IDC's Worldwide Enterprise Network Infrastructure Taxonomy, 2026

Description

This IDC study provides a detailed description of IDC's enterprise network infrastructure (ENI) taxonomy. It serves as the foundation for classification, segmentation, and sizing of the worldwide enterprise network infrastructure and services market. The taxonomy encompasses the products, technologies, and services used to build, operate, and support enterprise and service provider networks across key domains, including datacenter, campus, branch, edge, and cloud environments.The ENI taxonomy organizes the market into four primary segments - network hardware/equipment, network software, network cloud services, and network life-cycle services - each further divided into secondary markets covering key technologies such as switching, routing and SD-WAN, WLAN, network management software, network cloud services, and network life-cycle services. This structure provides a comprehensive framework for analyzing how networks are designed, deployed, managed, and consumed, while underpinning IDC's network infrastructure research and data products and enabling consistent market definitions, vendor performance analysis, and tracking of technology adoption and global market trends."IDC's enterprise network infrastructure taxonomy provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how modern networks are evolving across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. As enterprises increasingly prioritize automation, security, and cloud-driven architectures, this taxonomy serves as the foundation for tracking market transformation and vendor innovation across the networking ecosystem," states Brandon Butler, senior research manager, Network Infrastructure and Services at IDC.

Product Code: US54457626

IDC's Worldwide Enterprise Network Infrastructure Taxonomy

Enterprise Network Infrastructure Taxonomy Changes for 2026

Taxonomy Overview

Hierarchical nomenclature
- Deployment type
- IDC trackers and CIS programs this taxonomy document supports

Definitions

Network hardware/equipment
- Switching
  - Ethernet switch (ODM and OEM)
  - Fibre Channel switch
  - InfiniBand switch
- Routing and SD-WAN
  - Service provider routers
  - Enterprise routers
  - Wireless WAN routers
  - Private LTE/5G
  - SD-WAN infrastructure
- Wireless LAN
  - Enterprise WLAN controllers and access points
    - Product
    - Standards
    - Location
    - Product detail
  - Consumer WLAN gateways/routers
  - Consumer WLAN Wi-Fi mesh systems
- Enterprise communications systems
  - Enterprise videoconferencing
  - IP telephony
- Network systems infrastructure
  - Application delivery controllers
  - Network observability
  - DDI (DNS, DHCP, and IPAM)
Network software
- Network infrastructure software
  - Software virtual application delivery controllers
  - SDN controller
  - Service mesh
  - DDI
- Network management software
  - Network equipment management
  - Network observability
  - Network operations
  - Multicloud networking
Network cloud services
- Infrastructure-as-a-service networking
  - ADC as a service (IaaS load balancing)
  - Cloud VPN
  - Cloud interconnect
  - Cloud WAN
  - Cloud service mesh
  - Cloud DNS
  - Content delivery network
  - Other IaaS networking services
- Network management as a service
  - Network equipment management
  - Network observability
  - Network operations
  - Multicloud networking
  - DDI
Network life-cycle services
- Network consulting services
  - Strategy and planning
  - Design
- Network integration services
  - Project management
  - Installation and integration
  - Managed network services
  - Campus/branch/edge
  - Datacenter/cloud/multicloud
  - Routing/SD-WAN/wireless WAN/private 5G/LTE
  - Unified communications/contact center
  - Network operations

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Synopsis