Do you wish your SMB could rely on a better internet connection? Increased bandwidth? And maybe a more secure connection? Typically businesses settle for less than they need, due to exponential costs or being uninformed about the latest tech that’s available.
We have good news! SD-WAN makes it possible to enjoy guaranteed performance over the cloud without headaches like multiple provider footprints, complex routing, skyrocketing expense, and connectivity or redundancy limitations.
Your trusted Managed Service Providers (MSP) at Computers Nationwide are here to get your workplace on the right track to faster internet, maximized bandwidth, and secure connections across multiple connection types!
“The global Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) market size is expected to grow from USD 1.9 billion in 2020 to USD 8.4 billion by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 34.5% during the forecast period. The demand for SD-WAN solution is growing across every line of businesses to manage the complex and diverse network infrastructure at a low cost. The cloud application demands more bandwidth and low latency while optimizing the bandwidth, which is fulfilled by SD-WAN solutions.
SD-WAN simplifies the network complexities including configuration, management, and optimization aligned with WAN networks. The demand for SD-WAN is also gaining a push as organizations have a huge reliance on the work-from-home initiative, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. To facilitate remote working, organizations are looking for advanced networking solutions for better agility and security.” Markets and Markets
Learn More with CN’s Expert Guide to SD-WAN!
Let’s start with the basics: What is SD-WAN?
First things first, you’re probably wondering: What’s SD-WAN? SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Networking) is a game-changing technology that maximizes bandwidth resources at your headquarters, branch offices, or cloud sites by enabling quality of service controls over the top of any WAN connection. SD-WAN employs a software-based controller that automates service management and implements policy-based routing over multiple connection types (e.g., MPLS, Internet, wireless, etc.).
SD-WAN essentially adds a layer of intelligence that provides real-time control and visibility over network and application performance. This, in turn, lets you boost your bandwidth with widely available, low-cost broadband by overcoming the security, reliability and performance challenges to using the Internet for critical business applications.
View the graphic below for a visual representation of how this works. If this tech language is all foreign to you, no worries! Our Managed IT experts are here to guide your business every step of the way.
Why Use SD-WAN?
A few of our network partners specialize in this service! Here’s what they have to say regarding SD-WAN capabilities, benefits, and common questions…
VMware
“By optimizing traffic over multiple available connections, SD-WAN delivers a better user experience, anywhere. SD-WAN dynamically steers traffic to the best available link and remediates if transmission issues arise to ensure high performance of applications.
Check out these capabilities and benefits from our partners at VMware:
- Performance and Reliability: Deliver hybrid WAN with high performance reliability, transport, and provider flexibility to assure optimal performance even for demanding applications, such as voice and video.
- Cloud Network: Eliminate data center backhaul penalties with a cloud-ready network to provide an optimized direct path to public and private enterprise clouds.
- Virtual Service Platform: Reduce the branch office footprint with a single click. VMware SD-WAN enables seamless insertion and chaining of virtualized services on-premises and in the cloud.
- Automation and Orchestration: Centralized monitoring, visibility and cloud control enable zero-touch branch deployment while delivering automatic business policy and firmware updates, link performance, and capacity measurements.
SD-WAN solves network complexity while cutting total cost of ownership. SD-WAN simplifies operations through rapid zero touch provisioning and cloud management, optimizes app performance over any WAN link, accelerates cloud adoption through managed on-ramps, and offers robust edge security.
- Enables Migration To the Cloud: SD-WAN delivers hybrid, multi-cloud, and SaaS functionality to support the needs of businesses today.
- Simplified WAN Operations: Branch and remote site deployments are made simple with global WAN visibility, agility, and scale delivered through an automated platform.
- End-to-End Virtual Services Platform: SD-WAN connects any device or any user to any application across any location on the WAN with in-depth network analytics and security via a network overlay.
- Choices in Edge Security: Cloud security is paramount to SD-WAN and achieved through end-to-end segmentation and security VNFs via the SD-WAN platform.”
TPx Communications
“Many enterprises have complex infrastructure at their branch offices, which is expensive to buy and maintain and complex to manage. With SD-WAN, companies can solve the challenges of expensive bandwidth, branch complexity, and rigid architecture.
Our partners at TPx share how SD-WAN solves today’s IT challenges…
- Network Agility: Because SD-WAN is software based, it can quickly adapt to changing needs.
- Cost Reduction: Compared to a traditional WAN deployment, SD-WAN enables companies to deploy their wide area networks 100 times faster with 3 times the cost-savings!
- Ease of Deployment, Management, and Control: SD-WAN allows for various deployment options including completely cloud- or software-based, hardware based, or a hybrid (cloud/ software and hardware). Thanks to its central monitoring and management orchestrator, there is no need for a specialized technician to facilitate installation. A centrally located orchestrator also helps monitor all activity and enables remote issue remediation.
- Leverage Cloud Infrastructure: SD-WAN offers a powerful solution to optimize access to cloud resources, as well as global access to SaaS. Utilizing broadband links, SD-WAN enables branches to connect dynamically to locations, providing direct access to the closest required cloud resource, and thereby avoiding unnecessary backhauling of traffic to the data center, which increases latency and negatively impacts the user experience.
When shopping for an SD-WAN provider, make sure you understand the potential differences among solutions. Here are a few key questions you should ask, keeping your applications, staff capabilities and organizational preferences in mind:
- Is It a Software or Service? At the highest level, there are two primary approaches to deploying SD-WAN. The first is to buy a software platform and implement it in your network environment. The second is to subscribe to a service-based solution, wherein the SD-WAN platform is delivered as a service by a managed service provider.
- What Network Continuity Options Are Available? Some providers offer continuity for Internet only or their own provided circuits. Our partners provide active/active/active continuity for Internet, MPLS, Customer Provided circuit, all in active/active mode so you can utilize the bandwidth you’ve paid for. Take advantage of cost-effective 4G LTE.
- Is The Solution Managed? A managed service provider typically offers engineering support for the initial SD-WAN deployment as well as ongoing monitoring and management. Some may even manage third-party network providers. In an unmanaged scenario, your organization deploys and manages its own SD-WAN technology and deals with phone-based carrier support.”
Cisco
Our partners at Cisco have recently launched a new solution: Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Interconnect with Equinix.
“This technology will provide swift, secure, automated connectivity to Cloud Service providers environment as well as the choice of transit networking for sites over the global network of the SDCI providers SDCI uses dispersed sites, known as Points of Presence (PoPs), and SD-WANs to interconnect sites and to connect sites to cloud infrastructures.
Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Interconnect with Equinix delivers reliable network performance while decreasing operational costs and complexity by automating on-demand network to sites and to leading cloud provider networks. The goal is to provide a world-class experience by integrating the leading SD-WAN solution with the leading colocation provider’s flexible software-defined network. Learn more about the benefits of this new partnership!“
Managed SD-WAN with Computers Nationwide
If your business is considering making the move to SD-WAN, you’re in good company! Computers Nationwide partners with several industry leaders that offer a range of comprehensive solutions for organizations just like yours. Guaranteed performance so that you can compete, grow and focus on managing your business knowing that you’re in good hands!
Our managed services architects work with businesses across Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin to build customized solutions. Your WAN can become a symphony of private network and OTT Internet connectivity. When shopping for SD-WAN, make sure you understand the potential differences among solutions. Check out our website for more information on the benefits of SD-WAN and FAQ.
