The Rise of SASE: From Emerging Concept to Enterprise Cornerstone

Written by Dave McGrail, Head of Business Consulting, Xalient

Why Converged Security and Networking Are Now Critical

In just a few years, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) has evolved from a buzzword into a foundational pillar of enterprise IT strategy. As organisations grapple with the demands of hybrid workforces, accelerated cloud adoption, and an increasingly complex threat landscape, SASE has emerged as the architectural answer to converging networking and security at the edge.

What began as a forward-looking innovation is now a strategic imperative. SASE integrates wide-area networking (WAN) capabilities with comprehensive security functions, such as zero trust, secure web gateways, and firewall-as-a-service, into a unified cloud-native service. This convergence enables organisations to deliver secure, high-performance access to users and devices regardless of location.

As a result, SASE is now viewed as the backbone of modern digital infrastructure, with the global SASE market projected to surge from $9.27 billion in 2025 to $33.54 billion by 2033. It is the connective tissue delivering agility, scalability, and resilience in a world where perimeter-based security is no longer sufficient.

But SASE adoption isn’t without its challenges, and implementation is far from plug-and-play. Organisations face several hurdles as they transition from legacy systems to a SASE framework. Our most recent global survey of 700 IT Network and Security leaders, conducted by independent research company Opinion Matters, found that 96% of the respondents surveyed have encountered barriers to deployment.

So why is this the case?

Successful SASE Deployment Demands More Than Technology

Many enterprises still operate siloed networking and security stacks, often sourced from multiple vendors. Integrating these disparate systems into a cohesive SASE model requires careful orchestration, vendor consolidation, and often, a complete rethinking of architecture.

The case for SASE depends heavily on the business outcomes required, and there can be multiple use cases for SASE deployment. However, not everyone is always aligned around these. Whether you’re looking to modernise systems to boost operational resilience, reduce costs, or improve security to adhere to regulatory compliance, there needs to be alignment around your SASE deployment.

Additionally, because of its versatility, SASE demands expertise across networking, cloud security, zero trust, and SD-WAN, but, unfortunately, these skills are in short supply. IT teams must upskill or recruit talent capable of managing (and running) this convergence, while also adapting to new operational models and workflows.

Shifting to SASE isn’t just a technical upgrade. It’s a cultural one. Resistance from teams accustomed to perimeter-based security and traditional network management can slow adoption. Change management and executive sponsorship are critical to overcoming inertia.

There are also legitimate performance and reliability concerns; routing traffic through cloud-based security services can introduce latency if not properly architected. Ensuring consistent performance across geographies and user types requires robust edge infrastructure, intelligent traffic steering, and continuous monitoring.

Strategic Alignment Drives Real Impact

Back to our research, and the primary reason for adopting SASE – according to over one third of respondents (34%), was to provide secure remote access for hybrid or remote workforces and to address performance issues with business-critical SaaS applications. There were also clear benefits to be gained, the most notable being secure remote access (27%), improved user experience and/or network performance (22%). Consolidation and simplification (22%) also ranked high on the list.

However, most of the reported benefits don’t focus on tangible or financial outcomes, but rather those that are typically harder to measure, namely boosting operational resilience and enhancing user experience. These are interesting numbers to explore, as SASE investments are often predicated on specific and easily measurable business cases, typically centred around cost savings or mitigation of specific cyber/operational risks.

Looking at the benefits from both a networking and security perspective, the data reveals different priorities for SASE adoption: IT Network leaders value operational streamlining and efficiency, while IT Security leaders emphasize secure access and cloud protection. Both groups agree on the importance of modern threat protection, highlighting SASE’s dual appeal across infrastructure and security domains, yet with differing strategic lenses guiding their adoption.

When we examined the top three barriers, funding resources being redirected to other priorities (38%) was at the top of the list, followed by internal politics and conflict (30%), and the business/value case not being accepted (29%). These reflect the practical complexity involved in deploying SASE solutions. Although SASE involves advanced technology, the primary challenges are organisational and strategic, with operational priorities sometimes affecting implementation.

Clear Goals Are Key to Unlocking SASE’s Full Value

While these difficulties are not exclusive to SASE, due to the significant investment required, maximising the value from a SASE deployment is important, especially as funds might be redirected to other initiatives. To secure the budget and keep the programme on track, it should link back to the business case and be supported by a specialist partner. To this point, over 80% of respondents surveyed are partnering with specialists to implement their SASE solution, while a few opt for self-implementation.

We strongly recommend selecting an expert partner to ensure a successful SASE deployment. Below are several key recommendations to consider as you start your SASE journey:

Align with business outcomes and define clear goals – whether cost savings, resilience, or compliance – and build your SASE strategy around them.
Engage both network and security teams on the journey and foster collaboration early to avoid competing priorities and ensure unified decision-making.
Start with high-impact use cases. Focus on areas like secure remote access or SD-WAN to demonstrate quick wins that build buy-in and momentum.
Plan for a journey, not a project, and treat SASE as an evolving capability that matures over time, not a one-off implementation.
Prioritise education and awareness by ensuring stakeholders understand the components of SASE and how they map to business needs.
Address organisational barriers and tackle internal politics, resource constraints, and skill gaps head-on to avoid deployment delays.
Measure and optimise continuously, tracking performance, security outcomes, and user experience to refine and expand your deployment.

SASE has rapidly matured from a conceptual framework into a strategic cornerstone of enterprise IT. While its benefits are clear, implementation challenges remain, including skill shortages, internal politics, and aligning business outcomes. Success depends on treating SASE as a long-term journey, not a one-off project. With the right partner, clear goals, and cross-team collaboration, organisations can unlock their full potential and build a more secure, agile, and resilient infrastructure.

Download the full SASE Report here

Search

HIGHLIGHTS

53% Organizational Silos Derail SASE Adoption. Only 7% of Enterprises Unlock Full Value Amid Internal Roadblocks