An SD WAN network can help businesses to make the most of cloud technologies and applications and must be a conversation for resellers, as Matt Dykes, COO, Abzorb, explains.
Businesses need to ensure they have a wide area network (WAN) infrastructure that is ready for the world of work today. It doesn’t matter if you have the latest devices, applications or technology, none of it will make a difference if you don’t have the right infrastructure in place to maximise cloud technology and applications.
Many companies still rely on a MPLS WAN, which is the traditional way of connecting sites, but these are expensive and require a high bandwidth. They are also cumbersome when additional sites or users need to be added to the network, which can slow down the bandwidth, making it difficult for businesses to respond quickly to changes.
MPLS networks are also usually more susceptible to security and latency threats therefore putting businesses at risk. Finally, they don’t support SDN or cloud networks meaning businesses can’t take advantage of the latest technologies that provide cost-savings, improve performance and security.
Follow our ‘top tips’ to have a WAN infrastructure that will enable you to secure your network and grow your business.
Distributing and prioritising traffic
SD WAN (software defined wide area network) uses software to distribute and prioritise network traffic across a WAN, enabling IT directors to manage and control network traffic across multiple locations. It also enables organisations to save costs, increase productivity and security and accelerate growth.
The SD WAN network provides centralised network management and visibility into any performance issues within the network. This simplifies the management for the IT/telecoms director where they can monitor traffic and performance and identify any security threats from a single dashboard giving them greater control and flexibility in managing their network.
Delivering cost savings
SD WAN provides cost savings by reducing reliance on expensive MPLS networks, providing them with the opportunity to choose more cost-effective options such as broadband or wireless 4 and 5G connections.
Flexibility to grow
You can easily set up new sites as and when required providing agility to respond quickly to changing network demands. It also facilitates hybrid networks with multiple connections, which was costly and cumbersome process with MPLS.
Increasing productivity
More than 30% of UK employees are working a hybrid schedule and IT managers need to ensure that employees have the necessary bandwidth by prioritising their network traffic and optimising remote connection speeds to their remote place of work. SD WAN improves their bandwidth so they can utilise video conferencing and collaboration tools more effectively, therefore increasing productivity and efficiency.
It also ensures employees and employers benefit from reliable and consistent broadband even in rural areas. Employees can instantly access the latest information and updates in real-time, enabling them to make informed decisions quickly, reducing stress and freeing them to focus on their work.
IOT ready
An SD WAN network supports IOT devices and secures traffic to and from these devices, ensuring they have consistently reliable and secure connectivity between them and the cloud applications they use. This can include wearable video cameras, sensors in buildings, security cameras, evaluators, GPS trackers, healthcare devices etc.
The way forward
To take full advantage of cloud technologies and applications businesses need to consider implementing a SD WAN network. This will enable them to seamlessly manage their network and broadband capacity and ensure employees have reliable and consistent connectivity to improve communications, collaboration and processes.
