Why switching to SD-WAN is good for business

Reasons to make the switch to SD-WAN

Software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN) represents a simplified, cost-effective, and flexible alternative to traditional wide area network (WAN) solutions. Forward-thinking businesses are quickly realizing the benefits that SD-WAN can offer and switching from their traditional WAN solutions. Let’s explore the benefits of SD-WAN and how it is helping businesses get ahead of the competition.

Cost Effective Connectivity

For large companies, connecting geographically spread out branches and offices can hurt IT budgets. SD-WAN reduces reliance on expensive lines of connection while maintaining an overall network performance. Businesses can effectively leverage all available network connections to their full capacity, facilitating the best performance of critical applications and helping to prevent costs associated with lost productivity. In addition, SD-WAN is also very beneficial for more remote offices where there is often a lack of technical expertise. The appeal of SD-WAN is that it does not require highly technical installation capabilities.

Improved Provisioning Times

Deploying WAN systems is a hassle for businesses, and SD-WAN makes it so much easier. One costly and time-consuming challenge for IT is the provisioning of new branch office networks. An SD-WAN solution enables enterprises to use less expensive and more quickly deployed broadband circuits as opposed to purchasing additional lines when scaling-up resources. SD-WAN enables companies to send devices to each branch un-configured since each device can download its own policy, crypto certificate and keys. The system will even learn traffic patterns, making provisioning simple.

Stronger Security

Ensuring the well-being of a business’s network is now more important than ever, yet it is becoming increasingly more difficult. Unlike traditional WAN solutions that handle security on a branch-by-branch basis, SD-WAN can include universal security functions. SD-WAN can integrate cloud web content filtering, malware defenses and intervention protocols, resulting in more robust security while continuing to decrease cost to the user.

Enhanced Branch Uptime

Making changes to network configurations in branch offices used to mean it would require manual configurations being made and installed and more than likely requiring an on-premise technician to perform the changes. For many businesses, this is still how things are done today. But this method is expensive and time-consuming.

SD-WAN allows for the rapid deployment of WAN services (bandwidth and firewall) without the need for IT personnel. SD-WAN configurations are simpler than traditional WAN solutions, and the availability of zero-touch provisioning reduces manual configuration of devices altogether. With SD-WAN, bandwidth can be easily added or reduced as business requirements evolve, providing organizations with the agility they need to stay ahead of competitors.