Enterprises Seek SDN Expertise from Providers as Demand Increases

Enterprises are looking to software-defined networking technologies to cut networking costs, become more agile, better serve customers and better support employee remote working, according to a new report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The ISG Provider Lens Networks – Software Defined Solutions and Services Archetype Report also finds providers of SDN solutions and services experimenting with many new products and services as enterprise demand for SDN technologies increases. Many providers are involved in production-level deployments, while others are focused on specific SDN services such as edge networking or private enterprise 5G.

“Many new SDN-related technologies, methods and processes are in a trial stage,” said Dieter Thompson, president, ISG Network Solutions. “This evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, approach, taken together with the relative newness of SD networking, suggests there’s significant volatility in the SD networking provider market that’s likely to intensify in the near future.”

The ISG Provider Lens Networks ­– Software Defined Solutions and Services Archetype Report examines provider capabilities based on different types of clients, or archetypes, that are looking for SDN-related technologies. The report evaluates the capabilities of 46 SDN providers to deliver services to the four archetypes:

Moderate Transformers: These clients may be mid- to large-sized enterprises, often with their own data centers and some, but not necessarily deep, experience in sourcing or hosting their services. They may still be on the journey toward business-focused and integrated solutions, with a clear aspiration and plan to have networks enable business differentiation and performance and cost improvements. They will usually be on the path toward SD networks and multi-cloud environments. Their IT and networks groups will seek out new technologies that demonstrate clear value or solve specific business issues, or when forced to adopt by other business areas. Cost reduction over current network models will be a big driver for these buyers and they will seek the best price and performance wherever possible.