Versa, the global leader in unified security and networking, today announced that new research conducted by Futuriom found that 92 percent of survey respondents say their organizations are looking to consolidate cybersecurity functions through a single-vendor or platform-oriented Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) strategy, with 88 percent rating digital sovereignty as a critical or very important requirement for their deployment.

The “2026 SASE Platform Evolution Report,” based on a survey of IT and security professionals at the director level and above, examines how organizations are evolving their SASE strategies to improve security visibility, simplify operations and address digital sovereignty requirements.

“The survey shows that enterprises are turning to consolidation to improve security visibility and make their networks easier to operate,” said Scott Raynovich, founder and principal analyst at Futuriom. “Their priorities extend across policy, management and analytics, with digital sovereignty now a mainstream requirement. SASE providers need to demonstrate how their platforms bring these functions together while supporting the infrastructure customers already have.”

Operational Complexity Drives Consolidation

Improved security visibility and analytics is the most frequently cited expected benefit of consolidation, selected by 69 percent of respondents, followed by reduced operational complexity (58 percent) and improved user experience and performance (44 percent).

Nearly seven in 10 respondents use four or more management consoles for SASE, Security Service Edge (SSE) and network security. Managing multiple consoles is the most commonly reported operational challenge, cited by 44 percent. Performance troubleshooting complexity affects 42 percent, while 38 percent report inconsistent policies across tools.

“Security teams lose valuable time when they have to piece together an incident across disconnected consoles,” said Dan Maier, chief marketing officer at Versa. “They need a clear view of what is happening and consistent controls to act on it. VersaONE brings networking and security together so teams can investigate and respond from a common platform, while retaining the flexibility to deploy security in the cloud, on-premises or both.”

Unified Data and Digital Sovereignty Shape SASE Decisions

Ninety-four percent of respondents rate a single integrated data lake within their SASE platform important or critical. Forty percent select AI-assisted operations and analytics among their most important technical capabilities, alongside established functions such as SD-WAN and Secure Web Gateway.

Digital sovereignty also receives broad support, with 88 percent rating it critical or very important to their SASE implementation. The report identifies location, control and governance of data and security infrastructure as increasingly important considerations in platform decisions.

Consolidation also needs to accommodate existing infrastructure. While 44 percent are consolidating toward a single strategic vendor, 26 percent are reducing vendors while retaining a multivendor architecture. Eighty-two percent say multivendor visibility and operations remain a key part of their SASE and SSE strategy.

VersaONE Universal SASE brings networking and security together in a single-pass architecture spanning SD-WAN, SSE and other security services. Enterprises and service providers can use the platform to manage connectivity and security across branches, campuses, data centers, cloud environments and remote users.

Report Availability

Download the full “2026 SASE Platform Evolution Report” here: https://www.futuriom.com/articles/news/results-of-the-2026-sase-platform-survey-report/2026/09

Research Methodology

Futuriom contracted with an independent survey provider to survey 144 qualified technology professionals involved in IT or security operations, all at the director or executive-management level. The research was sponsored by Versa.

About Versa

Versa, the global leader in unified networking and security, enables organizations to create self-protecting networks that radically simplify and automate their network and security infrastructure. Powered by AI, the VersaONE Universal SASE Platform delivers converged SSE, SD-WAN, and SD-LAN solutions that protect data and defend against cyberthreats while providing a superior digital experience. Thousands of customers globally, with hundreds of thousands of sites and millions of users, trust Versa with their mission-critical networks and security. Versa is privately held and funded by investors such as Sequoia Capital, Mayfield, and BlackRock. For more information, visit https://www.versa-networks.com and follow Versa on LinkedIn and X (Twitter) @versanetworks.

About Futuriom Research

Founded in 2017, Futuriom is a research and analysis firm focused on next-generation cloud technologies. Through end-market interviews and surveys, Futuriom provides analysis of communications, artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity markets. For more information, visit www.futuriom.com.

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