Blue Coat vs Zscaler: What are the differences?

#Comparison between Blue Coat and Zscaler Blue Coat and Zscaler are two popular web security solutions, but they have several key differences:

1. Architecture: Blue Coat utilizes an on-premises proxy architecture, where all the web traffic is routed through the organization's own servers. On the other hand, Zscaler offers a cloud-based architecture, where the web traffic is routed through Zscaler's globally distributed servers.

2. Deployment: Blue Coat requires organizations to purchase and maintain hardware appliances for their web security needs. In contrast, Zscaler provides a fully outsourced solution, eliminating the need for hardware purchase and maintenance.

3. Scalability: Blue Coat's scalability is limited by the capacity of the organization's own hardware appliances. With Zscaler's cloud-based platform, scalability is virtually unlimited, as additional capacity can be easily added as per requirement.

4. Global Coverage: Blue Coat operates through physical appliances deployed in different regions, which may result in inconsistent coverage across geographical locations. Zscaler, being a cloud-based solution, provides consistent global coverage with its distributed network of data centers.

5. Real-time Updates: Blue Coat relies on periodic updates to its proxy appliances to provide new security features and threat intelligence. In comparison, Zscaler offers real-time updates to its cloud platform, enabling immediate protection against emerging threats.

6. Service Level Agreement (SLA): Blue Coat's SLA typically guarantees a certain level of uptime and response time. Zscaler offers robust SLAs with higher uptime guarantees and faster response times due to its geographically distributed cloud infrastructure.

In Summary, Blue Coat and Zscaler differ in terms of architecture, deployment, scalability, global coverage, real-time updates, and service level agreements.