SD Networks Set Framework for Asia Pacific Modernization

Companies shift to flexible software-defined systems for tighter security, lower costs, continued cloud migration, ISG Provider Lens™ report says

SYDNEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Enterprises in Asia Pacific are moving toward software-defined networking (SDN) to make communication more secure and resilient and speed up business decision-making, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The 2024 ISG Provider Lens™ Network — Software-defined Solutions and Services report for Asia Pacific finds that companies in the region (which for this report covers Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and India) are seeking more efficient, secure and flexible networks to address rising business challenges. Many are still adding expensive traditional network links and need to modernize connectivity for cloud migration. Demand for SDN is expected to remain strong in the coming years, especially in high-growth emerging markets such as India.

“Asia Pacific enterprises want to keep growing in the face of new demands to decarbonize and utilize AI in their operations,” said Michael Gale, partner and regional leader, ISG Asia Pacific. “To carry out digital transformation initiatives, they need rapid, cost-efficient network provisioning.”

Software-defined wide-area networks (SD-WANs) have been the preferred infrastructure for remote workforces and cloud-connected applications for several years, but as recently as 2021, companies in Asia Pacific struggled to negotiate SD-WAN carrier contracts, the report says. Since then, service providers and carriers have introduced cost-competitive options with plug-and-play setup. Expanded offerings from system integrators and traditional network service providers have helped to drive SD-WAN growth.

Asia Pacific remains slightly behind the U.S. and U.K. in adopting fully managed or co-managed SD-WAN services, which can reduce costs and implementation risks while allowing automated monitoring and reporting with single-screen administration, the report notes. Yet, compared with these other markets, organizations in Asia Pacific have even higher expectations for savings, flexibility and technological advancement through these services, ISG says.

For a growing number of large enterprises in Asia Pacific, SDN adoption is part of implementing a secure access service edge (SASE), a comprehensive set of managed services in which enterprise networking and security fully converge, the report says. Companies often procure SASE as a fully managed service from an IT service provider, though clients in the Philippines and Indonesia more commonly turn to network equipment vendors and telcos, while those in Singapore and Malaysia tend to rely on cloud service providers.

“Enterprises across Asia Pacific remain deeply concerned about network security,” said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader, ISG Provider Lens Research. “SD networks form the basis for complete SASE implementations that can meet their security expectations.”

As companies continue migrating to cloud or multi-cloud environments, software-defined multi-WAN, multivendor network environments also reduce cloud risks by maximizing enterprise flexibility, ISG says.

The report also examines other SDN trends in Asia Pacific, including the growing adoption of SD-WANs by smaller enterprises and the steady expansion of edge computing that has helped to drive network modernization.

For more insights into the networking challenges facing Asia Pacific enterprises, including tighter budgets and the complexity of legacy network environments, plus ISG’s advice on overcoming them, see the ISG Provider Lens™ Focal Points briefing here.

The 2024 ISG Provider Lens™ Network — Software-defined Solutions and Services report for Asia Pacific evaluates the capabilities of 41 providers across four quadrants: Managed SD-WAN Services, SDN Transformation Services (Consulting and Implementation), Edge Technologies and Services (including Private 5G) and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE).

The report names Orange Business, Singtel/NCS/Optus, Telstra, Verizon Business and Wipro as Leaders in all four quadrants. It names Accenture and Tech Mahindra as Leaders in three quadrants each. BT, HCLTech, Tata Communications and TCS are named as Leaders in two quadrants each, and NTT DATA is named as a Leader in one quadrant.

In addition, NTT DATA is named as a Rising Star — a company with a “promising portfolio” and “high future potential” by ISG’s definition — in two quadrants. HPE Aruba and Microland are named as Rising Stars in one quadrant each.

Customized versions of the report are available from BT and Tata Communications.

In the area of customer experience, Tech Mahindra is named the global ISG CX Star Performer for 2024 among SDN solutions and services providers. Tech Mahindra earned the highest customer satisfaction scores in ISG's Voice of the Customer survey, part of the ISG Star of Excellence™ program, the premier quality recognition for the technology and business services industry.

The 2024 ISG Provider Lens™ Network — Software-defined Solutions and Services report for Asia Pacific 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, Mexico, 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.

About ISG

ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 900 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 AI and 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 1,600 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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Press Contacts:



Will Thoretz, ISG

+1 203 517 3119

will.thoretz@isg-one.com



Julianna Sheridan, Matter Communications for ISG

+1 978-518-4520

isg@matternow.com

Source: Information Services Group, Inc.