Software-Defined Networking Is Coming – Slowly

Only 0.4 percent of devices support software-defined WAN, the study found, adding that few networks are capable of supporting a software-defined approach.

However, Dimension Data said there is market interest in software-defined; the technology is early in the adoption cycle.

As businesses begin to refresh their networks, "they're looking at [them] more strategically. They're looking at preparing themselves for virtualization and automation and programmability," Van Deusen said. "As they do this, they're taking a more pragmatic approach to [the network], and looking at it more holistically." In the past, as a device aged, it would just be replaced, he added.