Managed Services Win Out

SD-WAN represents an interesting intersection between different partner models, as some of the most notable pure-play SD-WAN vendors are often known for selling hardware that the customer manages, making them a prime target for capex-focused VARs.

But many of those pure-play vendors (such as Versa Networks and VMware VeloCloud) have partnered with telecom service providers that wrap services around their platforms. Technology advisors (agents/brokers) have embraced those offerings, as well as providers (such as Cato and Aryaka) that offer both the service and the technology.

So what type of consumption model did customers in the survey tend to prefer?

IDC found that 52% of organizations deployed SD-WAN as a fully managed service from the provider/vendor. Another 22% chose to co-manage the offering with the vendor.

That leaves 25% of organizations who chose to run the technology themselves.