A number of key trends are pervasive across the IT networking landscape in 2023, according to global analyst firm Forrester research.

In a recent report, the analyst firm outlines the top trends in network technology. At a high level, three major trends upending traditional network infrastructure and skill sets. Virtualization, cloud computing and the internet of things (IoT) are injecting what Forrester describes as “massive changes” into network design, deployment and maintenance.

Traditional networking leaders are no longer setting the direction as business demands pull the market in new ways, the report states. With differentiation fading, major vendors find themselves leaderless as entrepreneurs hatch specialized connectivity solutions. This void leaves networking pros to explore emerging options on their own.

For Forrester analyst Andre Kindness, who co-authored the report, among the biggest surprises for him from the report is how much adoption there is with networking Software-as-a-Service based solutions.

“Networking SaaS-based solutions are the opposite of white box Switch mania the industry went through five years ago,” Kindess told SDxCentral.

Kindness commented that with white box switching there was a lot of talk about not being locked in and separating hardware from software. However,  SaaS-based solutions require customers to have a complete buy-in of networking hardware, the firmware, management system and even monitoring capabilities. An organization can’t go with the best of breed or mix and match like the idea behind white-box switches.

“It really shows that customers want simplicity and ease of use over open standards since they are buying into a full stack solution from one vendor,” he said.

According to Forrester research the top 10 trends for 2023 are the following:

1. Growth of zero trust edge architectures (ZTE). ZTE architecture converges WAN connectivity and security functions into a cloud-delivered and cloud-managed system using cloud management controls and monitoring insights. According to Forrester, despite a multitude of vendors offering secure WAN fabric support, the technology may not reach its full potential for most businesses for five or more years, but early adopters are already benefiting from distributed, easily replicable deployments across numerous small sites.
2. Role of 5G and business-optimized networks in vertical specialization. The rise of smart technology across various sectors is challenging the traditional “white box” approach to networking, where identical technology is used across devices. Device requirements now vary greatly by use case, industry and company, with IoT sensors and controllers, for instance, necessitating specialized hardware and protocols. This vertical specialization is fueling both 5G and business-optimized networks (BONs), providing tailored networking solutions that support key business initiatives and real business differentiation.
3. Edge computing driving new network requirements. Edge computing is revolutionizing Network requirements across four unique edges — Enterprise, operations, engagement, and telco provider — optimally placing Application data and services for effective outcomes. With no single vendor capable of providing services across all edges, networking strategies are evolving to reflect this complex, segmented landscape.
4. Declining influence of traditional networking market leaders.  Kindness noted that the market is no longer a generic pool of customers that can use a generic set of networking solutions. “As we see in any other industry,  no company can create products for every market,” he said. “ Ultimately, the vendors will have to decide which verticals they want to go after and which revenue streams they want to give up, then they can focus on creating innovation to support business optimized networks.”
5. Rising use of infrastructure as code. “Like or not, the networking world has shifted from being focused around hardware to a combination of software and hardware,” Kindness said. Networking pros need to know the coding languages so they can specify, acquire and build solutions with a standard set of software interfaces across all levels.
6. Confusion around network as a service (networking-as-a-service (NaaS)) models.  Over the last 18 months, Kindness said that Forrester has attended a lot of briefings from original equipment (OE) vendors and telecom providers promoting network-as-a-service. Vendors charge based on the infrastructure capacity that a customer would subscribe to or their actual usage. While vendors are promoting the concept, he noted that  Forrester hasn’t gotten inquiries from either the private or public sector clients.  The lack of interest likely comes from confusion about NaaS overall.  “Until the service or hardware actually shifts to a consumption-based model to mirror more and the industry agrees on definition, Forrester doesn’t see much traction in the area,” Kindness said.
7. Acceleration of Network automation through SaaS-based solutions. The migration to software as a service (SaaS)-based networking software is accelerating Network automation, despite previous challenges with complexity and resource demands. This shift to a pay-per-use model with shorter deployment times is being adopted by all networking vendors, with SaaS-based solutions poised to surpass on-premises tools in the near future.
8. Use of zero-trust and multicloud networking to solve WAN challenges. The digitalization of business edges and the rise of multicloud environments are driving the need for highly available, automated networks with embedded zero trust multicloud networking (MCN) solutions. As companies increasingly adopt multiple cloud deployment types, strategies are converging towards a single, business-wide networking fabric across private cloud, public cloud, and remote offices.
9. Potential of low earth orbit connectivity. Low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, such as Starlink with over 1.5 million active subscribers, are poised to deliver fast Broadband connectivity to remote areas, expanding use cases for IoT, maritime and aviation mobility, and earth imaging. Despite promising wider coverage and lower latency at more competitive prices, the LEO market still faces challenges such as commercial viability, regulatory risks, and technical complexities,
10. Role of artificial intelligence (AI), automation and managed services in powering next-gen networks. AI  and automation are making networks more intelligent and proactive, with managed service providers leveraging AI for IT operations (AIOps) to achieve an autonomous network state featuring autoconfiguration, predictive monitoring, and proactive resolution.