The Futuriom 50 2026 is Here!
Our annual report covers the top cloud, communications, and AI infrastructure trends as well as the leading private companies.
February 17, 2026
Futuriom publishes regular in-depth reports on the fastest growing markets in technology. Much of our research is available to premium subscribers, but some of it is provided free of cost. Published reports can be seen below.
Recent Free Research Reports
Top Trends in Networking for AI: Connectivity from AI Clusters to the Edge
Networking for AI is complex and difficult. In a new Futuriom report, we examine the challenges and choices
Sponsored by:
Arrcus, Nokia, DRIVENETS
Tech Primer: Agentic Infrastructure Operations
This Tech Primer outlines how agentic operations can go beyond scripted automation by enabling AI systems to reason through context, construct a plan, and execute multi-step actions toward a goal.
Sponsored by:
Itential
Company Included:
Itential
Scale Everywhere: How Resolight’s Photonic Processing Could Revolutionize AI Networking
Israel-based Resolight has developed photonic processing technology that promises to increase networking bandwidth and lower energy consumption by an order of magnitude.
Sponsored by:
Resolight
Company Included:
Resolight
Identity Is the Foundation of Agentic AI Security
For an enterprise to shore up its attack surface against AI agents, it must first reconsider the importance of identity, as explained in this Leadership Brief
Sponsored by:
Teleport
Company Included:
Teleport
Data Management in the Age of AI
Good data is essential to enterprise AI. This report details all of the data and storage architectures and requirements in AI stacks.
Sponsored by:
F5, Vultr, Attimis
Michaels' Three-Week Shift to NIaaS
Global retail chain Michaels leveraged Alkira’s NIaaS across approximately 1,400 stores across the U.S. and Canada in three weeks, enabling a rapid modernization push without new capex investment.
Sponsored by:
Alkira
Company Included:
Alkira
Futuriom 50 2026
Our annual report covers the top cloud, communications, and AI infrastructure trends as well as the leading private companies.
How a Global Investment Firm Modernized Its Network and Saved Millions with Alkira
This Leadership Brief examines how a global investment firm used Alkira’s NiaaS to modernize its global cloud and WAN architecture and save 75% on networking costs.
Sponsored by:
Alkira
Company Included:
Alkira
Building a “Recovery First” Cyber Resiliency Strategy
CIOs and CISOs need a better plan for ransomware recovery and cyber resiliency. Here is is.
Sponsored by:
Index Engines
Company Included:
Index Engines
Building Autonomous Infrastructure with Observability, Orchestration, and AIOps
The convergence of observability, AIOps (AI for Operations), and agentic AI is changing the way that enterprises and cloud providers manage infrastructure.
Sponsored by:
Itential, Aviatrix, Selector
Unifying Security for AI and Post-Quantum
Why next-gen hardware security modules are vital to the coming wave of security challenges
Sponsored by:
Fortanix
AI Clouds, GPU Clouds, and Neoclouds in the Age of Inference
AI datacenter spending is enormous and shows no signs of slowing. GPU clouds and neoclouds are currently all the rage. This report looks at the entire ecosystem
Trends in Platform Engineering and IaC 2025
Demand for data for AI apps increases the need for full platform visibility.
Sponsored by:
Vultr
Delivering ROI at Valmont Industries with Graphiant
How Valmont Industries Achieved ROI with Graphiant Networking and Data Assurance
Sponsored by:
Graphiant
Company Included:
Graphiant
Cyber Sense Building Ransomware Resilience
Futuriom explores a series of user profiles of Index Engines' CyberSense to determine how it enables faster data corruption detection, along with rapids and confident recovery from ransomware attacks
Sponsored by:
Index Engines
Company Included:
Index Engines
RAGS to Riches: Using RAG and AI Data for Enterprise AI
This report explains why inferencing is the heart of enterprise AI and how Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is an important way to fine-tune AI models.
