Every year, IT leaders, network architects, and enterprise decision-makers across the United States look to Gartner’s Magic Quadrant reports as a trusted benchmark when evaluating technology vendors. These reports provide an independent, research-driven assessment of how vendors are positioned in their respective markets. When it comes to enterprise networking, one report in particular draws enormous attention — and the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure Palo Alto Networks evaluation is no exception.
In this article, we’ll explain what the Gartner Magic Quadrant is, how it relates to enterprise networking, where Palo Alto Networks fits in, and what IT leaders need to know when considering enterprise infrastructure purchases in 2024 and beyond.
What Is the Gartner Magic Quadrant?
The Gartner Magic Quadrant is a research and visual representation developed by global research and technology consulting firm, Gartner, Inc. It assesses vendors in a particular technology market on two key factors:
Completeness of Vision – A vendor’s understanding of market direction, anticipation of market needs and innovation.
Ability to Execute – How well a vendor’s products, sales, marketing and customer experience translate to success.
Vendor ratings are then broken down into four quadrants:
Leaders – High execution and a well-rounded vision.
Challengers – Good execution but less comprehensive or innovative vision.
Visionaries – Strong vision but less execution.
Niche Players – Specialised with a narrower focus.
While the position of a vendor in the Magic Quadrant is not the only criterion for enterprise IT teams when buying a product, it’s a common data point that is used for vendor evaluation and shortlisting.
What is the Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure Market
The enterprise wired and wireless LAN infrastructure market encompasses the hardware, software and tools used to create and manage a local area network (LAN), whether it is physical (wired) or wireless (Wi-Fi). This includes:
Ethernet switches for wired connections
Access points and wireless controllers for Wi-Fi
Network management solutions and cloud dashboards
Networking with security capabilities like network access control (NAC) and segmentation
In a world where companies support hybrid office models, continue to grow their local campuses and move their networks to the cloud, the LAN infrastructure market is more crowded than ever. Network vendors now need to provide not only hardware but also smart software, cloud management and security solutions.
This is precisely the context in which the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure Palo Alto Networks report becomes highly relevant for organizations evaluating their networking strategy.
Palo Alto Networks: More than a Firewall
Palo Alto Networks is a global leader in cybersecurity. The company started life in Santa Clara, California, with next-generation firewalls, and has since broadened its offerings to cover cloud security, endpoint security and AI-powered security operations.
But in recent years, Palo Alto Networks has intentionally shifted its focus to the networking infrastructure arena – with its AI-Powered SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) platform, Prisma SD-WAN and Prisma Access technologies. Palo Alto Networks’ approach is based on a convergence strategy between networking and security, breaking down the networking and security silos.
This convergence approach is what positions Palo Alto Networks as a notable vendor to watch in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure Palo Alto Networks evaluation and in enterprise networking discussions more broadly.
Why Converged Networking and Security is Critical in 2024
Traditionally, enterprise IT teams had a clear separation: the network team handled switches, access points and routers; the security team handled firewalls, intrusion detection and access control. Often, they used different tools, different dashboards, and different processes.
In the current threat environment, that’s a problem. Cybercriminals can lurk on a network, taking advantage of the trust relationships that exist between machines on the local network. Perimeter security policies aren’t enough.
Palo Alto Networks is one vendor looking to address this by building security into the network. Features like:
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) – Authenticating users and devices before accessing the network, no matter where they’re accessing the network from
Micro-segmentation – Containing the spread of an attack in the event of a breach
Machine learning for threat detection – Leveraging machine learning to detect anomalies in network traffic
These features are now expected by enterprise customers, and are a key element in the analysis Gartner uses to create its annual market reports.
The criteria Gartner uses to assess LAN vendors
Gartner uses a range of criteria when it produces its Magic Quadrant for enterprise wired and wireless LAN infrastructure. Knowing these criteria will help IT professionals understand vendor positioning:
Product and Service Capability
Is the vendor’s product portfolio comprehensive (both wired and wireless) to support enterprise needs? This covers hardware capabilities, software functionality and management capabilities.
Innovation and Roadmap
Does the vendor have plans for next-generation technologies like Wi-Fi 7, AI network management (AIOps), and cloud-based management? An impressive roadmap means the vendor will keep up with customer demands.
Cloud Management
Cloud-managed networking is increasingly popular with enterprise customers for its flexibility, scalability and cost-effectiveness. Enterprises will like to see vendors with strong cloud dashboards and API-based management.
Security Integration
As highlighted in the context of the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure Palo Alto Networks report, security integration has become a top criterion. Organizations want their LAN infrastructure to natively support security policies rather than treating security as an afterthought.
