Forrester SD-WAN Study Gives High Marks to AT&T, Verizon, Aryaka

SD-WAN providers come in all shapes and sizes, according to a recent study.

Forrester analyzed the 10 most influential SD-WAN services providers in its recent Forrester Wave report. The firm named Vodafone of the U.K. and Orange Business Services of France as “Leaders” in the Q4 2020 SD-WAN Services report.

Then U.K.-based Colt Technology Services and India-based Tata Communications led the “Strong Performers” category. The “Strong Performers” roster also included American companies Aryaka Networks, AT&T Business, Verizon Business and Lumen (the former CenturyLink enterprise business).

GTT Communications and Masergy slotted into the “Challengers” category.

Forrester ranked the providers based on their current offering, strategy and market presence. Tata earned the best raw score for offering, while Vodafone earned the best score for strategy. AT&T scored highest in market presence.

Many of the aforementioned providers use solutions from companies like Fortinet, Cisco, VMware and Versa Networks for their offerings. Orange, for example, leads with Cisco Viptela but also uses Cisco Meraki and Fortinet.

Second Study

Forrester earlier this fall unveiled its “Now Tech” study around SD-WAN. The research firm demonstrated that vendors vary considerably in size, functionality and geography. The study also noted where some vendors stand in terms of revenue.

The “Large” group, surpassing $70 million in annual SD-WAN revenue, features Aryaka Networks, AT&T Business, Colt Technology Services, IBM, Masergy, Orange Business Services, Verizon Business and Vodafone.

The “Midsize” tier includes Comcast Business, HCL Technologies, Tata Communications, Tech Mahindra, Telefónica and T-Systems. These are companies landing between $30 million and $70 million in yearly SD-WAN revenue.

Finally, the “Small” category features companies with less than $30 million in annual SD-WAN revenue. It features GTT Communications, Lumen (CenturyLink Enterprise), Mphasis, Telstra, Windstream Enterprise and Wipro.

The report authors urged customers to analyze their applications and use cases before picking a platform.

“In an increasingly crowded market and amid a variety of service offerings, it’s nearly impossible to choose a bad SD-WAN — but it’s certainly possible to choose the wrong one,” they wrote. “Don’t just assume that the largest vendor, or one with specific geographic coverage, is the best partner for your needs.”

The authors also warned against SD-WAN solutions that lead to more complexity. Simplicity is a key driver for SD-WAN adoption.

Aryaka’s Strong Performance

Aryaka slotted into the “Strong Performers” category months after not appearing in the Gartner Magic WAN Edge Quadrant. Aryaka executives said they had requested to remain off the list, as the quadrant focused more on “traditional SD-WAN boxes.”

Aryaka’s Shashi Kiran

“It is great to see Forrester acknowledge us as a company that has blazed its own trail to create a highly integrated offering, that sets a new bar for customer experiences,” Aryaka chief marketing officer Shashi Kiran said. “For us, it is all about getting rid of complexity for customers and becoming their easy button as they undertake WAN transformation initiatives and beget the best possible application performance. This allows us to be nimbler and more responsive compared to the rigidity of the traditional telco experience that most enterprises want to walk away from.”