Network infrastructure continues to improve, thanks to agile engineering solutions and innovative information protocol techniques. One of the most significant enhancements is SD- WAN connectivity, which offers superior reliability, efficiency and cost reduction. What exactly is SD- WAN, and how can it benefit your business? We asked Top 7 SD-WAN Providers, a leading SD-WAN research and marketing company, for their take on this increasingly popular – yet somewhat misunderstood – technology.
“Work smarter, not harder.”
It’s one of the most commonly quoted adages in the business world, and it directly applies to today’s ever-changing network infrastructure. IT administrators, network engineers, and business owners demand better performance than ever from their networks.
Could your business’ Wide Area Network (WAN) use a boost? If you’re in charge of your company’s network administration, or have input on the types of WAN connectivity utilized, here’s a simple question to ask:
Are you using your WAN effectively, or is your WAN using you? To put it another way, is your WAN working smarter, or simply harder?
All too often, companies are at the mercy of slow and unreliable WAN performance. Thankfully, an emerging technology offers all the advantages of a robust, reliable WAN, without the resource-heavy demand and high costs typically associated with outdated or legacy WAN systems.
One of the best ways to leverage next-generation performance for any WAN configuration is through Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) technology.
SD-WAN 101
What is SD-WAN, and how is it beneficial for your business? Unlike traditional WAN configurations, SD-WAN networks bypass one of the most cumbersome and error-prone aspects that plague regular WANs: data plane and control plane management. A typical WAN network, depending on router usage, requires hundreds or thousands of command line interface instructions to administer rules, establish protocols and optimize data flow.
This time-consuming process lends itself to errors and requires considerable input from IT resources. SD-WAN simplifies the entire process, thanks to:
- Centralized control plane management – SD-WANs offer single-source convenience to manage data over the entire network.
- Leveraged broadband connections – SD-WAN configurations bypass expensive (and sometimes clunky) Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) networks by utilizing reliable, rapid broadband connections.
- Seamless rule & protocol deployment – With SD-WAN technology, business-defined rules and protocols are automatically distributed and implemented across the entire network with customizable configurations – all defined by your business needs!
With SD-WAN technology, your business will enjoy a more agile network solution for today – and a flexible infrastructure that anticipates tomorrow’s challenges. With broadband connections and simplified network administration, SD-WANs offer superior performance and a more efficient way of working. SD-WAN technology avoids many of the errors and time-consuming tasks associated with traditional network management – meaning your business will ultimately lower costs and optimize resources.
If you’re looking for an SD-WAN solution today – and if your legacy network is hindering performance, you should be – you can research and compare leading SD-WAN providers here.
