5 Important reasons why enterprises need SD-WAN

The growth of enterprise digital transformation

While traditional networks like Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) have proven to be robust and highly scalable for decades, enterprises are now looking for solutions that offer optimization of all network resources with enhanced visibility and control.

With more employees working remotely, mobile devices, and real-time conferencing applications, demand the unification of networks that can combine different sources of data such as cloud applications and big data.

One of the greatest advantages of SD-WAN is that it can be deployed over an existing MPLS network, and other connections such as Ethernet, 4G, and 5G. Managed Software-Defined Wide Area Networking provides robust redundancy and enables traffic to be efficiently routed through another network, without any downtime.

Improved performance

SD-WAN can be configured to prioritize business-critical traffic and real-time services like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and then navigate it over the most efficient route. By facilitating critical applications through reliable, high-performance connections, IT teams can help reduce packet loss and latency issues, thereby improving employee productivity, and boosting employee morale.

Another important feature of SD-WAN it reduces complexity and delivers new levels of operational efficiency, it can also be customized and upgraded as the business grows.

Boosted security

According to the U.S. State of Cybercrime survey, 41% of respondents reported an increase in the frequency of cybersecurity events in 2017.

A great advantage of SD-WAN is that it offers built-in security and integrated security features, such as NGFW, IPS, and encryption capabilities that can help prevent data loss, downtime, regulatory violations, and legal liabilities.

Lowers complexity

Whilst Digital transformation initiatives can add layers of complexity to a network, the result may be poor network performance and the need for locating onsite personnel at remote sites to manage the local IT infrastructure. However, SD-WAN simplifies the wider area network infrastructure by off-loading non-critical business applications, automating monitoring tasks, and managing traffic through a centralized controller.

Enables cloud usage

According to the Flexera 2021 State of Cloud report, Organizations are increasingly adopting cloud services. A great advantage of SD-WAN is that it enables direct cloud access at remote branches and enables employees to directly access cloud applications regardless of location. SD-WAN also improves cloud application performance by prioritizing business-critical applications and enabling branches to directly communicate to the Internet.

Reduces costs

As organizations deploy a wide variety of cloud-based applications, the volume of data traveling over the wide-area network increases exponentially, increasing operating costs. Because SD-WAN provides direct cloud access, it reduces the amount of traffic over the backbone of the network. According to an IDC survey (forecast), nearly a quarter of survey respondents expect SD-WAN cost savings of upwards of 39%, with two-thirds expecting more modest savings in the 5-19% range.

When professionally deployed, SD-WAN functionality can be extended deep into the local branch LAN to ensure that security and network functionality can protect locally deployed devices and secure direct connections to SaaS applications and other online resources.

Voiped Telecoms' SD-WAN solution includes next-generation firewall security, advanced routing, and WAN optimization capabilities, delivering a security-driven networking WAN edge transformation in a unified offering.