According to ETR's January 2026 Technology Spending Intentions Survey (TSIS), Fortinet is holding steady in the Information Security sector, posting consistent Net Scores and Pervasion rates, and ranking sixth of 16 vendors tracked in ETR's coverage universe on both measures. Within that dataset, the vendor sits just outside the highest-ranked InfoSec peers by Net Score and Pervasion, with solid fundamentals, a loyal and broad customer base, and real execution strengths across its product portfolio.

The TSIS is conducted quarterly, capturing forward-looking spending intentions for hundreds of publicly traded and private enterprise technology vendors across the global market, providing a gauge on demand for the vendors tracked. Net Score represents the intensity of spend for a vendor, while Pervasion represents how widespread a particular vendor is utilized.

Key Takeaways

• Steady momentum within ETR's InfoSec coverage. The January 2026 TSIS shows Fortinet holding steady in Information Security, posting a 24% Net Score and 26% Pervasion, ranking sixth of 16 vendors in ETR's coverage on both measures, just outside the highest-ranked vendors in ETR's InfoSec coverage.
• Enterprise cohorts show year-over-year divergence within the dataset. Overall Net Score is down four points year-over-year in ETR's survey, but performance varies sharply by size: Global 2000 customers improved from 22% to 29%, while small organizations fell from 35% to 17%. Midsize leads all cohorts at 37%.
• Decision drivers are product-centric. Among ETR survey respondents, adoption reasoning concentrates around feature breadth and technical capabilities (46% each), followed by cost and security capabilities. Replacement reasons also center on technical capabilities (46%), then integration and support.
• Observatory reads show balanced strength. Across ETR's SASE, Endpoint, and Cloud Security Observatory studies, Fortinet's ROI and individual product strengths screen well overall, but respondent perceptions of innovation and stickiness trail the highest-ranked vendors in ETR's coverage.
• FortiAI is moving from evaluation to deployment. In ETR's July 2025 AI Product Series sample, "currently using or rolled out" doubled to 25% from 12% since January, with sentiment and continuation indicators trending upward among respondents.

What ETR's TSIS Data Shows

Within ETR's January 2026 TSIS, Fortinet's results reflect a vendor with durable presence in the Information Security sector. A Net Score of 24% and Pervasion of 26% place Fortinet sixth of 16 peers tracked in ETR's coverage, sitting just outside the highest-ranked network security vendors with significant hardware components, including Palo Alto Networks, as measured by this dataset.

Among Fortinet respondents in the survey, four-fifths plan to increase or maintain current spending, skewed toward the latter. The response breakdown shows 7% Adoptions, 32% Increasing, 47% Flat, 8% Decreasing, and 7% intending to Replace. Overall Net Score is down four percentage points year-over-year in ETR's data, compared to a two-point decline across the broader Information Security sector over the same period.

ETR Data: Fortinet's January 2026 TSIS locates the vendor based on users' net spending plans and pervasiveness, plotted against all other Information Security vendors, ranking sixth of 16 on both Net Score and Pervasion.

The Cohort Story Is More Complex

Aggregate numbers tell only part of the story. Beneath Fortinet's overall stability in ETR's dataset, spending intentions vary meaningfully by organization size, industry, and geography.

Global 2000 organizations improved to 29% from 22% year-over-year in ETR's survey, a notable gain among that cohort. Midsize organizations lead all size cohorts at 37% within the dataset, though that is down from 41% a year ago. Small organizations declined from 35% to 17%, and Fortune 500 showed the lowest result among size cohorts at 13%, down from 21%. The divergence is consistent with Fortinet's own market characterization: the company notes that 60% of its customers sit in the midmarket or below, including managed service providers, and ETR's data reflects that Fortinet competes across a broader size range than many peers in its coverage.

By industry, Healthcare and Pharma improved to 30% from 13% within ETR's survey, while Financials and Insurance declined from 42% to 31%. Regionally, APAC saw the sharpest year-over-year drop among ETR respondents, from 48% to 27%, while EMEA held relatively steady at 29% from 31%, and North America moved modestly from 25% to 23%.

