Traditional wide area networks (WAN) connect a company’s branches and remote offices with applications hosted on data center servers. Generally, an MPLS network ensures security and a reliable connection. However, the world has been changing, and with it, the way businesses are managed.
Traditional WANs do not always make sense in a cloud-centered world. The rise and adoption of cloud computing services mean that mission-critical business applications no longer reside only in the corporate data center. Despite this trend, various companies still send WAN traffic back to their own data centers before connecting employees to cloud-based platforms, which, depending on the scenario, can add unnecessary costs and latency.
Today, companies increasingly seek to integrate MPLS connections with broadband, LTE, and dedicated Internet in their offices or branches. Traditional WAN management platforms do not allow for centrally managing these multiple connection types, applying dynamic routing and consistent policy application, or maintaining robust security measures across all connection types.
Moreover, deploying new remote sites or branches is often an arduous and costly process that typically requires on-site technical personnel to ensure the correct network implementation. It is important to note that while broadband and LTE offer flexibility in some extreme cases, they can also introduce significant limitations to network quality.
Source: IDC (2022)
SD-WAN Implementation in Enterprise
SD-WAN solved some of the limitations of other technologies, but maintaining the network’s quality and reliability requires proper implementation and management in conjunction with high-quality underlying connections. The success of your migration to SD-WAN is not guaranteed and can vary depending on the deployment option you choose.
These are the main ways in which SD-WAN is currently implemented in the market:
Do it Yourself (DIY)
In this scenario, companies buy SD-WAN boxes directly, and then their IT teams implement the service themselves, leaving IT as the area responsible for supervision and support.
This mode of implementation generally integrates sub-par network connections into the enterprise network, such as broadband internet and mobile connections. This significantly reduces the reliability of the connection for mission-critical operations and creates complex fault management among the multiple providers that make up the network.
Outsourced Service Management
As with the DIY implementation, companies buy SD-WAN boxes directly and request a service provider to manage them. This is common in companies with IT departments that are not well-equipped to do handle the task. Service providers often already provide them with other WAN services.
This implementation allows specialists to interact with the network; however, it does not give service providers enough flexibility to guarantee high levels of network availability and stability, nor does it allow this provider to intervene in some of the network connections to resolve faults.
Managed SD-WAN
In this scenario, companies receive total network management from their network provider or carrier, as well as business connectivity options. This includes on-site equipment, software licenses, configuration, and monitoring – all accessible from an included analytics portal.
As a result, this implementation has multiple benefits for organizations, such as:
Agility and Elasticity. Organizations need networks that can quickly adapt to changes in the business environment. With a managed solution, SD-WAN provides unprecedented flexibility, allowing for the rapid deployment of new branches and the easy integration of different types of connections.
Optimized Application Performance. SD-WAN optimizes application performance by using load-balancing techniques and intelligent traffic routing. A managed environment ensures critical business applications, such as collaboration tools and cloud platforms, are prioritized and run without interruption.
Transport Agnostic. Perfect integration with the existing network configuration, providing connectivity over any type of transport.
Simplified Centralized Management. Network management can be complex and resource-intensive. SD-WAN simplifies this task by providing centralized visibility and intuitive management tools, which facilitate the network’s configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting. Managed solutions provide a 24/7 monitoring service, with quick problem resolution and network restoration in case of any issues.
Zero-Touch Provisioning. The system automatically provisions and configures devices, simplifying deployment by reducing installation time and complexity.
Rapid Scalability with Dynamic Routing. Intelligent application-aware routing recognizes and sends traffic directly over internet links for optimal delivery of business applications.
Enhanced Network Security. Security is a primary concern for any organization. When properly configured, SD-WAN offers advanced integrated security features, such as end-to-end encryption, integrated firewalls, and deep packet inspection capabilities.
Conclusion
SD-WAN is a game-changing technology that revolutionizes the management and administration of enterprise networks. It empowers businesses with greater agility in network deployment and unprecedented control over their operations.
During the early years of this technology in the global market, companies worldwide learned the importance of ensuring its correct implementation and getting the most out of SD-WAN without sacrificing the quality of the various connections that make it up.
With the advent of cloud computing and the massive migration of enterprise data centers to this new paradigm, SD-WAN helps provide the flexibility needed for business growth and the agility necessary to implement cloud services immediately.
With this combination of elements, this technology better positions companies to face digitalization challenges and seize global market opportunities.
If your company is looking for a successful SD-WAN deployment, Flō Networks’ solution integrates all the benefits of this technology, accompanied by high-capacity and resilient underlying connections. From an implementation perspective, zero-touch provisioning allows companies to connect to a cloud-based management platform without wasting all the existing connectivity infrastructure in the organization.
