SDWAN Services For Organizations In Wilkes-Barre & Scranton

Businesses and organizations are accelerating their digital transformation to cloud SaaS applications like Microsoft 365 by adopting SD-WAN solutions. SD-WAN provides network innovation by enabling organizations to connect branches to local Internet providers. This improves the overall end-user experience because it greatly reduces latency caused by routing traffic through the data center. Additionally, local internet providers offer organizations more convenient and cost-effective options.

What Is SD-WAN?

SD-WAN is a cloud-delivered Wide Area Network (WAN) overlay architecture that enables application-aware routing. Application-aware routing directs traffic based upon an application’s preset SLA and user-defined application profiles. This overlay is programmed to optimize the network based on business intent.

As a result, businesses and organizations will not have to rely on someone to re-route traffic when the bandwidth is stretched. The SD-WAN will uncover the best path based on the needs of the applications and the needs of the business or organization. SD-WAN also measures real-time latency, so the prioritized applications take the best route each time.

Telecommunication providers are adopting SD-WAN so they can offer SD-WAN as an alternative to the Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) lines they are already providing to organizations. SD-WAN mainly exists today to support multi-cloud and software-defined branch (SD-Branch) transformations. Multi-cloud has changed the application landscape, and that change resulted in changes to traffic patterns.

Traffic no longer needs to flow to enterprise data centers or central internet peering points and breakouts. Today, most traffic from users and devices goes to cloud-based applications housed across a host of clouds. It’s no longer cost-effective nor efficient to carry traffic over dedicated WAN links to a central site. To further enhance the cost and performance of multi-cloud-bound traffic, WAN edge routers are equipped with hybrid WAN links and routing.

Why Use SD-WAN?

While cost has been a major selling point for many businesses and organizations, more businesses and organizations are citing network performance improvement as a major reason behind their adoption of an SD-WAN solution. With both cost and network performance in mind, many organizations are hoping to balance them to deliver an effective solution that will improve performance through increased bandwidth or a combination of MPLS and the internet, while keeping costs low.

Enable Digital & Cloud Transformation

SD-WAN simplifies how organizations move workloads to the cloud, utilize cloud-hosted applications, and enable new services in remote and hybrid locations.

Considerably lower WAN costs

SD-WAN lowers costs without compromising security.

Substantially Lower Deployment Times

SD-WAN enables easier and faster WAN deployments and operations. SD-WAN also enables faster performances without using a significant amount of bandwidth, thus helping organizations deploy revenue-generating services in a matter of minutes.

Optimizes Flexibility

SD-WAN allows for more flexibility on any application, platform, and network connection. SD-WAN allows you to add on network services so you can activate, change, and replace services as your organization grows.

Vigorous Security

SD-WAN’s security fully supports the influx of new endpoints by segmenting and adopting new users and devices at speed.

Better User Experience

Application performance will be more reliable and applications will run faster.

Consider Security Before Buying SD-WAN Solutions

The adoption is SD-WAN adoption is rising. However, connecting to the internet using SD-WAN evades data center security and exposes businesses and organizations to cyberattacks, ranging from basic malware to advanced attacks that compromise privacy, data, and intellectual property.

More organizations today are taking a security-first approach, and you shouldn’t expect anything different from an SD-WAN provider. Security needs to be deeply implemented into every software-defined wide area network. When evaluating SD-WAN providers, your list should only include those who offer a secure solution.

As more organizations run mission-critical applications over the internet, securing the network and the cloud becomes critical. The traditional WAN was architected for branch-to-data center traffic flows; it was not architected to support traffic patterns in the cloud. If your organization seeks a cloud-first strategy for application delivery, you want to feel confident when using your cloud services. Ensure the SD-WAN technology your organization will deploy will provide a shield of protection with centralized control or security and network management.

For many organizations, the challenges of managing network operations and security operations are leading to an increase in cyberattacks and data or security breaches. Before buying SD-WAN, make sure your SD-WAN utilizes security layers and intrusion detection. You should also make sure your SD-WAN provider can safeguard your connected workforce against crippling attacks.

Not All SD-WAN Solutions Are Equated Equal

Many ransomware attacks take advantage of internet connections and open ports used by cloud applications and Software as a Service (SaaS) applications. You need to find out from your provider what multi-layer security will be provided. Will the multi-layer security include authentication, segmentation, and encryption? Depending on how your organization needs to segment the WAN, you may need additional layers of security. Don’t be afraid to ask your provider the questions you need answers to.

The security and compliance needs of your organization have changed in recent years, and you should expect this trend to continue. As the years go by, there will be more attention to security and how organizations store, process, and report on confidential data. You must choose technologies that can meet the unique needs of your organization. When selecting a provider, remember to think about what your organization will need in the future, and not just what your organization needs now.

Questions to Ask SD-WAN Vendors

For organizations looking to acquire SD-WAN functionality, many questions need to be answered during a discussion with an SD-WAN vendor. Here are a few questions that organizations should ask SD-WAN vendors before buying SD-WAN:

  • What monitoring tools do you use? Does your security solution offer swift responses to network problems?
  • What are the pricing options?
  • How many clients have you successfully deployed?
  • Is your solution architected for high availability?
  • What network continuity options are available?
  • Is the solution managed?
  • How well will the service integrate with my existing infrastructure?

It is important to analyze present and future needs within your organization. For organizations with physical assets, IoT is going to have a major impact on the network. How do you plan to make use of SD-WAN technology to help make your organization more successful? Thinking about deploying SD-WAN? Contact tech42 LLC for an assessment of your information technology needs before moving forward with the purchase and deployment of an SD-WAN solution.

Special thanks to Holden Watne with Los Angeles IT Services team GenIX for his expertise with SDWAN solutions.