Research firm Dell'Oro Group projects global sales of SD-WAN technologies will grow at a CAGR of 24% over the next five years -- and it expects the market to eclipse $4 billion by 2025. These nifty data points speak to SD-WAN technologies' potential but don't really tell you how SD-WAN can help grow your business. Or even how SD-WAN works.
If you are hearing more about SD-WAN as a disruptive infrastructure technology, you are not alone. In fact, some of the most enthusiastic voices may be coming from your organization's own networking team - because virtual WAN architecture represents a paradigm shift in enterprise networking. It allows networking teams to move away from playing network traffic cop with IP and Border Gateway Patrol (BGP) routing, in favor of automated dynamic path routing that prioritizes mission critical applications and allows for application-aware behaviors across your infrastructure.
But rather than getting too in the weeds on Software-Defined WAN, let's take a step back to ask -- and answer -- four key questions:
❖ What is SD-WAN and how does it work?
❖ How does SD-WAN impact enterprise networking?
❖ Why is SD-WAN beneficial to your organization?
❖ When is the right time to consider SD-WAN?
What is SD-WAN?
If you have a firm understanding of SD-WAN, consider this section a refresher. If not, I will briefly summarize how we think of SD-WAN. First, Software Defined Networking (SDN) and SD-WAN are not the same thing. Related yes, in the sense that both are driven by a methodology of hardware abstraction of the control and data plane using overlays. But how and where the two technologies are best applied are different.
One description of the difference between SD-WAN and SDN offered in a CIO Magazine article five years ago, to me, still holds up today: "SD-WAN can be thought of as a "little brother" to its more well-known sibling Software Defined Networking (SDN). They're related – both software-defined, but whereas SDN is meant for internal data centers at a campus or headquarter locations, SD-WAN takes those similar software-defined concepts of the decoupling/abstraction/separation of the control plane from the data plane and extends the concept to the WAN. 'SDN is an architecture, whereas SD-WAN is a technology you can buy,' explains Gartner analyst Andrew Lerner, who tracks the SD-WAN market closely."
When we talk to customers and prospects about SD-WAN, the conversation often turns to the limitations of traditional WANs, which are hard to modify and secure as they become more complex. So as enterprises seek to more fully leverage the cloud, take advantage of mobility or emerging technologies like Internet of Things (IoT), they find their existing networking infrastructure is not up to the task. That's where SD-WAN comes in; using software to orchestrate the WAN allows us to provide load balancing and application-aware behaviors across your infrastructure. These changes enable you to route traffic across specific physical transport connections, lower costs, and improve multisite resource utilization.
How does SD-WAN impact enterprise networking?
SD-WAN is a critical aspect of a modern WAN architecture. In addition to enabling cloud and mobility at the branch office, SD-WAN addresses performance, connectivity costs, and agility issues prevalent with legacy architectures. SD-WAN also simplifies the quality of experience (QoE) and path selection/steering (routing).
For your networking team and organization, SD-WAN represents a transformative mindset away from IP address routing to Application Aware behavior which includes application traffic steering and prioritization. What does it mean for enterprise networking? A lot, actually, because SD-WAN:Enables a shift to active/active/active connectivity capabilities
- Enhances focus on policy creation/configuration and deployment
- Facilitates closer interaction with security teams
- Deepens integration with hybrid/cloud access and policy creation
- Delivers more control based on application performance telemetry and visibility
- Unlocks new training and knowledge opportunities
- Offers easier ("minimal touch") deployment options to the edge/branch/remote sites
- Creates much better user/customer experience
Why is SD-WAN beneficial to your organization?
Modernizing your network infrastructure to SD-WAN isn't just a cost savings move, though it can deliver significant cost optimization and telecom spend. There are proven, outcome-based benefits it can deliver with the right approach, technology, and managed services partner.
Transform the Network Infrastructure
It can evolve the enterprise network architecture to Software-Defined solutions that are capable of fully supporting automation, orchestration, programmability, flexibility in deployment (Dual Internet, Hybrid, Dual MLPS) and multi-cloud connectivity, and end-to-end security.
Secure the Network Infrastructure – Everywhere!!!
Yes, three exclamation points might be overkill but I want to hammer home how critical Secure SD-WAN is to success. Protect the enterprise and organization from risks by enforcing Intent Based Networking, Segmentation and Access Controls to reduce attacks associated with lateral movement, compromised credentials and lack of network visibility.
Connect All Things
Connect devices, people, networks and businesses through IoT/OT, Carrier and connectivity solutions and secured Multi-Cloud enablement and security.
Manage the Network Infrastructure
This is where having a proven SD-WAN Managed Services provider is essential. Using ePlus' enhanced managed services capabilities across all platforms and deploying SD-WAN "…as-a-service" allows you to maximize the agility, application control, and efficiency benefits along your cloud journey—while maintaining your internal staff's focus on strategic business outcomes
When is the right time to consider SD-WAN?
Perhaps you are a defense contractor grappling with uptime and resiliency issues and rising telecom costs. You might be a manufacturer losing ground to competitors because your existing network infrastructure is unable to support digital transformation and modernization initiatives. Or a utility facing resiliency issues affecting the uptime and stability of the critical services you deliver to business customers and consumers.
The flexibility of SD-WAN is why organizations facing diverse network challenges turn to the software defined technology to improve network uptime, significantly reduce costs while delivering greater performance, and increase security while simplifying management.
This process can start with an ePlus SD-WAN Readiness Assessment, which identifies how SD-WAN's application visibility, performance, resiliency, and cost savings compare to your current WAN.
SD-WAN deployment puts your organization on the right track to transforming enterprise networking, but it requires the right Managed SD-WAN partner to manage the full lifecycle. ePlus can help you design, implement, and manage your SD-WAN. If you are ready to start your SD-WAN journey and learn more about our readiness assessment please contact us.
