TEKTALK STRATEGY

Strategy: Why You Should Pay Attention to SD WAN This Year

Demand for SD WAN Has Never Been Higher

“It’s estimated that within the next 3 years, almost 1/3 of enterprises will use Software Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) products in all of their branches, that’s up from less than 1% today.” –NTT

SD WAN Reduces Operating Expenses

SD-WAN gives you the flexibility to connect and expand any way you like, at a price you will appreciate. SD WAN integrates with the major network services already in existence including cable, DSL, ethernet, MPLS, and even satellite. New deployments allow customers the flexibility to subscribe exclusively to inexpensive connections such as Cable and DSL.

Existing networks that need to expand can deploy SD-WAN and integrate existing connections such
as MPLS that may still be on contract. Because of this flexibility, SD-WAN has the ability to greatly lower OPEX for new deployments and existing network expansion.

Easier Network Management, Effective Monitoring

SD WAN makes network management easier as branch-by-branch configurations are no longer necessary. It also enables detailed monitoring between every endpoint in the network, allowing for rapid identification and remediation of carrier-related issues.

Stop worrying about limited connectivity options at each location as well. SD WAN allows you to take advantage of any type of Internet connectivity. Your network can span the entire globe and still be entirely controlled and overseen through a single interface.

Excellent Quality Control

Out-of-the-box defaults set the Quality of Service (QoS) policies for common business objectives so IT only has to worry about establishing traffic priority relative to the customer needs.

Intelligent path control steers traffic based on application. This traffic-forwarding capability can be set in place at the centralized controller interface and then pushed out to all SD-WAN devices. Policies can be based on IP addresses, application profiles, port number, quality-of-service markings, time of day, or any other number of variables. Most SD-WAN solutions provide granular classification of more than 2000 applications.

Options & Flexibility

SD-WAN provides a seamless overlay across any transport type with a centralized dashboard that enables central policy application and management, as well as rapid and simplified change management. This means it can be deployed on existing networks without disruption. Under an SD-WAN implementation, bandwidth can easily be added or reduced as requirements evolve. SD-WAN can Integrate with existing networks routing protocols such as OSPF that will benefit from dynamic learning and automation.

Automated Deployment & Provisioning

Once the initial configuration and security settings are created, any hardware later added to the system can simply self-configure based on those shared settings.

Adding hardware can be as simple as plugging it in, then scanning a bar code on the side to add its serial number and license to the central software. The network does the rest. Implementing policies on cloud-connected networks using legacy management tools is an error-prone, labor-intensive exercise because it is typically done with command line interfaces on a device-by-device basis.

SD-WAN centralizes visibility and control into a single, point-and-click management console. With automation, a network administrator can create a new policy in a few minutes and apply it instantly with consistency across the entire network regardless of location, application or connectivity provider.