Security, Automation, AI, and Adjacent Services Are the Keys to Success
The research team expects 2.1% year-over-year market growth for global network services in 2024. Certain services, such as software-defined wide area network/ secure access service edge (SD-WAN/SASE) and managed security, continue to experience double-digit revenue growth and will offset the declines in traditional transport services. The traditional transport service revenue decline is not as bleak as it sounds, and the publisher sees it as a sign of innovation outpacing prices. For instance, a 10 Gbps connection is 2 to 3 times the price of a 1 Gbps connection, and a 100 Gbps would be 3 to 4 times the price of 10 Gbps; thus, the transport layer has allowed for higher speeds at lower per-unit cost while managing continual innovation to keep up with traffic growth.
As enterprises continue their digital transformation journey, network operators are actively changing themselves and their services to support these customers. An example of this approach is via SD-WAN and SASE solutions, in which network experts help implement and support enterprises’ cloud-based offerings.
The “as a service” offering remains the modern consumption model for many companies. The network services industry is supporting this approach with self-service transaction models and frictionless sales cycles wrapped in automation with security and AI built in. Adoption of these models will continue and complement the live interaction needed for modern hybrid networks.
Table of Contents
Top Growth Opportunities for 2024
- Strategic Imperatives
- Top 10 Growth Opportunities
- Growth Opportunity 1: Dedicated Internet Access Services Continue to Flourish
- Growth Opportunity 2: Wavelength Services, a Preferred Choice of Cloud Service Providers
- Growth Opportunity 3: Self-healing, AI, and ML Components Drive SD-WAN Growth
- Growth Opportunity 4: ZTNA Leads the Pack of SD-WAN / SASE Services
- Growth Opportunity 5: Managed Security Offerings
- Growth Opportunity 6: LAN in Addition to WAN
- Growth Opportunity 7: Smart Private 5G Fuels Smart Cities
- Growth Opportunity 8: NaaS Grows as the Automated Self-service Subscription
- Growth Opportunity 9: Notable M&A Activity
- Growth Opportunity 10: The Monetization of Generative AI and AI
- Next Steps
- Legal Disclaimer
