Hybrid working is embedded, cloud adoption continues at pace, and data now moves across a range of devices, locations, and applications. As this digital footprint expands, the traditional network perimeter has dissolved. The challenge for UK CIOs is clear: how do you maintain visibility, security and performance when your organisation no longer operates within predictable boundaries?
Legacy architectures were built for centralised applications, controlled access points, and office-based users. They struggle in a world where connectivity starts at the edge and security cannot rely on fixed locations. The result is increased operational overhead, inconsistent user experiences, and growing exposure to modern cyber threats.
Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) has emerged as a strategic response to this shift, unifying networking and security in a single cloud-delivered model that applies protection at the point of access, not the point of presence. Underpinned by Zero Trust principles, SASE assumes no user or device is trustworthy by default, enforcing consistent controls wherever users connect.
But the most important question for CIOs isn’t what SASE is; it’s why the timing matters. What has changed in the operating environment that makes SASE not just attractive, but essential?
Remote and hybrid work are now the operational norm. Employees expect seamless access to applications from any location and any device. Traditional VPN models create congestion and poor performance. SASE offers identity-driven access at the edge, providing faster, more consistent connectivity aligned with how people work today.
Attackers increasingly target cloud identities, personal devices, and remote access pathways. Security models that rely on a strong perimeter no longer hold. SASE integrates Zero Trust Network Access at its core, verifying user identity, device posture, and context on every connection. It reduces implicit trust -a leading cause of breach escalation – and strengthens defences across distributed environments.
Most UK organisations now operate across SaaS platforms, multi-cloud workloads, and on-premises systems. Each layer adds its own controls and complexity. SASE consolidates disparate technologies into a single framework, providing consistent policies and a unified view of user and application behaviour. For CIOs balancing cyber risk, compliance and operational efficiency, this consolidation is becoming critical.
Slow applications and congested access routes impact business performance. Backhauling traffic through central data centres is inefficient and costly. SASE directs traffic through the nearest cloud point of presence, improving speed, reliability, and user satisfaction – without costly network redesigns.
Organisations must adapt quickly: onboarding new sites, integrating acquisitions, supporting new applications, or adjusting security posture in response to new threats. SASE’s cloud-native architecture provides the flexibility to evolve policies and scale services without major infrastructure work, matching the pace of modern transformation programmes.
CIOs face rising pressure to reduce technical debt, strengthen resilience, and meet increasing regulatory expectations. Maintaining multiple legacy appliances and security tools increases cost and weakens governance. SASE simplifies the environment, strengthens policy consistency, and reduces operational burden, making it easier to demonstrate value and risk reduction to the board.
It’s important to recognise that SASE isn’t an all-or-nothing shift. It isn’t a single product or a forced replacement of existing investments. For most organisations, SASE is adopted progressively, enhancing current capabilities, simplifying the environment, and creating a foundation that can evolve over time.
Adopting SASE is less about replacing everything at once and more about aligning technology with how people actually work today. The goal is simplicity, not sprawl; visibility, not noise; and a security model that enables innovation rather than slowing it down.
As businesses continue to evolve in a climate of constant change, SASE offers CIOs a pathway to resilience – a network and security architecture ready for whatever comes next.
Because in a world where boundaries no longer exist, the smartest organisations aren’t defending the perimeter; they’re redefining it.
Network Services Practice Lead
David leads the development of Roc’s network strategy and portfolio, shaping and refining customer propositions to strengthen performance and experience whilst delivering value.
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