Sponsored by:
Aryaka, F5
Delivering TCO Savings with Unified SASE
This Leadership Brief shows how Versa's “Unified SASE” approach to security and networking can deliver operational and direct cost savings of up to 50%.
Sponsored by:
Versa Networks
Company Included:
Versa Networks
Inside Index Engines CyberSense Research Lab
How Index Engines built an integrated cyber resiliency solution to backup, storage, and more to minimize the impact of ransomware attacks using highly trained AI and analytics.
Sponsored by:
Index Engines
Company Included:
Index Engines
What's Next For Networking Infra for AI 2025
A mixture of networking infrastructure will be needed to deliver LLMs for training, small language models (SLMs), and inferencing.
Sponsored by:
Aryaka, Versa Networks, Arrcus, DRIVENETS, Hedgehog
Delivering ROI with Unified SASE as a Service
How Thetford Increased Reliability and Decreased Operational Costs with Aryaka
Sponsored by:
Aryaka
Telco Trends & MWC 2025 Recap: AI at the Edge
Advancements in 5G centered on the benefits of combining Al, cloud, and 5G standalone for telco
Sponsored by:
Arrcus
Delivering ROI with Extreme Fabric
This Leadership Brief demonstrates how Extreme Fabric saves time by enabling IT teams to unify campus, data center and branch networks and automate device configuration and convergence as well new network segment creation and related access security. It's based on end-users interviews.
Sponsored by:
Extreme Networks
A Vision for Multicloud Network Operations With Colocation
As distributed application and data needs climb, a unified network management plane will be needed for multicloud environments
Sponsored by:
Aviatrix
Futuriom 50 2025
Every year, Futuriom names the strongest private companies in key markets for cloud and communications infrastructure. Here's our list for 2025
Futuriom Object Storage in the AI Era: Emerging Trends and Players
Interest in AI has enterprises wrangling unstructured data across multiple silos. Object storage technology offers multiple solutions
Sponsored by:
Cloudian, Scality, Supermicro, Wasabi
Driving AI Networking at Scale with Standards-Based Ethernet
With the expansion of AI use cases and services, the opportunities for AI Ethernet networking infrastructure will likely multiply. AI services will not be limited to a narrow range of use cases and deployment models.
Sponsored by:
Arista
Future-Proofing Networks for AI: Building AI Fabric with SONiC and RoCE
Building AI Fabrics with SONiC and RoCE for Optimal Performance and Cost Efficiency
Sponsored by:
Aviz Networks
Trends and Leaders in Platform Engineering and IaC 2024
Our first report on platform engineering and infrastructure as code (IaC) takes a look at the growing movement to build a better cloud automation and management
Sponsored by:
Pulumi, Spacelift
Futuriom MCN and NaaS Survey Report 2024
Our 2024 MCN and NaaS survey report tell you what's happening in multicloud networking (MCN) and Network-as-a-Service (NaaS)
Sponsored by:
Itential, Arrcus, Alkira, Aviatrix, Prosimo, F5, Equinix
2024 SD-WAN/SASE Managed Services Survey Report
See what end users are looking for from SASE/SD-WAN services, according to our 2024 survey of 192 experts
Sponsored by:
Aryaka
Driving Cloud Automation with Observability, AIOps, and NetDevOps (2024)
Why observability, AIOps, and NetDevOps are key trends enabling cloud transformation.
Sponsored by:
Itential, Aviatrix, Kentik
Networking Infrastructure for AI 2024
The debut Futuriom AI infra report examines new networking infrastructure for AI trends and technology developments
Sponsored by:
Arrcus, Juniper Networks, Zentera Systems, F5
Cloud Cost Management and FInOps for the AI Era
In our second year of this report, we investigated the major considerations that enterprises decide on when crafting their cloud adoption strategies.
Applying Platform Engineering Principles to Networking final
How infrastructure platform engineering can facilitate and automate the delivery of network services for any application, on any platform
Sponsored by:
Itential
Company Included:
Itential
ROI Through Converged Cloud Networking and Security
Cloud cost optimization is now top of mind, which means that all cloud costs will be closely examined, including cloud networking and network security.