Why Customers Stay and Why They Leave

Among ETR survey respondents who cited reasons for adopting Fortinet, the answers are consistent: feature breadth and technical capabilities each draw 46% of adoption citations, followed by cost and security capabilities. These are operational, product-centered reasons grounded in what respondents report valuing in practice.

Replacement reasons follow a similar pattern in ETR's data. Technical capabilities lead at 46%, followed by integration and support. That alignment between adoption and replacement drivers is notable. The same attributes that respondents cite as reasons to adopt can also surface as reasons to consider alternatives when expectations go unmet.

Observatory: Strong Fundamentals, Softer Innovation Scores

Unlike other industry reports, ETR's Observatory Study series is designed to assess technology leader usage of a vendor's products and services within a specific subsector. ETR assessed Fortinet across three cybersecurity capabilities: SASE, Endpoint, and Cloud Security. Across all three, Fortinet shows solid operational performance and favorable economics, with respondent perceptions of innovation and stickiness trailing the top vendors in ETR's coverage.

In ETR's SASE Observatory, Fortinet's Unified SASE offering now comprises roughly one-quarter of the company's billings. Its SASE Net Score sits at 54% (fifth overall among vendors in ETR's coverage), usage is increasing for 58% of respondents, and 68% of users expect payback within three years, a top-four ROI profile within the dataset. Ease of integration (67%) and implementation (60%) land in the middle of the pack among SASE peers in ETR's coverage. Support (60%) and innovative roadmap (59%) trail the leaders in ETR's data. Value perception at 62% sits in the mid-to-top range among respondents, suggesting customers see a cost-benefit trade that offsets softer product experience reads.

In ETR's Endpoint Observatory, Fortinet ranks among the top-performing vendors in the study. Technical support is rated best in the endpoint field at 81% agreement among respondents. Value for money is a relative advantage at 67% agreement, and availability of needed talent scores at 81%, both in the top third of tools in ETR's coverage. The 12-month spending intention Net Score is 39%, landing the vendor fifth overall among endpoint peers in ETR's data. Stickiness registers at 42% among respondents, compared to Palo Alto Networks at 57% and CrowdStrike at 56% within the same dataset.

ETR Data: ETR's Usage Net Score for SASE vendors (2025 Observatory report) was derived from a survey of 321 technology leaders with direct utilization and evaluation knowledge of the specific tools listed.

FortiAI: From Evaluation to Deployment

Within ETR's AI Product Series, FortiAI is showing a clear transition from pilot to production. In the July 2025 wave, "currently using or rolled out" doubled from 12% to 25% since January 2025 among respondents, while "no plans to evaluate or use" declined from 28% to 17%. The share planning to evaluate within six months stepped down from 34% to 22%, consistent with respondents moving out of evaluation and into active use.

Among current users in ETR's survey, sentiment is trending upward. "Very valuable" rose from 31% to 48%, while "somewhat valuable" declined from 38% to 26%. On likelihood to continue using Fortinet, "strong impact" increased from 15% to 33%, with "moderate impact" remaining the plurality at 44%. On willingness to pay for AI features priced separately, 56% of respondents would accept a 1% to 10% premium and 19% would accept an 11% to 25% premium, while 15% indicate they would not pay extra.

Updated comparisons from the February 2026 wave of this study will offer the latest read on FortiAI perceptions and usage intentions.

ETR Data: ETR's July 2025 AI Product Series asked FortiAI users about perceptions of the vendor's AI features. The dataset includes 107 total respondents, with 32% in C-suite roles and 65% based in North America.

The Bottom Line

Within ETR's January 2026 dataset, Fortinet's profile is one of a vendor that executes well, holds strong economics across its product portfolio, and serves a broad and loyal customer base. As measured by ETR's survey universe, there is room to advance on innovation mindshare and competitive stickiness relative to the top vendors in ETR's coverage. FortiAI's accelerating deployment trajectory among ETR respondents is one signal that the vendor is pushing in that direction.

This article is based on ETR's Fortinet Vendor Focus Report, January 2026. Use the form below to speak with our team about getting your next free report from ETR.