Market leaders are continuously driving innovation and set the trends for the industry. Cisco and Fortinet are prime examples of companies that have established themselves as frontrunners in the software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) market.
SD-WAN is a networking technology that simplifies the management and improves performance of wide area networks by abstracting network controls and functions from hardware.
This article delves into the research conducted by IDC and Gartner, highlighting Cisco and Fortinet’s leadership positions and exploring emerging trends such as the integration of SD-WAN with SASE and generative artificial intelligence.
Integration of SD-WAN
To stay ahead of emerging trends, industry leaders have been actively integrating SD-WAN with various technologies to provide enhanced security, sophisticated analytics, and automation capabilities.
Integration of SD-WAN with security
Integration of SD-WAN with security features has become increasingly important due to the emergence of sophisticated security threats that can compromise network integrity and sensitive data.
As data traverses distributed networks, secure connectivity is essential, and SD-WAN integration with security solutions provides enhanced protection against potential threats. Market leaders have recognised this need for robust security measures, incorporating various advanced capabilities into their SD-WAN offerings. They have designed their SD-WAN offerings to include advanced firewall features, threat intelligence, and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) to protect the network against malicious activity and unauthorised access.
The integration of these powerful security measures ensures that enterprises can protect their critical assets while maintaining the flexibility and agility required in today’s fast-paced business environment.
Integration of SD-WAN with SASE
The rise of Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) has gained significant momentum as a paradigm shift that combines networking and security into a unified architecture. Recognising this trend, both Cisco and Fortinet have incorporated SASE into their SD-WAN offerings, providing businesses with a comprehensive solution that simplifies the management of wide-area networks while addressing security concerns. SASE enables organisations to consolidate networking and security functions into a single, cloud-based platform, offering a more streamlined and scalable approach to network management.
By integrating SD-WAN with SASE, businesses have access to a powerful solution that enhances security, simplifies operations, and improves network performance. This unified architecture brings together networking functions like SD-WAN, WAN optimisation, and routing, with advanced security capabilities such as secure web gateways, firewall as a service, and data loss prevention. Leveraging the cloud, SASE offers organisations the flexibility to scale and adapt their network infrastructure as their needs evolve.
With SASE integrated into your SD-WAN offerings, you can empower your business to achieve a more efficient and secure network environment. This transformative approach to networking and security integration addresses the challenges of today’s distributed workforce and the increasing demand for cloud-based applications and services.
Integration of SD-Branch
Additionally, the integration of SD-Branch supports the consolidation of multiple network functions into a single platform, simplifying management and reducing complexity. This approach offers you improved network orchestration and control, enhancing user experience and efficiency.
SD-WAN solutions have integrated AI and machine learning capabilities to enable smarter decision making and optimise performance. Leveraging these technologies, you can derive valuable insights from network data, enabling real-time analysis, predictive modelling, and automated network optimisation.
Cisco and Fortinet’s leadership in the SD-WAN Market
Cisco and Fortinet have established themselves as market leaders in the SD-WAN sector, according to research conducted by IDC and Gartner. IDC’s analysis showed that Cisco holds a substantial market share and offers a comprehensive portfolio of SD-WAN solutions, positioning them as a leader in the SD-WAN infrastructure market. Fortinet, on the other hand, has been recognised by IDC as a major player in the SD-WAN market, with a strong presence in the security and networking industries. The strong product offering of Cisco and Fortinet’s integration of security features have been recognised in Gartner’s feedback, confirming significant market share in the SD-WAN space.
Reinforcement of leadership
Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for SD-WAN further validates Cisco and Fortinet’s leadership positions. The report evaluates vendors based on their ability to execute and completeness of vision. Cisco has consistently been recognised in the Leaders Quadrant, highlighting their comprehensive portfolio, extensive customer base, and global presence. Fortinet has also made significant strides, consistently being placed in the Challengers quadrant, showcasing competitive performance and strong growth potential.
Emerging trends: SD-WAN integration with genAI
A noteworthy trend in the field of SD-WAN is the integration of generative artificial intelligence (genAI) into SD-WAN solutions. GenAI brings a new level of intelligence and automation to SD-WAN deployments, enhancing network performance, optimising traffic, and improving security. By leveraging machine learning (ML) algorithms, genAI enables the creation of AI models that can automatically adapt and respond to changing network conditions.
With genAI integrated into SD-WAN solutions, network policies are being adjusted dynamically based on real-time network performance metrics. This allows for efficient traffic routing and optimisation, meaning that critical applications receive high priority and are delivered with minimal latency. GenAI-based SD-WAN solutions can also learn from historical data and behaviour patterns to predict network congestion and proactively manage bandwidth allocation.
In addition to performance optimisation, genAI-powered SD-WAN solutions can significantly enhance network security. By continuously analysing network traffic patterns, genAI can identify and respond to potential security threats in real-time. Machine Learning (ML) algorithms can detect anomalies in network behaviour, helping to identify and mitigate potential breaches, malware, or unauthorised access attempts. This proactive security approach ensures that SD-WAN deployments remain secure and protected against evolving cyber threats.
Integrating genAI into SD-WAN solutions has changed how networks are managed and secured. By harnessing the power of ML algorithms, genAI-equipped SD-WAN solutions are able to continuously learn and adapt to changing network conditions, making intelligent decisions that optimise performance, prioritise critical applications, and strengthen network security. As organisations increasingly rely on SD-WAN for their networking needs, the integration of genAI offers a promising pathway to create more intelligent and efficient networks.
SD-WAN evolution
Cisco and Fortinet have established themselves as market leaders in the SD-WAN space, backed by research from IDC and Gartner. Their integration of SD-WAN with security, SASE, SD-Branch, and AI/machine learning showcases their commitment to delivering comprehensive and intelligent networking solutions. With emerging trends such as the integration of SD-WAN with SASE and genAI, these market leaders are well-positioned to adapt to evolving customer requirements and drive innovation in the networking industry.
These findings from IDC and Gartner are some of the primary reasons why we have chosen to collaborate with these industry leaders. Cisco’s strong market share and extensive SD-WAN solutions, along with Fortinet’s expertise in security integration and networking capabilities, assure us of their excellence in delivering innovative and reliable solutions. By partnering with Cisco and Fortinet, we are confident that we can leverage their cutting-edge technologies to enhance our network infrastructure and provide top-notch services to our customers.