Sponsored by:
Aviatrix
Company Included:
Aviatrix
Hybrid Cloud Visibillty and AIOps
Futuriom research indicates that although many enterprises are using public cloud, they are trending toward hybrid cloud deployments. The demands of hybrid cloud management are thus taking center stage with many CxOs.
Sponsored by:
Virtana
Company Included:
Virtana
Futuriom 50 2024
Futuriom's annual report tracks the key cloud infrastructure and top private companies to watch in 2024.
SASE Ecosystem Growth: What to Expect in 2024
Our 2023 survey work as well as interviews with end users indicates customers would like to converge network, cloud, and edge security using SASE.
Sponsored by:
Aryaka, Versa Networks, Cato Networks
One Network, One Cloud, One Extreme
Extreme Networks has demonstrated remarkable growth by focusing on the strategy of creating “One Network, One Cloud, and One Extreme” which emphasizes a unified approach to networking.
Sponsored by:
Extreme Networks
Company Included:
Extreme Networks
Futuriom 2023 MCN and NaaS Survey Report
Our survey of 125 qualified IT and networking professionals indicates a critical need for multicloud networking (MCN) and network-as-a-service (NaaS) technology
Sponsored by:
Itential, Versa Networks, Arrcus, Aviatrix, Prosimo, F5 Networks
Building an ROI with Cloud Networking
Futuriom studied two recent Extreme Networks deployments at San Diego Community College District and E.ON. The deployments delivered better ease of use, productivity, lower operational costs, and better security -- with total ROI gains of 20-50%
Sponsored by:
Extreme Networks
Company Included:
Extreme Networks
Futuriom 2024 Research Calendar Preview
Here is a preview of our 2024 research calendar
Guide to RI Management for Cloud Cost Optimization
Cloud Cost Optimization and FinOps technology is a growing need at organizations looking to implement modern cloud infrastructure while controlling cloud spending.
Sponsored by:
Zesty
Future of Hybrid Cloud Automation and NetDevOps 2023
Key drivers and technologies for implementing hybrid cloud infrastructure.
Sponsored by:
Itential, UBiqube
Futuriom SD-WAN SASE Managed Services Report 2023
For this report, we surveyed 196 qualified enterprise networking and security users, director-level and above. The goal was to find key needs for software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN) and secure access service edge (SASE) in managed services.
Sponsored by:
Aryaka, Versa Networks, Tata Communications
2023 Shift Left and API Security (with RSAC Wrap)
An overview of trends and hot companies in the shift left and API security market
Sponsored by:
Wib
Company Included:
Wib
Cloud Cost Management and FinOps 2023
Our new report dives into the challenges and solutions for cloud cost management (CCM) and FinOps
Sponsored by:
Aviatrix, Prosimo, CAST AI, Zesty
Maximizing Success with SONiC
Learn how Aviz Networks helped a large e-commerce company deploy and manage a large-scale networking fabric with SONiC
Sponsored by:
Aviz Networks
The Rise of NetDevOps & The Shift Left for Networking
For networking infrastructure, shift left pushes business goals, testing, and quality control the infrastructure or a service further to the left in the development process.
Sponsored by:
Itential
The 2023 Futuriom 50
We have expanded our Futuriom 50 list of the top private companies in cloud infrastructure and communications
2022 Futuriom SASE Ecosystem
SASE technology is gaining momentum as end users look to combine SD-WAN functionality with cloud-orchestrated security
Sponsored by:
Aryaka, Versa Networks
Futuriom MCN Survey Report 2022
A full overview of multicloud networking market drivers, including survey research and an overview of the companies to watch in the market
Sponsored by:
VMware, Arrcus, Aviatrix, Prosimo
Futuriom Graphiant Leadership Brief v1 6 final
With a new spin on hybrid networking, Graphiant puts routing in the cloud core and application prioritization at the edge
Sponsored by:
Graphiant
Broadband Community Profile - Westfield, Mass.
