Why UK businesses choose a SASE partner over going it alone

Bringing networking and security together into a single, converged platform is a serious undertaking. According to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology's Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2025 report, nearly half of UK businesses (49%) report a basic cyber security skills gap, struggling with fundamentals such as firewall configuration and malware detection. Almost a third (31%) already outsource part of their cyber security function as a result.

For a transition as complex as SASE, which combines SD-WAN, zero trust network access, secure web gateway and other security services into a single architecture, those skills challenges can become even more apparent. SASE requires expertise across networking, security, cloud services and policy management. It also demands alignment between teams that have often operated separately, making successful adoption about far more than technology alone.

Understanding the reasons businesses choose to work with a specialist partner, rather than building the capability entirely in-house, can help you decide which approach best suits your resources, objectives and long-term strategy.

In this article, we'll explore the practical challenges involved in adopting SASE, the value an experienced partner can bring beyond the technology itself, and the key considerations when selecting a provider to support your networking and security strategy.

SASE implementation challenges for UK businesses

Moving to a SASE architecture is rarely a straightforward technology project. It requires organisations to bring networking, security, cloud services and access policies together into a single operating model. That often means teams need to work differently, processes need updating, and existing infrastructure needs careful review.

The challenge becomes even greater when there's a lack of in-house expertise, and greater still when internal resources are already stretched, which is so often the case. These are contributing factors in a decision to look for external support when implementing complex security initiatives such as SASE.

For organisations evaluating SASE, success often depends less on selecting the right technology and more on ensuring the right skills, governance and long-term operational support are in place from the outset.

Why businesses choose a partner for SASE

A few common themes explain why organisations choose specialist support when implementing SASE:

• Access to specialist skills. SASE combines networking, security, cloud connectivity and access management. Building expertise across all these areas internally can be difficult, particularly when cyber security skills remain in short supply across the UK.
• Faster implementation. Experienced partners such as Wavenet have delivered similar projects before and can help avoid common design, migration and policy challenges, reducing the burden on internal teams.
• Reduced operational complexity. Rather than managing multiple suppliers and technologies, businesses can work with a single partner that oversees deployment, support and ongoing optimisation.
• Ongoing support after deployment. SASE isn't a one-off project. Policies, access requirements and security controls need regular review as your organisation evolves. A managed partner helps ensure the platform continues to deliver value over time.

The outcome isn't simply a new technology platform. A SASE implementation should improve user experience, simplify security management, support hybrid working and provide more consistent protection for users regardless of location. The challenge is ensuring those benefits are achieved without creating additional complexity for IT teams.

What a good SASE partner actually does

A specialist partner's role usually covers the full lifecycle, not just the technical install:

• Assessing your current network and security estate, so the design fits what you have rather than a generic template.
• Designing the policy, covering zero trust access, secure web gateway rules, and firewall policy, in a way that matches how your team's work.
• Migrating in phases, so connectivity for your sites and users isn't disrupted during the switch.
• Managing it day to day afterwards, including monitoring, tuning, and support, since SASE is a living system rather than a one-off project. This is the same principle behind our managed security services and managed detection and response: security that's actively watched, not just switched on and left.

We deliver our SASE solution that brings together SD-WAN, secure web gateway, zero trust access and firewall-as-a-service into a single solution. Instead of managing multiple security and networking tools, you benefit from a simpler, more integrated approach that sits alongside our wider cyber security services, ensuring networking and security work together to support your business.

A real-world SASE example

A. McLean Bookmakers needed to modernise a legacy network without disrupting day-to-day operations across their sites. Working with a specialist partner to deliver a SASE-based upgrade meant the security and performance gains landed without the project becoming a distraction from running the business. You can read the full case study for the detail.

Solutions that can help

If you're weighing up whether to bring in specialist support for SASE, look for capabilities in all related areas, such as:

• SASE solutions – our cloud-delivered SASE service.
• SD-WAN solutions – if you're earlier in the journey and starting with connectivity first.
• Network security solutions – for the wider security picture around your network.
• Cyber security services – a full range of security services, including SOC, penetration testing, and MDR.
• Managed security services – for organisations that want the whole security function run for them.

You might also find these useful: our guide to what SASE actually is, our network security guide for UK businesses, our piece on what matters most when evaluating SD-WAN and the wider MPLS vs SD-WAN vs SASE comparison.

Explore your next steps

Whether you're at the start of a SASE decision or partway through one that's stalled, it's worth a conversation before you commit further time or budget to building it alone.

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