As the world becomes more and more interconnected, companies are looking for ways to take advantage of that fact to improve their operations. One way they are doing this is by adopting software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN) technologies. SD-WAN allows companies to securely and flexibly connect their disparate locations together using a variety of different connection types, including broadband internet, MPLS, and 4G/LTE.
This flexibility and security come at a price though: SD-WAN requires specialized hardware and software at each location, which can be costly to implement and maintain. However, many companies feel that the benefits of SD-WAN outweigh the costs, especially as more and more business is conducted online and over long distances.
With SD-WAN in place, companies can enjoy the better performance for time-sensitive applications like VoIP or video conferencing, as well as improved security thanks to the ability to segment traffic and encrypt data in transit. And because SD-WAN can be managed centrally, it can save businesses time and money by simplifying the process of connecting multiple locations together.
In short, SD-WAN is changing the way businesses operate by giving them a new way to connect their far-flung locations together quickly, securely, and cost-effectively. As businesses continue to find new ways to use technology to their advantage, we can expect to see even more widespread adoption of SD-WAN in the years to come.
What is SD-WAN and How does it work?
SD-WAN is a software-defined networking technology that allows for the creation of secure, high-performance WAN connections. SD-WAN uses a variety of techniques to achieve its objectives, including traffic shaping, quality of service controls, and encryption.
SD-WAN was designed to address the challenges posed by traditional WANs, such as high costs and poor performance. SD-WAN enables organizations to create WANs that are both cost-effective and highly efficient. In addition, SD-WAN provides superior security and reliability when compared to traditional WANs.
The benefits of SD-WAN have led to its adoption by a number of organizations across a variety of industries. In particular, SD-WAN has been deployed by companies in the retail, healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing sectors. As more companies recognize the advantages of this technology, it is expected that the use of SD-WANS will continue to grow in popularity.
Benefits of using SD-WAN
Increased Security:
One of the key benefits of using an SD-WAN is that it can help to increase the security of your network. This is because an SD-WAN uses multiple links to connect to the internet, which makes it much more difficult for attackers to take down your entire network connection.
Improved Reliability:
Another big benefit of using an SD-WAN is that it can improve the reliability of your network connection. This is because an SD-WAN can automatically route traffic over the best-performing link, which means that if one link goes down, your traffic will still be able to get through on another link.
Better Performance:
Yet another benefit of using an SD-WAN is that it can improve the performance of your network. This is because an SD-WAN can dynamically adjust the amount of bandwidth being used on each link based on conditions in real-time, which helps to ensure that you are always getting the best possible performance from your network connection.
Reduced infrastructure costs with SD-WAN:
The primary benefit of using SD-WAN is the reduction in infrastructure costs. By using your existing internet connection and adding a few devices, you can have a complete SD-WAN solution up and running quickly and easily. There’s no need to invest in costly MPLS circuits or private lines.
Additionally, since SD-WAN uses your existing internet connection, there’s no need to build out a separate network for it. This means that you can save on networking hardware, software, and maintenance costs. And since the network is already in place, there’s no need to hire additional staff to manage it.
Hence, SD-WAN doesn’t require any new infrastructure investment. It’s much easier to scale than traditional WAN solutions. As your business grows and changes, you can simply add or remove devices as needed without having to make any major changes to your network. This makes SD-WAN an ideal solution for businesses of all sizes.
Improved agility with SD-WAN:
Another benefit of using SD-WAN is the improved agility it provides. With traditional WAN solutions, adding or changing sites can be a slow and complicated process. This is because you need to provision new MPLS circuits or private lines, which can take weeks or even months.
With SD-WAN, you can add or change sites in just a few clicks. And since there’s no need to provision new circuits or lines, you can get your new site up and running in days instead of weeks or months. This makes SD-WAN an ideal solution for businesses that need to be able to quickly add or change sites.
SD-WAN is so easy to use and scalable, it’s also an ideal solution for businesses that have multiple branch locations. With traditional WAN solutions, managing multiple sites can be a complex and time-consuming task. But with SD-WAN, you can manage all of your sites from a single interface, which makes it much easier and faster to make changes across all of your locations.
Improved response times with SD-WAN:
Another benefit of using SD-WAN is the improved response times it provides. With traditional WAN solutions, adding or changing sites can be a slow and complicated process. This is because you need to provision new MPLS circuits or private lines, which can take weeks or even months.
With SD-WAN, you can add or change sites in just a few clicks. And since there’s no need to provision new circuits or lines, you can get your new site up and running in days instead of weeks or months. This makes SD-WAN an ideal solution for businesses that need to be able to quickly add or change sites.
