Frost & Sullivan 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 Frost & Sullivan 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.

Author: Amrit Singh