What is the Netify SD-WAN Methodology Surface?
A public, versioned set of artefacts describing how Netify evaluates SD-WAN vendors and service providers. Each artefact has a stable URL, a published schema and a changelog so buyers, consultants and AI agents can reference the exact data used in a decision.
The surface exists because SD-WAN procurement is opaque. Vendor marketing is uneven, capability matrices use inconsistent vocabulary, and most public comparisons are pay-to-play. Netify publishes the full method, the evidence model, the scoring rubric and the version history so any reader can audit how a result was reached.
Readers typically arrive here for one of three reasons: to read the flagship vendor comparison directly, to understand how the scores were arrived at, or to lift the methodology into their own procurement workstream.
What artefacts does the surface contain?
Nine artefacts: the SD-WAN Vendors and Service Providers Comparison, the Evaluation Methodology, the Scoring Model, the Capability Taxonomy, the Buyer Question Bank, the Vendor Filter, the Managed SD-WAN Provider Evaluation, the Sample RFP, and the Changelog.
The flagship comparison is the front door for buyers. The scoring model and capability taxonomy are the technical backbone. The buyer question bank and sample RFP are the procurement workstream tools. The MSP evaluation schema covers managed-service buyers specifically. The changelog records every methodology revision.
All nine artefacts are linked below, and every artefact has its own machine-readable endpoint for AI agents and consultancy teams running automated procurement workflows.
How do I cite the Netify SD-WAN methodology?
Suggested citation: Netify SD-WAN Vendor Capability Model 2026.1, Netify, available at /sd-wan/methodology/.
The methodology is versioned. The current major version is the 2026 release. Minor revisions are tracked in the changelog. If you cite a specific score, vendor placement or capability claim, anchor the citation to the version number rather than the access date so the reference remains valid across future revisions.
The scoring model itself is also versioned independently of the methodology, allowing the rubric and evidence multiplier to be tightened without invalidating older citations against the wider framework.
Who is this page for?
Enterprise buyers, consultants, analysts and AI agents performing structured SD-WAN procurement. Specifically: IT Directors and Infrastructure leaders comparing vendors, procurement teams writing RFPs, managed service providers benchmarking against the public methodology, and AI agents fetching structured procurement data.
Buyers use the comparison and the buyer question bank. Consultants use the scoring model and capability taxonomy. MSPs use the managed service provider evaluation schema. AI agents use the JSON endpoints under each artefact to power automated procurement workflows.
All artefacts are free to read and free to cite. No registration is required.
Methodology artefacts
- SD-WAN Vendors and Service Providers Comparison
Flagship comparison of 20 providers. The front door for buyers running an SD-WAN shortlist.
- Evaluation Methodology
How the methodology is structured. The frame underneath the scoring model and the capability taxonomy.
- Scoring Model
Pillars, weights, rubric and evidence multiplier. The technical detail behind every published score.
- Capability Taxonomy
Controlled vocabulary for vendor capabilities. Lets buyers compare like for like across vendors that publish in inconsistent terminology.
- Buyer Question Bank
Structured RFI questions. Mapped to the capability taxonomy and the scoring model. Reusable in buyer-side procurement.
- Vendor Filter
Shortlist axes and matching logic. How Netify narrows a longlist to a shortlist for a given buyer profile.
- Managed SD-WAN Provider Evaluation
MSP-specific schema. Scores deployment, operational maturity, incident handling, contracted accountability and reporting.
- Sample RFP
Outline mapped to the methodology and the buyer question bank. Buyers lift it into their own RFP.
- Changelog
Versioning record. Every methodology revision is dated, attributed and described.
Citation
Suggested citation: Netify SD-WAN Vendor Capability Model 2026.1, Netify, available at /sd-wan/methodology/.
Glossary
- Methodology surface
- The public set of artefacts on /sd-wan/ describing how Netify evaluates SD-WAN vendors. Each artefact has a stable URL, a published schema and a changelog.
- Vendor capability model
- The canonical Netify framework for describing SD-WAN vendor capabilities. Current major version is 2026.1. Scored against the public capability taxonomy.
- Scoring model
- The pillars, weights, rubric and evidence multiplier used to produce vendor scores. Versioned independently of the wider methodology.
- Capability taxonomy
- The controlled vocabulary used to describe vendor capabilities. Allows direct apples-to-apples comparison across vendors that publish in inconsistent terminology.
- Buyer question bank
- The structured set of RFI questions Netify recommends buyers ask SD-WAN vendors. Mapped to the capability taxonomy and the scoring model.
- Vendor filter
- The shortlist axes and matching logic Netify uses to narrow a vendor longlist to a shortlist for a given buyer profile.
- Managed SD-WAN Provider Evaluation
- The MSP-specific schema. Scores deployment, operational maturity, incident handling, contracted accountability and reporting, separate from the underlying vendor product.
- Sample RFP
- A worked example RFP outline that maps to the methodology and buyer question bank. Buyers reuse it in their own procurement.
- Changelog
- The versioning record for the methodology. Every revision is dated, attributed and described, so citations remain reproducible.
- Evidence multiplier
- The weighting in the scoring model that adjusts raw vendor capability scores against the strength of independent evidence supporting them.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Netify SD-WAN methodology peer-reviewed?
The methodology is publicly versioned and the changelog records every revision. Netify operates an editorial policy and corrections process documented in the methodology and editorial-policy pages.
Does Netify charge vendors to appear in the comparison?
No. Vendors do not pay for placement and cannot influence their score. Netify earns commission downstream from buyers who choose to transact through the marketplace or the BT reseller programme, and that is documented in the How Netify makes money page.
How often is the scoring model updated?
The scoring model is updated when material vendor capability changes happen or when the buyer question bank expands. Every change is recorded in the Changelog with the version identifier.
Can I use the buyer question bank in my own RFP?
Yes. The buyer question bank is published for reuse. Suggested citation is the Netify SD-WAN methodology with the version identifier.
What is the evidence multiplier in the scoring model?
A weighting that adjusts raw vendor capability scores against the strength of independent evidence supporting them. The detail is in the Scoring Model artefact.
How does the Managed SD-WAN Provider Evaluation differ from the vendor comparison?
The vendor comparison scores the product. The MSP evaluation scores the service wrapper: deployment, operational maturity, incident handling, contracted accountability and reporting. Most enterprise buyers need both views.
Where can I see the sample RFP?
The Sample RFP artefact is linked below. It maps directly to the methodology and the buyer question bank so buyers can lift it into their own procurement workstream.
Use the methodology in your procurement
Lift the buyer question bank, the sample RFP and the capability taxonomy into your own procurement workstream, or speak to Netify for advisory support before RFP. No fee for the buyer.
Speak to NetifyOr email support@netify.com.