Legacy networks do not support today’s modern workplace with a distributed workforce across multiple locations including employees working remotely. Organizations need a modern approach to their network that gives them the flexibility to support hybrid work and improve performance across its locations. Many organizations are enabling SD-WAN solutions to gain greater flexibility and performance.
According to one report, 77 percent of organizations are using SD-WAN solutions, with 92 percent of all organizations expected to be users by 2026. Its architecture, which is built on software instead of routers and switches, adeptly handles the services, connectivity, and management between cloud assets, data centers, and satellite, branch, or remote sites. With this virtualization of WAN, network administrators can now leverage capabilities that allow them to improve their network infrastructure and make it more flexible.
Simplified Network Management and Centralized Control
SD-WAN has a centralized control plane that also includes automation and intelligence processes. This helps simplify network management and does so without sacrificing performance. Network administrators have a comprehensive view of how their network is functioning. From the centralized location, they can configure and manage network policies and create reliable WAN capable of supporting remote sites and other endpoints, such as IoT devices at the network edge. They can also automate tasks and apply them across an entire network. Using an SD-WAN solution means you can have connectivity and quickly deploy new applications where needed, with fewer manual operations and human errors, allowing more time for other critical network-related tasks.
Optimized Performance and Enhanced User Experience
SD-WAN solutions optimize network performance using intelligent routing and traffic prioritization, automating the routing of different types of traffic and selecting the best pathway for each application’s traffic. Low latency and reduced packet loss ensure consistent application performance, better WAN efficiency, and better user experience. Organizations with remote sites can especially benefit from SD-WAN’s seamless connectivity capability — efficient even in bandwidth-constrained environments — that helps ensure an optimal network environment at any site.
Increased Bandwidth Efficiency and Cost Savings
You can meet the growing demands on your organization’s networks with SD-WAN’s near real-time bandwidth allocation. This optimization of bandwidth utilization — made possible by traffic optimization, data compression, and Quality of Service (QoS) policies — eliminates the need for costly dedicated WAN links and enables organizations to maximize existing network resources, such as leveraging unused and underused circuits. SD-WAN saves money without sacrificing performance by using more cost-effective options like broadband or cellular connections.
Robust Security and Data Protection
SD-WAN has built-in security features that address the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape. These features, including integrated firewall capabilities, encrypted tunnels, and threat intelligence, protect networks from cyber threats while enabling secure and reliable network access from anywhere. An SD-WAN solution’s centralized control and visibility enhances security, enabling network administrators to respond quickly to detected threats.
Seamless Integration With Cloud Services
As the adoption of cloud-based applications and services continues to rise — 85 percent of organizations will embrace a cloud-first principle by 2025 — an SD-WAN solution has become a must-have for integrating seamlessly with leading cloud providers and leveraging the benefits of cloud computing. Instead of having to connect back to a corporate data center and then to the internet using traditional WAN while causing performance issues and delays, users can use SD-WAN to access applications in cloud platforms directly. It provides this seamless connection without sacrificing security or data performance.
How TPx Can Help
SD-WAN can help you create the flexible network infrastructure needed in a cloud-centric business world. At TPx, our Managed SD-WAN solution has the features that can get you there. Our solution uses a state-of-the-art managed platform to deliver assured application performance, business policy automation, and end-to-end management to make your life less stressful. Contact our sales team to see how we can improve your network performance and operations.