Cloud Imperative Drives France to Embrace SDN

Software-defined networks, slow to emerge in France, are enabling digital transformation to overcome pandemic disruptions and other challenges, ISG Provider Lens™ report says

Many companies in France, lagging behind their counterparts in other countries, are finally moving to software-defined (SD) networks, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ Network — Software Defined Solutions and Services report for France finds SD networking is a key enabler of digital transformation and is helping large enterprises and some larger midsize companies in France migrate their IT and network operations to the cloud. Though a majority of the market still uses older MPLS networks, many organizations are recognizing the benefits of SD networking.

“Combined with cloudification, mobility and other advances, software-defined networking is making enterprises in France more agile, productive and profitable,” said Lyonel Roüast, partner and president, ISG SEMEA.

The rise of remote work and other disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic have led companies in France to focus on improving the application experience for users and increasing overall resilience, the report says. SD networks provide one-touch management that simplifies the addition of new applications and network resources.

Organizations in France are also making network security a higher priority, demanding full security from core to edge, ISG says. SD-WANs play a crucial role in enabling or simplifying the deployment of advanced security, especially across cloud-based networks.

“A growing number of enterprises in France want a secure infrastructure for extending cloud computing to the edge,” said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader, ISG Provider Lens Research. “The French market has taken more time to understand this new environment, but companies are starting to see edge computing as a major value proposition for SD-WANs.”

Like many other European countries, France has been slower to adopt fully managed enterprise network services, the report says. Most companies in this market prefer DIY or co-managed SD-WANs, where the enterprise runs the network by itself or in conjunction with a service provider. However, managed SD-WAN is now a high-growth segment in the country.

The report also explores several other trends in the market, including the dominance of local providers and the SD networking outlook for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ Network — Software Defined Solutions and Services report for France evaluates the capabilities of 33 providers across five quadrants: Managed (SD) WAN Services, SDN Transformation Services (Consulting and Implementation), Enterprise Networks Technology and Service Suppliers, Edge Technologies and Services, and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE).

The report names Bouygues Telecom Enterprises, Iliad/Free, Orange Business Services, SFR and Wipro as Leaders in all five quadrants. It names Tech Mahindra as a Leader in four quadrants and Verizon as a Leader in three quadrants. AT&T and Cisco are named as Leaders in two quadrants each, and Colt, Deutsche Telekom and IBM are named as Leaders in one quadrant each.

A customized version of the report is available from Bouygues Telecom Enterprises.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ Network — Software Defined Solutions and Services report for France is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage.

About ISG Provider Lens™ Research

The ISG Provider Lens™ Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG's global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG's enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage.

A companion research series, the ISG Provider Lens Archetype reports, offer a first-of-its-kind evaluation of providers from the perspective of specific buyer types.

About ISG

ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 800 clients, including more than 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,300 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries—a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry’s most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit www.isg-one.com.

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