Gartner defines global WAN services as POP-based services supporting multiregional corporate networks. These services address enterprise challenges such as hybrid working practices, accelerating digital and cloud transformations and improving enterprise network agility. Providers own and operate their own global core networks and sell directly to the client. Services include transport-centric/unmanaged, managed, co-managed network services, or network as a service via a monthly fixed or usage-based fee model. Core transport services are often complemented by ancillary services like carrier-based cloud interconnect, SD-WAN, SASE or managed services. Services are measurable and consumable through web-based customer interfaces via portals and programmable APIs.
The managed network services (MNS) market focuses on externally provided, network operations center (NOC) functionality, as well as relevant network and security life cycle services that deliver current and emerging requirements to end users. Gartner defines the MNS market as globally capable providers of remote service management functions for the network and security operations of enterprise networks, including: Managed LAN services (MNS for LAN) Managed WAN services (MNS for WAN) Managed security (MNS for security) functions
Gartner defines SD-WAN as functionality primarily used to connect branch locations to other enterprise and cloud locations. SD-WAN products provide dynamic path selection based on business or application policy, routing, centralized orchestration of policy and management of appliances, virtual private network (VPN), and zero-touch configuration. SD-WAN products are WAN transport/carrier-agnostic and create secure paths across physical WAN connections. SD-WAN products replace traditional branch routers and enable connectivity between enterprise branch locations as well as the cloud. They facilitate WAN connectivity’s evolution from Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)-centric to public internet-centric in support of enterprise traffic shifts from private data centers to public cloud and SaaS.