The SD-WAN market may be decades old but remains a significant business and revenue driver headed by many of the largest names in the networking space. Vendors like Zscaler, Cisco, Broadcom, VMware, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and Juniper Networks drove much of that interest among SDxCentral readers in 2024.

That interest focused on new network platform launches and advances that refined underlying network architectures to make them more robust in support of growing cybersecurity services; the impact network vendor moves were having on other ecosystems; standardization efforts designed to make those deployments and support easier for over-worked enterprise IT teams; and top-level insight into who the rules the market roost.

Below are the five SD-WAN-related stories that generated the most attention from SDxCentral readers in 2024.

Zscaler finally launches SD-WAN, targets surging single-vendor SASE market Zscaler finally launched its SD-WAN solution, stepping firmly into the growing and competitive single-vendor secure access service edge (SASE) market. The security services edge (SSE) leader has been working with almost all of the leading SD-WAN vendors for its multivendor SASE approach. Analysys Mason Research Director Gorkem Yigit noted in the report that the multicloud networking software space has seen rapid growth over the past several years, “driven by enterprises’ need to connect distributed applications across multiple clouds efficiently.” Read more

Cisco’s SD-WAN shift hits multicloud network software growth Cisco’s recent move to discontinue a legacy multicloud networking software controller in favor of an SD-WAN-based platform hints at a broader slowing of the once hot multicloud network software space, though analyst firm Analysys Mason thinks market vendors can re-accelerate that interest if they follow the security integration path pioneered by the secure access service edge (SASE) market. Read more

Broadcom, Fortinet, Versa gain MEF SD-WAN gold star Broadcom’s VMware, Fortinet, and Versa SD-WAN products headlined industry trade group MEF’s first secure access service edge (SASE) certification program module honors, with Palo Alto Networks tipped to gain a similar gold star in a program designed to provide enterprises with a cheat sheet on potential SD-WAN and SASE options. Read more

Fortinet SD-WAN tops Cisco, Broadcom in evolving market Fortinet, Cisco, and Broadcom lead a sextet of top SD-WAN vendors in Gartner’s latest quad-box ranking of a mature market that is increasingly tapping into cybersecurity to generate platform differentiation. Read more

Juniper Networks SD-WAN, SASE gain AI advantages Juniper Network’s recently launched AI-Native Networking Platform received a fresh injection of artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities designed to bolster the vendor’s SD-WAN and secure access service edge (SASE) platforms. The enhancements are being deployed within Juniper’s WAN Assurance, Premium Analytics and Marvis Virtual Network Assistant products. Read more