By Dave McGrail, Head of Business Consultancy at Xalient
As enterprises adopt cloud-first architectures and hybrid work models, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) as an approach to network and security modernisation has become essential for IT leaders driving business transformation. Although both SD-WAN and secure remote access often initiate SASE adoption, recent research shows that its strategic value spans multiple IT domains and supports evolving organisational priorities.
For some, the driver is to provide secure remote access for hybrid or remote workforces, while others aim to address performance issues with business-critical SaaS apps. Across the board, however, it is evident that SASE is becoming a key enabler for business transformation initiatives.
Our recent global Xalient survey, conducted by independent research company Opinion Matters, found that organisations approach SASE with distinct, but complementary, priorities. IT Network leaders focus on streamlining operations, improving efficiency and end-user experience, while IT Security leaders prioritise secure access and cloud protection. Notably, the survey shows that 96% of organisations encounter barriers during deployment, most often related to resources, internal politics, or lack of executive buy-in, rather than technical limitations. Despite these differences, both groups agree that modern threat protection is essential. This convergence highlights SASE’s cross-functional value of bridging infrastructure and security, and points to the nuanced challenges of adoption.
From Technology Deployment to Leadership Imperative
SASE challenges traditional boundaries between security, networking, and IT operations, fundamentally impacting how enterprises enable connectivity and protection in a distributed, cloud-native world.
In this context, the CISO’s role expands into strategic enablement, moving beyond threat defence alone. Leaders who succeed with SASE view it as an ongoing, business-aligned journey, enabling value through agile deployment, evolving capabilities, and alignment with, and enablement of enterprise goals. Research shows that a strategic approach validates core benefits beyond secure and flexible access (27%) and easier cloud enablement (24%) but also provides improved user experience (22%) and operational resilience (17%). Additional benefits noted include consolidation and simplification (22%), underlining SASE’s value across both network and security domains.
Bridging IT Silos: A Unified Approach to SASE
Historically, IT Network and IT Security teams have approached infrastructure challenges from different directions, optimising for performance versus protection. However, SASE can help align security and networking goals by bridging these perspectives and driving unified execution under a shared vision.
This requires deliberate cross-functional alignment, real engagement with the business and strong stakeholder support. Successful organisations establish joint governance structures, shared KPIs, and integrated architectures that enable consistent policy enforcement and visibility across domains. Survey data shows that IT Network leaders often deploy SD-WAN first to modernise infrastructure, while IT Security leaders prioritize cloud security features like Public Cloud Connectivity and Secure Web Gateway (SWG). Alignment ensures both teams achieve their respective goals.
From Use Cases to Long-Term Capability
The path to SASE maturity is not linear. Many organisations start with targeted use cases such as secure remote access through zero trust network access (ZTNA), or WAN modernisation with SD-WAN, but narrow and/or siloed deployments risk missing the full value of the model. CISOs should approach SASE as a multi-faceted use-case driven strategy, prioritising components based on immediate business impact while maintaining a roadmap for long-term scalability.
This approach allows organisations to evolve their capabilities while remaining aligned with their digital transformation objectives. It ensures that each phase of deployment, whether aimed at improving performance, simplifying management, or strengthening compliance, feeds into a cohesive, enterprise-wide architecture. Over time, this approach delivers compound returns of improved resilience, stronger threat visibility, and greater agility in adapting to new business or regulatory requirements. Importantly, respondents noted that continuous optimisation and the involvement of specialist SASE partners significantly increase the likelihood of realising these benefits.
Leading Change Through Strategy and Storytelling
A successful SASE journey depends as much on organisational culture as on technology design. CISOs must act as both educators and strategists, ensuring that teams understand why SASE matters and how it enables broader enterprise goals. Translating technical benefits into strategic language is critical for securing executive sponsorship and sustained investment. When boards see SASE as an enabler of agility, risk reduction, and operational excellence, rather than a cost, its implementation gains lasting momentum.
Communication and change management, therefore, become central to success. Enterprises that invest in communication, training, and cross-functional collaboration are better positioned to navigate the complexity of integration. This also means establishing metrics that reflect business impact, extending beyond technical metrics and exposure to focus on improvements in agility, user experience, performance, and operational efficiency.
Above all, maturity planning and preparedness for deployment are essential. SASE should be planned and managed as an evolving capability that adapts and improves with organisational needs. Only 7% of surveyed organisations report fully optimized SASE deployments, highlighting the need for long-term planning and iterative improvement. By embedding flexibility and scalability into the design, enterprises can ensure that their SASE architecture remains relevant amid shifting technologies, markets, risks and business demand.
The Leadership Opportunity Ahead
SASE provides an opportunity for CISOs and IT leaders to reframe security and connectivity as engines of business performance rather than cost centres or for compliance obligations.
In a digital economy defined by speed, complexity, and constant change, those who view SASE through a strategic, cross-functional lens will be best positioned to unlock its full potential for a secure, agile, and future-ready enterprise. Organisations that take a unified approach to both IT Network and IT Security priorities, engage specialist partners, and plan for continuous maturity are most likely to maximize ROI and long-term operational benefits.