Customer Experience and Support
What is the level of support provided by the vendor? This includes quality of support, documentation, training and community.
Pricing and Total Cost of Ownership
Enterprise network infrastructure is a long-term investment. Gartner assesses the transparency of a vendor’s pricing model and if organisations get good value for money over total cost of ownership.
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What IT Should Look for in LAN Infrastructure Reports
When checking any Gartner Magic Quadrant – including those relevant to Palo Alto Networks – enterprise IT and security teams should follow these best practices:
Don’t Be Deceived by Position on the Quadrant
Just because a vendor is positioned in the Leaders quadrant, does not mean they are the best fit for your organisation. A Niche Player with a deep understanding of your industry or use case may be more appropriate. Match vendor fit to vendor needs.
Read the Vendor Strengths and Cautions
Gartner vendors have narrative sections on Strengths and Cautions. These are worth reading for more useful information than what the placement alone can provide.
Consider Your Existing Ecosystem
If you already have a substantial amount of Palo Alto Networks security technologies deployed (firewall, Prisma Access, Cortex XDR) then it is worth assessing their networking technologies in terms of convergence and integration. Integration with a single vendor’s platform can streamline operations and enhance security.
Evaluate Cloud Management Capability
For multi-site enterprises with multiple offices, branch sites or hybrid workplaces, a cloud-managed LAN infrastructure can ease the burden. Assess how each vendor’s cloud management solution performs provisioning, monitoring and troubleshooting, and software updates at scale.
Evaluate Support and Professional Services
Excellent technology is of little use if it is not well deployed and supported. Ask vendors for references, particularly on large-scale installations in a similar environment to yours.
It’s All Becoming SASE and SD-WAN
When considering Palo Alto Networks’ enterprise infrastructure in 2024, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) cannot be ignored. SASE is a term coined by Gartner to describe the convergence of wide-area networking (WAN) and network security services into a cloud-native service.
Palo Alto Networks is a leading SASE vendor. Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma SASE platform brings together SD-WAN, zero-trust network access (ZTNA), secure web gateway (SWG), cloud access security broker (CASB) and firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS) capabilities. This type of platform convergence is attractive for companies that are looking for a consistent network and security policy from the data center to the branch office to an employee’s home.
When evaluating the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure Palo Alto Networks positioning, it is important to understand that Palo Alto Networks approaches LAN infrastructure from a security-first, convergence-forward angle — which is a differentiated strategy compared to traditional networking vendors whose primary identity is in hardware switches and access points.
Other Major Vendors in the Space
It is important to consider the other players in the market to better understand what Palo Alto Networks’ position means. Key players in the enterprise wired and wireless local area network (LAN) infrastructure market in 2024 include:
Cisco – The global leader in enterprise networking, offering a comprehensive range of wired, wireless and cloud-managed networking solutions via Cisco Catalyst and Meraki.
HPE Aruba Networking – A major player with AI-driven network operations through ArubaOS and Central cloud platform.
Juniper Networks (acquired by HPE) – Noted for Mist AI platform, which employs AI/ML for self-driving networks.
Extreme Networks – specialises in cloud managed campus and branch networks.
Fortinet – Like Palo Alto, a security-centric vendor that provides both wired and wireless networking with FortiGate and FortiSwitch products.
These companies all have different mixes of legacy, research and development and approaches to the market.
How to Choose the Right Infrastructure for Your Business
Enterprise networking in 2024 is more challenging than ever, and more interesting. The advent of AI-powered management, the convergence of security and networking, cloud-centric management and the introduction of Wi-Fi 7 technologies are transforming the enterprise LAN infrastructure and its capabilities.
Reports like the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure Palo Alto Networks evaluation serve as an invaluable starting point for enterprise teams trying to navigate this complexity. They provide an objective, research-backed snapshot of where each vendor stands — but they are best used as one input among many.
The best strategy for US IT and security leaders is to take Gartner’s research, test the products for yourself, talk with other companies that have done it, and consider your own enterprise network, security and operational needs.
Final Thoughts
Networking and security are the big themes for enterprise infrastructure in 2024. Palo Alto Networks’ security-driven approach and growing portfolio of networking products and services make it an attractive choice for companies looking for an integrated, AI-driven approach to networking and security.
Knowing where vendors fit – be it in the Magic Quadrant or elsewhere – is what allows IT leaders to make informed decisions. As the enterprise network landscape continues to shift, it’s important to keep tabs on vendor positioning and industry trends.