Large organizations are increasingly moving towards a highly digital business model involving constant access to cloud applications from different locations across the globe. Multiple branches and a distributed workforce further require a flexible support infrastructure that is reliable as well as secure.

SD-WAN is arguably the most significant change in WAN setup in recent times. SD-WAN or Software Defined Wireless Area Network is a software approach that is used to address and manage WAN. It offers smooth deployment and central management.  It can address enterprise-wide network-related problems like reliable access, latency, cost, availability, and security. It gives universal network control with a security policy that is standardized across various access points. Such capabilities can translate into numerous benefits for the entire organization.

Benefit 1 – Reduced operational expenditure

An SD-WAN model for enterprises’ network requirements is more cost-efficient in comparison to a traditional WAN setup or an MPLS setup. This is mainly due to:

  1. Organizations investing in greater low-cost bandwidth due to SD-WAN’s traffic aggregation.
  2. Businesses using the overall bandwidth more intelligently through application preference or path preference.
  3. The cost SD-WAN setup and management being lower compared to an MPLS setup.

Most organizations use SD-WAN over different types of connections like 4G, ethernet, broadband, etc. in combination with MPLS. They can use low-cost connections for low-priority traffic and push high-priority traffic via pricier connections. All of this translates into  efficient use of SD-WAN investment.

Benefit 2 – Consistent and predictable application performance

SD-WAN is capable of improving the performance of unstable links. It offers:

Real-time information flow and failure correlation

SD-WAN allows enterprises to view application and infrastructure across the entire network. IT teams can diagnose and troubleshoot problems faster due to network visibility.

Application QoS (Quality of Services) categorization

IT teams can use predefined policies, preferences, and templates to prioritize application traffic for optimum results.

Benefit 3 – Simplified IT management

Simplified IT management

Universal control and security that is standardized are some of the main reasons why SD-WAN is popular for simplified IT organization and management. Irrespective of where the branches or offices are physically located, SD-WAN can ensure uniform policy and security.

Convenient Deployment

Unlike MPLS and traditional WAN services, the SD-WAN setup allows businesses to deploy applications, policies, etc. from a central location. Administrators are no longer required to  physically manage each site.

Enhanced Branch Connectivity

SD-WAN helps businesses connect branches globally by providing inexpensive network access even in remote locations or places where  MPLS service providers do not have a presence.

Better Traffic Control with Increased Network Visibility

SD-WAN allows the IT department to have complete control over pathways to select data packets and cloud applications that are business-critical to ensure that the operations run smoothly even at branch levels.

Benefit 4 – Increased resilience with multiple redundant data connections

You can combine multiple WAN connection bandwidths with SD-WAN, increasing redundancy and improving application availability to the end-user. This is especially useful to large businesses with multiple branches and a distributed network of various underlying connections. Benefits include:

  • Easily avoid single-vendor lock-in requirements.
  • Virtually integrate multiple distributed networks into a single, cohesive high performance network.
  • Avoid delays and lags due to backhauls that are typically associated with MPLS services.

Benefit 5 – Cloud migration and connectivity

Every enterprise wants to tie in cloud services to optimize costs. Both employees and customers need remote and onsite cloud access. SD-WAN provides secure cloud connections that can adapt quickly to your changing cloud computing needs. You can:

  • Tie-up cloud resources to the datacenter for seamless access.
  • Build common policies and management for different cloud entities.
  • Centrally govern multi-cloud environments.

Benefit 6 – Improved security

Cloud-based applications, like Amazon Web Services or Office 365 require enterprises to allow remote access to all users. Accessing private company data over public Wi-Fi can pose a serious network security threat under a traditional setup. However, SD-WAN offers secure network access from anywhere while fully complying with organization-wide security policies. It is capable of:

  • Partitioning and protecting assets as well as traffic against vulnerabilities.
  • Security policies for automatic real-time threat detection.
  • Integration with multiple third-party security services.
  • Security policies that prevent and pre-empt attack.

Improved security

This is especially useful for businesses in the healthcare, retail, or financial sectors.

Benefit 7 – Increased WAN Capacity

SD-WAN allows enterprise network users the ability to use different circuits at the same time. It can:

  • Define the optimum flow and increase overall WAN capacity to deliver consistently.
  • Use multiple intelligent pathways as decided by pre-configured traffic policies.
  • Allow adminstrators to manage and modify existing instructions and policies based on real-time monitoring data.

Benefit 8 – Optimizing voice traffic flow

SD-WAN can prioritize voice traffic over other types of traffic to improve call quality. It forwards voice packets via multiple links to avoid packet loss on any individual link. SLA (service level agreement) profiles, policies and rules, and forwarding profiles can be configured to ensure proper voice traffic flow.

SLA profiles

SLA profiles allow the management team to set up network performance parameters which are essential to monitor the effectiveness and performance of WAN link and access circuits, especially of branch locations.

Forwarding profiles

Forwarding profiles define the properties to be incorporated in the selected WAN circuits for the traffic flow. These properties can include load balancing, prioritization of circuits, circuit media, circuit type (MPLS or broadband), etc. Along with SLA profiles, forwarding profiles help determine appropriate WAN circuits in a predefined order of priority.

Rules and policies

Rules and policies allow the organization to configure traffic depending on the matching criteria like traffic destination address, traffic source address, IP packet header information, as well as source zone.

Benefit 9 – Convenient infrastructure requirements

SD-WAN is different from traditional WAN setups in the sense that it has a virtualized architecture. This means that it require low set-up investment in non-expensive hardware infrastructure for executing specialized network functions. This not only translates into cost savings for the enterprise but also means that organizations can deploy SD-WAN using their internal network resources.

Benefit 10 – Greater business agility

Greater business agility

Time is money in any business. With an organization-wide SD-WAN set up you can save both, time, and money, while being scalable and agile. Organizations can remotely bring up a new branch office without waiting. SD-WAN can get the up and running in hours instead of weeks allowing businesses to reduce downtime. Users can work remotely without losing any valuable man-hours. There is a much lower chance of errors since policies and configurations are pushed across the branch network from a single central location.

Bring SD-WAN to your organization

Carrierbid telecom consulting can bring SD-WAN to your organization in a way that fits your needs without adding to your cost. Our services are fully paid for by the SD-WAN service provider. We give you the benefit of specialized end-to-end SD-WAN management without adding to your bottom line. Contact us for a free consultation today!

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