To securely link users to applications, businesses can employ any combination of transport services, such as MPLS, LTE, and broadband internet services, through a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN). As a result, it can reduce your capital costs, increase application performance, and reduce the attack surface. Fortunately, there are some easy steps you can take yourself.
Reduces capital costs
If you’re interested in upgrading your internet connection, you need to understand what is SD-WAN, how does it work, and why do you need it? One of the benefits of SD-WAN is that it reduces capital costs. Unlike a traditional WAN, where the hardware and switches are purchased and managed, SD-WAN is managed by a cloud-based virtual appliance. It also has the benefit of eliminating the complexity of managing physical routers.
The overall savings of SD-WAN are quite substantial. According to a recent study from Enterprise Management Associates, the investment can yield a payback period of five years if the technology is implemented properly. The savings come from increased IT productivity and higher network uptime. While the payback period is a good way to compare the advantages of SD-WAN and other technologies, it is important to note that the ROI of SD-WAN depends on the implementation of various technologies.
When implementing SD-WAN, companies can reduce capital costs by up to 30%. However, this number does not include soft savings, such as increased productivity, flexibility, control, and compliance.
As an added benefit, SD-WAN technology allows companies to take advantage of all available bandwidth and boost the flexibility of connectivity options. As a result, organizations can deliver enterprise-grade performance at a fraction of the cost. In addition, because SD-WAN management is centralized, it reduces the need for on-site technical staff.
Improves application performance
SD-WAN is a flexible solution for network management that improves application performance by preventing congestion. By creating multiple pathways for traffic, SD-WAN can ensure that all business-critical applications are delivered quickly and reasonably. It can also lower the total cost of ownership of the network.
Many people believe that the benefits of SD-WAN begin and end with reduced expenses and improved total cost of ownership. However, these are largely misconceptions, and SD-WAN should not replace traditional WAN optimization techniques. Instead, these two technologies complement each other. This way, organizations can get the most out of both benefits. In addition, organizations can improve overall application performance by using both technologies to optimize their WAN applications.
SD-WAN can help companies avoid network congestion issues that cause 70% of application outages. Network congestion can lead to packet loss as users use bandwidth-heavy applications, cloud-based solutions, and multiple devices. SD-WAN can also help with capacity planning and application prioritization.
SD-WAN helps organizations address these challenges by making the network more efficient. The SD-WAN technology is capable of intelligent routing, traffic steering, and advanced reporting capabilities. In addition, using application awareness, SD-WAN can help companies improve their application performance, reduce network complexity, and boost application and user experience.
