If you’ve spent any time in IT leadership circles recently, two topics keep bubbling to the surface: SASE in the networking world, and AI across pretty much everything else.
Both spark curiosity, ambition, and a lot of energetic whiteboard sessions. And interestingly, both tend to follow a similar pattern: leaders want to adopt them, the vision is exciting, and the potential upside is enormous, but the path to getting there is a bit of a mystery.
When you look closely, SASE and AI actually share some common themes that can help organisations think more clearly about how to approach them.
Understanding these similarities can help organisations avoid common pitfalls and accelerate successful adoption.
The vision is clear... the path is not
Most organisations already have a vision for SASE and AI, but that vision is rarely clearly defined.
Through our network of customers and industry leaders, we’re able to engage with so many CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs, and often we’ll hear the same two themes: “We’re moving toward SASE” and “We’re building an AI strategy”.
These themes really can represent genuine transformation across an entire IT estate and wider business, from cost savings to previously unheard-of optimisations. Just like “getting healthier” or “modernising the business”, these themes sound great, but a clear path to get there is rarely defined, and there is no industry standard starting point.
Then you have the challenge of the definition of these technologies, which typically varies depending on who you speak to.
For SASE, the industry definition will change depending on the vendor or analyst. Gartner has a defined criteria for SASE, while many vendors are creating their own flavour of SSE solutions. At its core, SASE combines networking and security into a cloud-delivered service, but it’ll be down to you to define what you want your own SASE platform to look like.
With AI, strategies are often talked about in broad terms rather than specific use cases tailored to your business. This means you’ll need to define what AI means to you.
You may need to look through the fog of definitions for AI or SASE to come up with a definition that works for you, but it’s an important step. It’s your vision, and it should be built around what your business needs, not what others say it should look like.
Once you have clarity on your vision, it’s time to build a clear pathway.
Nailing the basics
AI sounds cool. SASE is THE buzzword for those in the world of networking.
You know what doesn’t sound cool, “cleaning up your data first” or “replacing switches in your office”.
With so much excitement around buzz-worthy, innovative technologies, investing in anything else can seem frustrating, but it is perhaps the most critical step if you want to make a success of those cool technologies.
Success comes from laying a strong foundation first.
The best AI outcomes tend to come from organisations that first invest time in understanding and organising their data. When data is consistent, trusted, and accessible, AI can deliver insights and outcomes that are truly meaningful.
It’s a very similar story in SASE. A strong SASE approach starts with ensuring you understand your network architecture and the gaps that need resolving:
Where are your users?
What do they need to access?
What tools are you currently using?
What’s working and what’s not working?
With that clarity, SASE becomes easier to introduce, easier to manage, and more effective overall.
Understanding where you are today and building those foundations might feel like an inconvenience, but laying a strong foundation shouldn’t be seen as a hurdle – instead, think of it like a springboard.
There is no one-size-fits-all - and that’s a strength
Every industry, and every organisation within it, has its own priorities, legacy systems, and operational constraints. That’s why the best AI strategies aren’t carbon copies from one business to another; they grow out of real business needs and real opportunities.
In the Public Sector, AI tools are improving engagement with communities while simultaneously reducing contact centre spend, with one UK council recently announcing nearly £10m in realised annual savings. In the retail industry, AI is increasingly being used to aid with inventory management and demand forecasting, analysing a wide range of data sources to help retailers make quick decisions on inventory optimisation.
There may be common ideas from business to business, but the end product is always going to be unique.
We work with retailers that have stores across the globe, as well as fully-remote, UK-based businesses without any offices at all. Both have the same number of users, both want to start their SASE journey, but both have very different use cases.
Whilst every business will have different needs and its own use cases for AI or SASE, the beauty of these frameworks is that they’re flexible and not bound by rigid templates. With broad capability within the frameworks, there is no business that wouldn’t realise the benefits of adopting these technologies.
To win, focus on what your business needs first, rather than the technology first. The capability exists within these frameworks to support you once those needs have been defined.
When you step back, a clear pattern emerges.
What this means for your organisation
Whilst SASE and AI might sit in different parts of the technology stack and are potentially owned by different stakeholders, their adoption journeys are very similar.
They start with a bold vision before a roadmap
They deliver the best results once those foundations have been laid
They work best when tailored to the needs of your business, rather than trying to use a one-size-fits-all solution
There is a risk that in a few years’ time, businesses will look back at the considerable investment they have made in AI or SASE and deem it a wasted expense, labelling the technology as a gimmick or an approach that just doesn’t work for them.
The reality is, businesses really do have every right to be excited about the likes of SASE and AI, and should absolutely have these on their vision board. The potential of these technologies is truly transformative. But success is only going to come by taking a step back first and making sure that adoption is done as part of an informed strategy that is built on strong foundations.
Finding the right partner for the journey
Successfully adopting AI and SASE isn’t just about choosing the right technology; it’s about navigating the journey with clarity, confidence, and the right expertise. From defining your vision to building strong foundations and delivering real-world outcomes, having a partner who understands both the strategic and technical landscape can make all the difference.
At Nasstar, we help organisations cut through the complexity -bringing together networking, security, and cloud expertise to design and deliver solutions that are tailored, scalable, and built for long-term success. Whether you’re at the start of your journey or looking to accelerate progress, the right partnership can turn ambition into measurable results.
