and migrate from different products or solutions.
It took about a week to deploy the solution. But it depends on the difficulty of the environment. Sometimes, we must migrate policies, rules, and other configuration parts from different old mail gateways, such as Symantec Brightmail. And it's not too easy to configure all of the parameters exactly in the new environment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
FortiMail is not cheap. The basic license is not bad, but the high level of solutions is not cheap. Our customers like the basic license but find it too expensive to buy detailed technical solutions.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Fortinet FortiMail a nine out of ten.
Prevents, detects, and responds to email-based threats
What is our primary use case?
We use Fortinet FortiMail to protect our corporate maintenance. It is a very good solution.
What is most valuable?
It is one of the most efficient solutions in our environment. We have more than nine hundred users. All of these users are protected by Fortinet FortiMail.
What needs improvement?
It would be helpful if Fortinet FortiMail could monitor from a smartphone.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiMail since 2019.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There is no downtime and I believe it is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. We are planning to upgrade it in the coming stages.
How are customer service and support?
Every six months, without any charge, they conduct a thorough examination for us. This includes checking if the configuration aligns with our requirements. They provide recommendations for corrections, particularly in cases where potential vulnerabilities or backdoors are identified. Their proactive approach contributes to the security of our environment. The assistance they provide every six months is prompt, cooperative, and delivered in a friendly manner.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Microsoft ISA for our security needs, but we encountered challenges with the packages provided by Microsoft, prompting us to explore alternative solutions. After conducting assessments and evaluations, Fortinet FortiGate emerged as the most efficient and effective option from a security perspective. Its ease of deployment, straightforward monitoring tools, and user-friendly interface distinguish it, providing a seamless experience in contrast to other solutions like Check Point, which were deemed complex and challenging by clients in their reviews. Fortinet's simplicity, ease of understanding, and the ability to generate reports effortlessly, including automatic report configurations without reliance on emails, led us to select Fortinet as the preferred solution for our security requirements.
How was the initial setup?
It is pretty simple and straightforward. It doesn't take a long time.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate it 10 out of 10.
Moderate Solution for Mail protection
If you have fortibase infrastructure Fortimail completes Fortinet Fabric Technology
Easy to integration with other solutions
Fortimail is a has great capabilities at a reasonable price!
A gateway security solution that needs to offer grace period after license expiration
What is our primary use case?
We use the tool as a gateway security solution.
What is most valuable?
Fortinet FortiMail is a complete product addressing mail security concerns. It helps to know spam subscriptions and create restriction policies.
What needs improvement?
The security products stop their operations once the subscription period expires. It is a wrong policy. If I trust a product, it has to continue working even after expiry. It should have a grace period of 30, 40, or 60 days. We can extend the subscription during those days. In some places, subscription extensions can take up to six weeks. During the renewal process, the support offered by the company is very poor. It also reduces security. We pay for the expired period but do not get protection during those times. The user of Fortinet FortiMail should have a feature to see spam names.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable except for the downtime due to the subscription extension.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is poor for tools that are clubbed with hardware.
How are customer service and support?
The tool's vendor support is poor.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
A person setting up the tool must have the technology and domain experience. The preliminary deployment can happen within three to six hours. The tool's fine-tuning happens over one to two weeks.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the product an eight out of ten.
With a great interface and exceptional integration capabilities, the product also offers good stability
What is our primary use case?
In my company, we use Fortinet FortiMail for its email security capabilities.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of the solution is its interface, allowing users to get around the solution easily. The integration capabilities in the solution are also very easy.
What needs improvement?
There is not much about the solution that I would like to improve. I am satisfied with what the solution has to offer.
Fortinet FortiMail's technical support team has shortcomings and needs improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiMail for two years. I use the solution's latest version. I am an end user of the product.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Though unsure, more than 500 people in my organization use the solution.
How are customer service and support?
I rate the technical support a seven out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The solution is deployed on AWS Cloud, which is a private cloud.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Price-wise, you get what you pay for in Fortinet FortiMail. Apart from the licensing costs, no additional expenses are attached to the solution's pricing.
What other advice do I have?
Maintenance is needed for the solution when its license expires or when they change the product's interface, after which there is any need to get a new license before upgrading the product.
Four engineers in my company are involved with the maintenance of the product.
Whether I recommend the solution to another person depends on the size of that person's organization since the bigger the organization is, the more struggle involved in using the product.
I rate the overall product an eight out of ten.