In the age of digital transformation, as organisations search for ways to improve and enhance their network infrastructure, software-defined WAN is emerging as a crucial investment. These next-generation solutions offer a wide variety of benefits, including increased security and flexibility, better cost-effectiveness, and the ability to upgrade and consolidate network edge components.
Masergy, a company dedicated to helping global enterprises transform, disrupt, and innovate with modern communication and tech solutions, recently revealed the findings of its exciting new 2019 SD-WAN Market Trends Survey. The report, created in collaboration with IDG revealed an impressive range of insights into the SD-WAN marketplace, including information on the drivers that are pushing the technology forward, and the challenges that hold companies back.
The IDG and Masergy SD-WAN report surveyed IT execs on the most crucial WAN connectivity solutions that they’re facing as they search for ways to enhance their network operations. The report follows up on a similar study conducted in 2017.
Crucial Changes Between 2017 and 2019
As a leading provider of SD-WAN and cloud communications technology, Masergy is in an excellent position to explore the emerging trends in the SD-WAN marketplace. The company found that technology in this area has matured significantly, and adoption has begun to increase drastically as a result. However, there concerns and priorities that companies approach SD-WAN deployment decisions with have also transformed in the last 2 years.
The new survey by Masergy demonstrates that companies are feeling more passionate about the idea of SD-WAN, but they still have hurdles to overcome if they want to make the most out of the tech. For instance, according to Masergy:
- SD-WAN adoption rates are rising at a significant pace. The adoption rates increased from 35% to 54% in the last 2 years, with predicted future adoption rates of 90%
- Security continues to be a significant concern for those adopting SD-WAN solutions. It’s one of the features most crucial to companies in the selection process
- The skills gap for using and implementing SD-WAN also remains to be a significant barrier to SD-WAN adoption. However, interoperability concerns around linking tools to existing WANS are less significant than in 2017
The Goals of SD-WAN Adoption
According to the study conducted by Masergy and IDG, as new technologies enter the marketplace, and business processes evolve, the network needs to transform too to support the changing system. Modern enterprises are now relying more on cloud-based tools and UC applications that need greater data availability and higher service levels. SD-WAN gives companies access to the agility that they need in today’s modern landscape, as well as providing higher levels of security.
The results of the latest report found that optimising the network environment to empower employees with the latest cutting-edge technology is one of the leading goals for companies in today’s WAN environment. 61% of survey participants said that they wanted to enhance their network for tech adoption reasons. As companies continue to push through their digital transformation roadmap, adopting advanced new technologies along the way, optimising the network is growing to become a crucial priority for many companies.
Masergy believes that by increasing the agility of the network with SD-WAN, businesses will be able to modify their usage levels and routing pathways to meet the demands of the marketplace. However, to access this kind of agility, companies will also need to have a plan in place for how they’re going to make the most out of their new SD-WAN structure.
Top Challenges for SD-WAN Connectivity
Although more companies are beginning to see the values in SD-WAN adoption, there are concerns holding businesses back. For instance, security was named as the top WAN challenge for 50% of respondents. Additionally, 81% of people in the study said that they use security options to guide their decisions when selecting SD-WAN offerings.
Businesses need to make sure that they can access high-level security solutions for both remote workers and branch office employees. The 2019 study also found that cost is less of an essential consideration than security for most companies. Since 2017, the number of respondents concerned about expense has dropped from 48% to 39%.
Increased IT complexity is another challenge that today’s businesses are facing. The factor continues to increase in importance according to the latest study. Respondents said that the complexity involved in managing numerous devices, users, and locations ranked as “critical” for 2017. In the 2019 survey, the pain point continued to be a significant issue.
What’s more, the skills gap also continues to be a significant barrier to adoption for 46% of the people in the survey. However, concerns regarding interoperability with existing tools in the WAN environment are less significant today than they were in 2017.
Adoption Rates Increase
Despite a range of concerns and roadblocks, the adoption rates of SD-WAN technology continue to grow, from 35% in 2017 to 54% this year. According to Masergy, the most critical driver of adoption is new cloud migration plans. Businesses are keen to move forward in their digital transformation strategy, which means moving into hybrid platforms and environments. Adoption of new applications and increased demand to support globalisation also ranked as driving factors for SD-WAN this year.
Users are also excited by the fact that SD-WAN technology has matured, placing many IT and business users at ease. Increased confidence in SD-WAN technology and a sense that the solution is now more mature is helping to fuel adoption. Organisations are beginning to recognise the wide range of benefits that come from adopting this new technology, including increased functionality, agility, and flexibility.
Companies believe that network management simplification will probably be the top benefit of adopting SD-WAN technology. 46% of respondents cited this as their top expected advantage. Other benefits include increased security, better efficiency, and enhanced cost savings.
According to the CEO of Masergy, James Parker, Masergy helped to introduce the world to SD-WAN solutions years ago, and this survey offers an insight into the growing demand for these solutions. Today’s IT leaders are under more pressure than ever to transform businesses through emerging technologies and cloud-based applications, but these new tools also introduce higher levels of complexity that are often daunting for security and network teams. Fortunately, Masergy is here to provide insights into the ever-changing state of the marketplace.
