SYDNEY -- A growing number of enterprises in Asia Pacific are adopting software-defined networking for fast, cost-effective network provisioning to support digital transformation, according to a new research report published by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm.

The 2025 ISG Provider Lens® Network — Software-Defined Solutions and Services report for Asia Pacific finds that companies across the region face challenges — including tight labor markets, persistent inflation and geopolitical tensions — that call for quick decision-making supported by on-demand connectivity. The need for SD-networking solutions is expected to remain strong, especially in emerging markets such as India and the ASEAN region. As enterprises in Asia Pacific continue to incur the high cost of multiprotocol label-switching (MPLS) links, some are adding fully managed or co-managed software-defined wide area networks (SD-WANs) to cloud migration and security strategies.

“We expect digital transformation to keep accelerating in Asia Pacific as organizations move more workloads to public and private clouds,” said Michael Gale, partner and regional leader, ISG Asia Pacific. “The shift to software-defined technologies continues across all areas of networking, leading toward more automated — and eventually autonomous — networks.”

Efforts by companies in Asia Pacific to improve operational efficiency are expected to increase investment in new networking hardware, software and cloud-based services, ISG says. Rapid AI adoption will influence these investments, as new network designs prioritize low latency and high bandwidth to meet the performance requirements of AI applications, and network monitoring and observability will be increasingly important to ensure application reliability. Within SD networks that use AI and ML, automated processes reduce the need for manual intervention, minimizing errors.

The growth of remote work and supply chain diversification also are generating new demand for SD networks in the region, ISG says. Low-latency networks enable smooth communication among teams and greater use of cloud-connected applications, which can improve employee performance and innovation. As trade tensions lead companies in India and Southeast Asia to extend their supply chains, there may be higher demand for infrastructure to link to new and expanding operations.

Companies operating in Asia Pacific remain deeply concerned about network security, the report says. An ISG networking survey found that network security was the top network infrastructure issue for three-quarters of global enterprises operating in the region in 2024. As a result, many large enterprises in Asia Pacific are adopting SD-WANs as part of secure access service edge (SASE), often as a fully managed service. SASE converges enterprise networking and security and is especially effective for securely provisioning cloud-based and hybrid networks.

“Companies need new strategies and tools to ensure both connectivity and security across diverse cloud environments,” said Yash Jethani, principal analyst at ISG and lead author of the report. “Partnerships with providers that offer expertise in AI, cloud and networking will be crucial.”

The report also examines other networking trends in Asia Pacific, including rapid adoption of software-defined solutions by small and midsize enterprises and the growing availability and importance of 5G networks in the region.

For more insights into the networking-related challenges faced by enterprises in Asia Pacific, along with ISG’s advice for addressing them, see the ISG Provider Lens® Focal Points briefing here.

The 2025 ISG Provider Lens® Network — Software-Defined Solutions and Services report for Asia Pacific evaluates the capabilities of 46 providers across four quadrants: Managed SD-WAN Services, SD-Networks Transformation Services (Consulting and Implementation), Edge Technologies and Services (Including Private 5G) and Secure Access Service Edge.

The report names Accenture, Kyndryl, NTT DATA, Orange Business, Singtel, Telstra and Verizon Business as Leaders in all four quadrants. It names BT as a Leader in three quadrants and Tata Communications as a Leader in two quadrants. Capgemini, Fujitsu, Korea Telecom, SK Telecom and Vodafone are named as Leaders in one quadrant each.

In addition, GTT, TCS, Tech Mahindra and Wipro are named as Rising Stars — companies with a “promising portfolio” and “high future potential” by ISG’s definition — in one quadrant each.

In the area of customer experience, HCLTech is named the global ISG CX Star Performer for 2025 among networking service and solution providers. HCLTech earned the highest customer satisfaction scores in ISG's Voice of the Customer survey, part of the ISG Star of Excellence™ program, the premier quality recognition for the technology and business services industry.

The 2025 ISG Provider Lens® Network — Software-Defined Solutions and Services report for Asia Pacific is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage.