U.S. Companies’ SDN Adoption Grows With Cloud Migration

As enterprises shift IT and networks into the cloud, demand for software-defined networking products and services are on the rise, ISG Provider Lens™ report says

U.S. enterprises, which spearheaded the global migration to software-defined networking (SDN), continue to adopt these enabling technologies as they move more resources to the cloud, 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 the U.S. finds that SDN is often fundamental to other elements of IT modernization, including cloudification, mobility, intelligent edge infrastructure and emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, automation and collaboration.

“As U.S. companies began to embrace the cloud, SDN was there to make that transition faster and less risky,” said Dieter Thompson, president, ISG Network Advisory Services. “SDN caught fire as an ideal use for it emerged.”

SD-WAN technology, which revolutionized mobile, remote and branch networking by automating and standardizing hybrid connectivity, is now becoming increasingly cloud-centric as enterprises rely on cloud-based SaaS for more applications, ISG says. Leading SDN providers are offering services to help customers establish connections between clouds.

Some U.S. enterprises have invested in SDN technology to manage on their own, only to find the complexity of implementing and operating an SDN architecture daunting, ISG says. In some cases, they have since gone back to service providers to manage some or all of their network environment. Co-managed SDN, with the client keeping control over the most sensitive parts of the network while letting a provider manage the rest, is increasingly common.

“Converting a traditional network to SDN involves much more than installing and running software,” said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader, ISG Provider Lens Research. “It is a transformation that can significantly affect an organization.”

U.S. enterprises have grown to expect complete security from the edge to the core of a software-defined network, so network security has become a major point of concern within companies and their individual business units, the report says. Providers have reached a consensus on the definition of the secure access service edge (SASE) architecture, and many now offer it commercially, making SASE one of the fastest-growing elements of network transformation.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ Network — Software Defined Solutions and Services report for the U.S. evaluates the capabilities of 48 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 AT&T, Orange Business Services and Verizon as Leaders in all five quadrants. It names Lumen and Wipro as Leaders in four quadrants each and Apcela and T-Mobile as Leaders in three quadrants each. Cato Networks, Cisco, Comcast Business and Juniper Networks are named as Leaders in two quadrants each. Extreme Networks, GTT, HPE Aruba, IBM, NTT and VMware are named as Leaders in one quadrant each.

In addition, Tech Mahindra, VMware and Wipro are named as Rising Stars — companies with a “promising portfolio” and “high future potential” by ISG’s definition — in one quadrant each.

Customized versions of the report are available from Apcela and Comcast Business.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ Network — Software Defined Solutions and Services report for the U.S. 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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