German Firms See SD Networks as Key to Digital Future

A growing number of German enterprises are looking to software-defined (SD) networks to reduce both the complexity and risk of migrating to single or multicloud environments, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The 2023 ISG Provider Lens Network – Software Defined Solutions and Services report for Germany finds SD-networking-enabled solutions are available as fully managed or co-managed services to reduce overall costs and implementation risks. With SD networks, German enterprises are able to improve overall customer experience by responding quickly and seamlessly to customer inquiries and by rapidly providing new services as required, the ISG report says. In addition, enabling SD networks can increase security across all networks, including cloud-based ones, ISG says.

“German enterprises increasingly view SD-WAN as a vital step toward a full SASE (secure access service edge) solution,” said Andreas Fahr, ISG partner and managing director, DACH. “SASE is really the inflection point where enterprise networking and security converge.”

According to the ISG report, when it comes to embracing fully managed services, Germany trails the U.S. and the Asia Pacific region. Many German enterprises still prefer adopting a DIY solution, where the enterprise manages the entire network or co-manages a solution that enables network and security operations to be shared between the provider and the enterprise. Whether they are managed or co-managed, SD network deployments and SASE adoption in Germany are accelerating, ISG says.

Germany’s powerful small and midsized enterprise (SME) market is at the forefront of adopting SD-WAN, the ISG report says. Because they are more likely to have a distributed workforce, German SMEs will often rely on cloud-based solutions for communication and collaboration. According to the ISG report, SD networks are seen by these companies as foundational in creating future-safe, cloud-first enterprise networks and implementing advanced security integrations, including full SASE or security service edge (SSE) deployments.

“SD networks are essential for enterprises that want to take full advantage of digitalization,” said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader, ISG Provider Lens Research. “They provide the springboard for a variety of innovations, such as intent-based networks, intelligent edge, AI/ML-driven solutions and SASE.”