Versa Study Reveals That 85 Percent of Companies Considering SD-WAN to Increase Security and Reduce Network Complexity

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 27, 2018 -- Versa Networks, a leading innovator of next-generation software-based networking and security solutions, today announced the release of its latest report, “SD WAN Adoption is Accelerating to Reduce Security Risk.” The global study, conducted by Dimensional Research, found that securing the corporate WAN is the top challenge for network professionals, with complexity cited as the most difficult obstacle. These challenges are driving more than 85 percent of companies to consider SD-WAN specifically to increase security and reduce appliance sprawl.

The survey found that respondents cited growing complexity as a top issue to securing and managing branch networks. According to the survey, nearly three quarters of organizations (74 percent) said they utilize a direct internet connection and simultaneously must deploy more devices to combat threats and other risks. This growing number of devices ultimately increased the time to provision new branch locations, taking longer than a month for more than a third (32 percent) of surveyed organizations. In addition, more than half (54 percent) of organizations revealed that their branch network had experienced a breach.

These mounting challenges have driven more than 85 percent of companies to specifically consider SD-WAN to increase security and reduce sprawl, with 93 percent targeting deployment by the end of 2019. This accelerated adoption has increased significantly compared to the 68 percent of organizations considering SD-WAN adoption in a similar survey that was conducted in November 2016. That said, lack of technology expertise and qualified personnel remain the key impediments to effective SD-WAN implementation. Nearly every network professional surveyed (96 percent) indicated that an aggressive approach for networking and security will be required going forward.

“Not surprising is that the move to multi-cloud and SaaS is revealing additional attack vectors that have also created a more treacherous threat environment for the enterprise,” said Rob McBride, Head of Product Marketing of Versa Networks. “Consequently, the explosion of multi-cloud infrastructure and SaaS applications that are driving today’s rapidly evolving network have also caused WAN security to be a top priority for numerous network professionals. The results of our survey clearly indicate that enterprises want to reduce complexity, but at the same time, they are deploying a multitude of devices to combat security threats, which paradoxically adds to the existing network complexity. Versa Networks is committed to helping organizations overcome these hurdles with a single integrated software solution that combines SD-WAN and advanced security, so that these organizations can build out the network of tomorrow with peace of mind that they are protected from the threats of today.”

Additional findings include:

• 68 percent of respondents said that deploying and managing network security devices at branch locations was the most challenging aspect of WAN management, followed by increasing costs (53 percent) and information security risks at the branch location (49 percent)
• More than a third of respondents cited growing complexity attributed to expansion of multi-cloud infrastructure, a rapidly growing number of SaaS applications and an increasingly distributed mobile world as the most challenging aspect of managing network security at the branch
• More than half (57 percent) of organizations said that increased risk and expanding attack surface due to direct internet connection at the branch was the primary motivation for SD-WAN adoption
• Lack of understanding about SD-WAN technology and qualified personnel to implement it represented the two biggest barriers to SD-WAN adoption at 60 percent and 58 percent respectively

The full report can be found here: https://www.versa-networks.com/Dimensional-Research-Dec-2017-Survey/

Research Goal and Methodology

The primary research goal was to capture how companies managed and secured their network across branch locations. The research also investigated expected benefits and challenges of a software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) and revealed trends when compared to a similar survey conducted in 2016. A total of 309 participants across 5 continents at organizations that have 1000+ employees and have network responsibilities completed the survey in December 2017. 308 completed a similar survey in 2016.

About Versa Networks

Versa Networks is a leading innovator in the SD-WAN and SD-Security market. Versa’s solutions enable service providers and large enterprises to transform enterprise WAN’s to achieve unprecedented business advantages. Versa’s carrier-grade cloud-native software platform provides unmatched agility, cost savings and flexibility, transforming the business of networking. The company is backed by premier venture investors Sequoia, Mayfield, Artis Ventures and Verizon Ventures. For more information, visit https://www.versa-networks.com.

Versa Networks Media Contact:

Rick Popko

(415) 800-5381

[email protected]