세계 소프트웨어 정의 네트워킹 시장 규모는 2024년 283억 달러에 달할 것으로 예측됩니다. 향후 IMARC Group은 2033년까지 시장 규모가 1,251억 달러에 달할 것으로 예상하며, 2025-2033년 연평균 성장률(CAGR)은 17.08%를 보일 것으로 예측했습니다. 네트워크 자동화 및 프로그래밍 가능성에 대한 수요 증가, 클라우드 서비스의 급속한 도입, 디지털 전환의 가속화가 시장 성장의 주요 원동력이 되고 있습니다. 또한 5G 네트워크의 고도화가 진행되고 있는 것도 시장 수요에 호재입니다.
디지털 전환
디지털 전환 산업의 성장으로 기업은 경쟁력을 유지하기 위해 네트워크 현대화를 추진하고 있습니다. 예를 들어 IMARC에 따르면 세계 디지털 전환 시장 규모는 2023년 6,920억 달러에 달했습니다. 향후 IMARC Group은 2032년까지 시장이 2조 8,450억 달러에 달할 것으로 예상하며, 2024-2032년 사이 16.9%의 연평균 성장률(CAGR)을 보일 것으로 전망하고 있습니다. SDN은 새로운 서비스, 용도, 비즈니스 모델을 지원하기 위해 네트워크를 적응, 자동화, 확장할 수 있는 능력을 제공함으로써 비즈니스 민첩성을 가능하게 하고, 이를 통해 소프트웨어 정의 네트워킹 시장의 매출을 증대시킬 수 있습니다.
클라우드 컴퓨팅 도입
클라우드 컴퓨팅의 채택 증가는 소프트웨어 정의 네트워킹(SDN) 시장 성장의 주요 촉진요인입니다. 예를 들어 Edge Delta가 발표한 기사에 따르면 전 세계 주요 기업의 94%가 업무에 클라우드 컴퓨팅을 사용하고 있다고 합니다. 2022년 753명의 기술자 및 비즈니스 전문가를 대상으로 한 설문조사에 따르면 63%가 클라우드를 많이 사용하고 있습니다. 2021년에는 59%, 2020년에는 53%가 클라우드 서비스를 이용했습니다. SDN은 기업이 네트워크 리소스를 온디맨드 방식으로 확장할 수 있도록 지원하며, 클라우드 네이티브 애플리케이션과 역동적인 클라우드 워크로드에 대응할 수 있는 민첩성을 제공합니다. SDN을 통해 네트워크 관리자는 클라우드 기반 용도 및 서비스에 맞게 네트워크 설정을 쉽게 조정할 수 있습니다. 이러한 요인들로 인해 소프트웨어 정의 네트워킹 시장은 향후 수년간 촉진될 것으로 예측됩니다.
5G 네트워크 보급 확대
5G 네트워크의 급속한 보급은 소프트웨어 정의 네트워킹(SDN) 시장 성장의 중요한 촉진요인입니다. 예를 들어 Statista에 따르면 2024년에는 전 세계에서 21억 7,000만 개의 5G 모바일 계약이 예상되며, 이는 전년도 15억 8,000만 개에서 증가한 수치입니다. 이 수치는 10년 후 55억 6,000만 개가 넘을 것으로 예측됩니다. 5G 네트워크는 지원하는 다양한 용도, 디바이스, 서비스를 관리하기 위해 매우 유연하고 프로그래밍 가능한 인프라를 필요로 합니다. SDN은 네트워크 트래픽을 동적으로 관리하고, 대역폭 사용을 최적화하며, 실시간으로 설정을 조정하는 데 필요한 중앙 집중식 제어와 자동화를 제공합니다. 이러한 요인들은 소프트웨어 정의 네트워킹 시장 전망에 긍정적인 영향을 미칠 것입니다.
The global software defined networking market size reached USD 28.3 Billion in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach USD 125.1 Billion by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 17.08% during 2025-2033. The increasing demand for network automation and programmability, rapid adoption of cloud services, and accelerating digital transformation are primarily driving the market growth. Further, the increasing advancement in the 5G network is opportunistic for the market demand.
Digital Transformation
The growing digital transformation industry is driving businesses to modernize their networks to stay competitive. For instance, according to IMARC, the global digital transformation market size reached USD 692 Billion in 2023. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach USD 2,845 Billion by 2032, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 16.9% during 2024-2032. SDN enables business agility by providing the ability to adapt, automate, and scale networks to support new services, applications, and business models, thereby boosting the software defined networking market revenue.
