Top 7 Reasons Why SD-WAN Can Help Your Business

The business landscape is unpredictable and fast-changing. Futuristic organizations are moving towards better technologies to reap the benefits of cost-effectiveness and efficiency. Businesses are embracing technological advancements to keep pace with the latest business trends and demands. 

However, with traditional network architecture, business workloads and growing complex requirements cannot be handled efficiently. Also, critical business services are distributed across multiple clouds and several branches which can further hamper the network performance.

And this is the reason that businesses are now turning their attention and making a switch from MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) to the more efficient SD-WAN as their primary connectivity solution.

What is SD-WAN? 

SD-WAN or Software-defined Wide Area Network is a virtual WAN architecture that makes use of a centralized control function to securely direct traffic across the WAN. With this architecture system, you can leverage various combinations of transport services like LTE, broadband internet, and MPLS to successfully connect users to applications.

MPLS has been the staple technology for businesses with multiple locations for a long time. However, this technology can get extremely expensive as your business spreads its wings and thus, the switch from MPLS to SD-WAN.

Reasons Why SD-WAN Can Help Your Business:

1. Increasing Shift to Cloud

There has been a sharp increase in the number of enterprises moving to cloud-based, software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications. SD-WAN has the potential to provide connectivity optimization and path selection in a centrally-managed and policy-driven distributed network architecture.

It not only provides security to the cloud-based applications but also enables direct access to cloud applications by all workers regardless of the location. The SD-WAN appeals to the businesses because it simplifies the cloud connectivity for the organizations. It is capable of simplifying complex workflows and automating simple tasks.

2. Cost-effectiveness

As corporate businesses keep expanding to multiple locations, connectivity gets complex and expensive at the same time, creating connection problems and also increases the operating cost.

In the case of multiple location offices when information flows from branch offices to the cloud, SD-WAN efficiently utilizes all the network resources and sends traffic across the most suitable bandwidth option. 

It leverages the low-cost internet connection and provides direct access to the cloud. This way it reduces the cost factor to a great extent, thereby resulting in savings to the organization. Thus, proving to be a cost-effective option for businesses.

3. Boosts Security

One of the foremost need of the hour for a business organization is to improve its digital security in the wake of increasing cybercrimes. And the first step begins with the type of network that you choose. Investing your money in SD-WAN is one of the most intelligent ways to protect your data.

The most basic measure that an SD-WAN uses for protection is the built-in encryption. It also consists of next-generation firewalls built into its hardware that can be activated and configured from the same management console. This channelizes your data through an encrypted tunnel that protects it from malware attacks.

4. Support for Merger and Acquisitions

SD-WAN can efficiently merge several networks into a unified one. This feature is particularly beneficial to industries where mergers and acquisitions are common like pharmaceutical, transport, etc. Onboarding and getting rid of several sites is a tedious task that can be simplified with SD-WAN.

Merging networks are done with the help of processes like dynamic multipoint private networks which is a long one. But with SD-WAN you can leverage the ability to effortlessly add new branches and segment networks. With the help of segment isolation, you can create and split virtual network segments and also state which segments can interact and which cannot.

By doing so, the acquiring organization can segment and isolate data traffic from the acquired company while also retaining regulatory compliance.

5. Exceptional Performance

One of the primary advantages of SD-WAN is that it increases network performance exceptionally. Due to its ability to automatically channel information through the fastest and most reliable connection, it reduces the potential issues of network latency and jitters to a great extent. 

By configuring SD-WAN to prioritize business-critical traffic over the most reliable networks and high-performance connections, you can also reduce packet loss, improve employee productivity, and boost their morale. This, will, in turn, lead to the exceptional performance of the organization as a whole.

6. Bandwidth

For all the businesses that deal with technology and handle large volumes of data, bandwidth is the most critical element. The bandwidth will determine how much load your network can carry and how well can it perform under pressure.

And this is why investing in SD-WAN is a wise choice for such organizations. SD-WAN allows you to combine several WAN connections and get a collective power of the bandwidth at the same time.

SD-WAN also offers high scalability when it comes to bandwidth. This means that you can easily add, reduce, or even combine it as per the requirements of the business. If your business requires setting up a new connection at a remote branch, it can be done effortlessly without the help of an IT team.

7. Availability of Applications and Network

Dealing with organizational downtime is the most frustrating phenomena for the business and customers alike. An organization suffers 4 hours of downtime each year which can be further reduced with the help of SD-WAN.

It is capable of managing high loads of data without any compromise on the signal or quality. By investing in SD-WAN all your customers and staff have equal opportunity to access your network from multiple locations without any lag.

Final Word

There are several reasons to invest in SD-WAN as the next big step towards your organization’s digital transformation. It is fast emerging as the most preferred solution for business connectivity that has replaced the traditional networks.

Investing in SD-WAN is a decision that will provide benefits to your business for several years to come. SD-WAN networks are valued for money as they are fast, reliable, powerful, and secure. Additionally, it gives you the freedom to customize and choose from among various options.

Choosing the right network is an important deciding factor in the prosperity of your business. Ending up with a wrong choice can leave you with low returns on investments, and many other unavoidable issues.