Futuriom's report for the Fiber Broadband Association describes the Westfield, Mass. broadband expansion
Sponsored by:
OFS
Trends and Leaders in Zero Trust Network Access ZTNA and Identity based Security 2022 v1.8
Our second annual ZTNA report covers the leading trends and companies in this popular cybersecurity technology category
Broadband Community Profile - Douglas County, Oregon
Futuriom's report for the Fiber Broadband Association describes how rural Douglas County, Oregon, created its own fiber infrastructure capable of rates to 10 Gb/s
The Future of Hybrid Cloud Automation Cloud Market Trend Report 2022
Futuriom's 2022 report on hybrid cloud automation points to increased needs for automation tools to connect multiple clouds
Sponsored by:
Itential, Netris.ai
SD-WAN and SASE Managed Services Survey 2022
Our annual survey shows growing momentum behind SD-WAN/SASE adoption of managed services, with service providers and vendors partnering on value-added services
Sponsored by:
Aruba (a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company), Aryaka, Tata Communications
2022 Futuriom 40
After some major exits in 2021 including five IPOs, the Futuriom 40 list of top private companies in cloud tech has some fresh blood
Companies Included:
Alkira, Arrcus, Aryaka Networks, Aviatrix, Cato Networks, Cockroach Labs, Anjuna
Cloud Secure Edge and SASE Trends Cloud Market Trend Report
Demand for security integration, SD-WAN, and cloud services are likely to propel the secure access service edge (SASE) market upward for many years.
Sponsored by:
NetFoundry, Juniper Networks, Nokia, Cato Networks, Enea, Elisity
The Third Wave of Cloud Networks: Multi-Cloud Networking Market Growth Drivers
Futuriom's second annual multi-cloud networking survey indicates large demand for the transformative technology.
Sponsored by:
Alkira, Aviatrix, Volterra
Futuriom - Apstra SONiC Leadership Brief
This Leadership Brief covers the network operating system (NOS) known as Software for Open Networking in the Cloud (SONiC) and how it has emerged as part of the digital transformation accelerated by the shift to hybrid cloud networks among enterprises and service providers.
Sponsored by:
Juniper Networks
Futuriom Identity based Security and Zero Trust Network Access ZTNA
This report analyzes the increase in demand for cybersecurity products to enable identity-based security for providing Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), as well as more than 30 vendors in the market.
Sponsored by:
VMware, NetFoundry
Futuriom SD WAN Growth Report June 2021
The fifth annual Futuriom Software-Defined Wide-Area Networking (SD-WAN) Infrastructure Growth Report analyzes key trends and growth projections for the market, including the evolution of SD-WAN toward Secure Access Service Edge.
Sponsored by:
VMware, Itential, Aruba (a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company)
Futuriom 40 Top Cloud Trends and Private Companies 2021
Futuriom each year compiles the Futuriom 40 report, summarizing the most important trends and private companies in the cloud infrastructure market. Here are the top findings for 2021.
Futuriom Cloud Secure Edge and SASE Trends Report
Futuriom's Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Secure Edge: The 2020 Cloud Secure Edge and SASE Report covers the convergence of networking and security, especially at the “edge” of the network.
Sponsored by:
VMware, NetFoundry, Aryaka, Citrix, Versa Networks
Futuriom CSP Network Automation Leadership Survey
5G is going to drive network automation technologies deeper into communications service provider networks (CSPs), according to our latest independent research report.
Sponsored by:
Itential, DRIVENETS
Futuriom Special Report: 5G Survivor's Guide
Our exclusive survey and report, sponsored by Arrcus, delves deep into the details of 5G networks anchored by a survey of highly qualified professionals at the major service providers, cloud operators, and large enterprises. All survey respondents were carefully screened and qualified as Director-level and above.
