Since the pandemic, businesses have operated in remote cultures. Enterprises continue to operate in the same culture even after the pandemic, and future businesses are also moving in that direction to benefit from its cost-effectiveness and efficiency.
However, business workloads and requirements are not handled efficiently by traditional networks because the business services are distributed across multiple clouds and branches, affecting the network performance. And for this reason, companies are switching from MPLS connectivity options to SD-WAN ones.
What is SD-WAN?
SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) is one of the internet WAN solutions which helps businesses and enterprises to ease the IT infrastructure management and control by providing a virtual WAN architecture.
Through virtual architecture, you can leverage the combination of transport services like broadband internet, LTE, and MPLS to connect users to the applications.
How does SD-WAN work?
Each site has an SD-WAN device, and SD-WAN provides an overlay network between the sites. When the sites are connected to the local networks, the SD-WAN devices download the custom-defined configuration and traffic policies to start tunnels with one another or PoP which depends on the architecture.
And SD-WAN directs outbound traffic using the best route based on application policies and current traffic conditions. When the last mile condition fails, the SD-WAN device switches to the backup connection while managing the traffic load using pre-configured policies.
A company can create a lot of policies to meet business needs. The policy that you create determines the path and direct traffic based on the priority.
What are the top benefits of SD-WAN?
SD-WAN provides numerous benefits for businesses and enterprises. Here is a summary of the major benefits you need to be aware of before using it.
- It is more flexible because it lets cloud-based and on-premises deployment support your company’s policies and processes.
- SD-WAN provides transport independence because it leverages bandwidth across any combination of transport services.
- Businesses can boost scalability using SD-WAN while spending little money.
- More deployment times are saved since SD-WAN allows the deployment to be defined remotely.
- Links are used to their full potential with path optimization, so you won’t have to pay for unused bandwidth.
- You get complete security services as it is integrated with SASE platforms.
- It reduces cost by leveraging low-cost local internet access and providing direct cloud access.
How to choose a trusted SD-WAN vendor?
The SD-WAN market is expanding every day, along with other internet WAN solutions. Consequently, a large number of SD-WAN vendors have emerged. Now, it is the responsibility of the company to choose the best and most trusted SD-WAN vendor. If you’re having trouble deciding, ask an SD-WAN vendor about the factors listed below.
Expertise
Even though SD-WAN is a relatively new technology, pick the vendor with the most industry knowledge. When a provider is knowledgeable, they can quickly recognize the needs of the business and offer the best SD-WAN solution based on the needs.
And it will provide support in network performance, security analysis, and service meetings. Moreover, the expertise vendor will provide suggestions for your company’s improvements.
Security
There are a lot of security risks a company faces when functioning digitally. Therefore, the SD-WAN vendor you select must prioritize security. SD-WAN typically has MFA and data encryption. So, to add further security, look for other security technologies like IPS, CASB, and DLP. The security precautions offered ought to safeguard your network both now and in the future.
Cost
Typically, SD-WAN is cost-effective. However, the cost varies from vendor to vendor, though. Therefore, pick the supplier who charges a reasonable price for its service.
End-to-end solution
Consider choosing the SD-WAN vendor that provides service for the entire operation management. It must have services like MPLS, fiber, and wireless broadband. Most importantly, they must manage the physical underlay work.
Managed SD-WAN
The managed SD-WAN vendor will take care of everything if you choose them. You are not required to watch over your network. And they will provide intelligent routing to improve productivity.
So, now you know what SD-WAN is, how it functions, and what it can do for you. You can choose the best SD-WAN for your company by considering the considerations.
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