SD-WAN is an ideal solution for businesses that have multiple branch locations. With traditional WAN solutions, managing multiple sites can be a complex and time-consuming task. But with SD-WAN, you can manage all of your sites from a single interface, which makes it much easier and faster to make changes across all of your locations.
Challenges companies face with SD-WAN:
Cost:
SD-WAN can be more expensive than traditional WANs because of the added cost of the hardware and software needed to implement it. In addition, SD-WAN requires more upfront investment than traditional WANs.
Implementation:
Implementing SD-WAN can be challenging because it is a new technology and there are few vendors with experience in deploying it. In addition, SD-WAN requires careful planning and execution to ensure that it is deployed correctly.
Management:
Managing an SD-WAN can be complex due to the need to configure and manage multiple devices across disparate locations. In addition, SD-WANS often use proprietary protocols that can make management difficult for IT staff who are not familiar with them.
Lack of understanding of the SD-WAN technology:
The first challenge that companies face when implementing SD-WAN is the lack of understanding of the technology. Because SD-WAN is a new technology, there are few vendors with experience in deploying it. This lack of experience can lead to problems during the implementation process, such as the incorrect configuration of the devices or incorrect placement of the hardware.
Another challenge related to implementation is the need for careful planning and execution. SD-WAN requires more upfront investment than traditional WANs, so it is important to plan carefully to ensure that the deployment is successful. In addition, because SD-WAN uses proprietary protocols, IT staff must be familiar with them in order to properly manage the network.
One more challenge that companies face when implementing SD-WAN is managing the network after it has been deployed. Managing an SD-WAN can be complex due to the need to configure and manage multiple devices across disparate locations. In addition, because each location may have different requirements, IT staff must be able to adapt their management strategies accordingly.
Lack of SD-WAN Skillset among Employees:
One of the challenges that companies face when implementing SD-WAN is the lack of understanding of the technology. Because SD-WAN is a new technology, there are few vendors with experience in deploying it. This lack of experience can lead to problems during the implementation process, such as the incorrect configuration of the devices or incorrect placement of the hardware.
Another challenge related to implementation is the need for careful planning and execution. SD-WAN requires more upfront investment than traditional WANs, so it is important to plan carefully to ensure that the deployment is successful. In addition, because SD-WAN uses proprietary protocols, IT staff must be familiar with them in order to properly manage the network.
The final challenge that companies face when implementing SD-WAN is managing the network after it has been deployed. Managing an SD-WAN can be complex due to the need to configure and manage multiple devices across disparate locations. In addition, because each location may have different requirements, IT staff must be able to adapt their management strategies accordingly.
How SD-WAN helps Companies?
SD-WAN can help companies in a number of ways. Perhaps most importantly, it can help reduce costs by making it possible to use lower-cost Internet connections for data transport. Additionally, SD-WAN can improve performance and resilience by intelligently routing traffic across multiple links. And finally, SD-WAN can simplify networking complexity, making it easier to manage and troubleshoot network issues.
Reducing the complexity of the company’s network:
One of the most appealing aspects of SD-WAN is its ability to simplify networking complexity. This can be a huge benefit for companies that have been struggling to manage and troubleshoot their network issues. By using SD-WAN, they can reduce the number of devices and links in their network, which can make it much easier to manage. Additionally, SD-WAN provides better visibility into the network, making it easier to identify and fix problems.
Improve the Company’s performance and agility:
In addition to reducing complexity, SD-WAN can also improve the performance and agility of a company’s network. This is because SD-WAN uses intelligent routing to direct traffic across multiple links. This can lead to improved speeds and reliability, as well as greater resilience in the face of outages or other problems. Additionally, by using SD-WAN, companies can take advantage of new technologies more quickly and easily, which can give them a competitive edge.
Conclusion:
The rise of cloud applications and services has transformed the way enterprises do business. Global connectivity and access to real-time information is now a requirement for success, which means that network performance is more important than ever. Unfortunately, traditional wide area networks (WANs) are not well suited to today’s needs. They are expensive to implement and manage, and they don’t provide the flexibility or agility that businesses require.
SD-WAN is a new type of WAN that overcomes these limitations. SD-WANs are less expensive to operate and easier to manage than traditional WANs, and they provide the flexibility and agility that businesses need to stay competitive. In addition, SD-WANs can be implemented quickly and easily, without the need for extensive reconfiguration of existing network infrastructure.
The benefits of SD-WAN make it a compelling solution for enterprise networking. However, it’s important to carefully consider all options before making a decision about which type of WAN to implement. Each enterprise has unique requirements, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. But for many organizations, SD-WAN will be the best option for meeting their networking needs in the digital age.