Adoption of Cloud Computing
The increased adoption of cloud computing is a major driver for the growth of the software defined networking (SDN) market. For instance, according to an article published by Edge Delta, 94% of major businesses globally use cloud computing in their operations. According to 2022 research of 753 technical and business professionals, 63% used the cloud heavily. In 2021, 59% of people used cloud services, compared to 53% in 2020. SDN allows businesses to scale their network resources on-demand, providing the agility to accommodate cloud-native applications and dynamic cloud workloads. With SDN, network administrators can easily adjust network configurations to align with cloud-based applications and services. These factors are expected to propel the software defined networking market in the coming years.
Increased Penetration of 5G Network
The surging adoption of 5G networks is a significant driver for the growth of the software defined networking (SDN) market. For instance, according to Statista, there were an expected 2.17 Billion 5G mobile subscriptions worldwide in 2024, up from 1.58 Billion the previous year. This number is predicted to exceed 5.56 Billion by the end of the decade. 5G networks require a highly flexible and programmable infrastructure to manage the diverse range of applications, devices, and services they support. SDN provides the centralized control and automation necessary to dynamically manage network traffic, optimize bandwidth usage, and adjust configurations in real time. These factors further positively influence the software defined networking market forecast.
According to the software defined networking market outlook, SDN solutions focus on providing a flexible, centralized, and programmable approach to managing and controlling network infrastructure. These solutions leverage SDN components to decouple the control plane from the data plane, enabling greater agility, automation, and scalability. Moreover, SDN services complement SDN solutions by offering the necessary expertise, tools, and support to implement, manage, and optimize SDN infrastructure. These services are designed to help organizations fully realize the benefits of SDN, including automation, scalability, and security.
According to the software defined networking market overview, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are progressively adopting SDN technologies, but their demand is typically more conservative than that of large enterprises. SMEs often operate with limited IT budgets, and SDN can help reduce costs by centralizing network management and reducing the need for expensive proprietary hardware. Moreover, large enterprises are leading the adoption of SDN due to their complex networking needs, massive infrastructures, and demands for higher network performance, agility, and security. SDN adoption is rapidly growing in industries, such as finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and telecommunications, where dynamic, secure, and scalable networks are essential.
Enterprises use SDN to optimize their internal networks, improve agility, enhance security, and enable easier integration with cloud platforms. Enterprises manage large-scale data centers that host critical applications and services. SDN allows enterprises to automate network provisioning, optimize traffic flows, and enforce network policies across data centers. Moreover, telecommunication service providers (Telcos) use SDN to transform their legacy networks into more agile, scalable, and cost-effective infrastructures. SDN supports network slicing, service provisioning, and the deployment of 5G networks. Apart from this, cloud service providers (CSPs) leverage SDN to optimize their data centers, offer advanced network services to customers, and manage large-scale cloud infrastructures more efficiently. SDN is crucial for providing flexibility, scalability, and security in public, private, and hybrid cloud environments.
The BFSI sector is highly regulated and requires robust security, compliance, and network performance. SDN helps financial institutions improve agility, enhance security, and manage complex, multi-site networks efficiently. Moreover, IT and telecom companies are among the early adopters of SDN, using it to modernize their infrastructure, improve scalability, and enhance service delivery for both internal and external customers. Telecom providers use SDN in combination with NFV to virtualize network services such as firewalls, routers, and load balancers. Apart from this, SDN allows consumer goods companies to optimize their supply chain by providing real-time visibility and control over logistics, manufacturing, and distribution networks.
The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of all the major regional markets, which include North America (the United States and Canada); Europe (Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Russia and others); Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, and others); Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and others); and the Middle East and Africa.
According to the software defined networking market statistics, North America, especially the United States and Canada, holds the prominent market share in the SDN sector. The region is a hub in technology innovation, with strong adoption of advanced networking solutions in industries like IT, telecom, BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance), and cloud services. Telecom companies in North America are aggressively rolling out 5G networks, where SDN is crucial for network slicing, traffic optimization, and automation. Moreover, Europe is witnessing a shift toward digital transformation across industries, with a strong focus on cloud adoption, cybersecurity, and network automation, further contributing to the market's growth. European governments and enterprises are embracing SDN as part of broader digitalization strategies, particularly in the manufacturing, finance, and retail sectors.
The market research report has provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape. Detailed profiles of all major market companies have also been provided. Some of the key players in the market include: