Over the last few years, software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) and digital transformation have served to propel one another forward. Many of the advantages expected with cloud adoption were made possible with the performance-enhancing benefits of SD-WAN solutions. Likewise, digital transformation created the environment in which SD-WAN went from being a niche technology to having widespread applicability.
The fast track of digital transformation went into overdrive as companies abruptly changed to work-from-home situations, and the available SD-WAN solutions were stretched. The edge became far more complex, network access introduced new vulnerabilities, and control was harder to achieve.
The effective SD-WAN choice for your business must be future-proof to support hybrid work models and multi-cloud environments without a host of add-ons and workarounds. It should be ready to offer heightened visibility and control, end-to-end security, and improved performance right out of the box. Here are five use cases that any SD-WAN solution you consider should be able to address:
Scalability and Flexibility: It’s not expected that digital transformation will slow down, and as companies implement multi-cloud and hybrid approaches, they will need SD-WAN that scales to any workload or environment. They require on-demand connectivity between all locations and between multi-cloud tools.
Support Work-From-Anywhere: The situation is still evolving, but many organizations are operating under a hybrid work environment that requires not only security but also consistency in the work experience. No matter where the employee is accessing resources or what device they are using, they need to be able to have the same conditions.
SD-WAN solutions are meeting these requirements with features like zero trust network access (ZTNA) functions, which offer improved visibility and advanced security for users and devices across the network. ZTNA also allows IT teams to prevent device sprawl with a single policy across all edges for consistent security policy.
A Secure WAN Edge: The connections utilized through SD-WAN are highly dynamic, requiring the solution to monitor and make adjustments as factors like bandwidth and packet loss make it necessary to modify for consistent user experiences. When security is applied as an overlay, it simply isn’t as adaptable. IT teams should look for SD-WAN solutions with a security-driven networking approach that delivers security as a unified system. While a variety of delivery methods are used, the priority is a consistent security stack that provides the same threat protection for outbound and inbound traffic, all managed within a single console.
Cloud On-Ramping: When a business uses a hybrid or multi-cloud environment, the SD-WAN solution must address challenges that occur to, in, and between cloud connectivity. This ensures security and performance consistency, while simplifying cloud on-ramping through fast, secure connectivity.
SD-WAN for the LAN: Branch locations require security and connectivity that extend beyond the edge of the branch office. The solution should extend functions into the branch network to support effective and secure connectivity across the local area network (LAN). Teams can use SD-Branch and SD-WAN together to combine WAN, LAN, WLAN and security in a unified approach.
Whether you’re evaluating your current SD-WAN technology for a potential update or considering SD-WAN solutions for the first time, we are here to assist you in assessing your needs and evaluating options. Contact us at Cloud Source for help in leveraging the best networking upgrade to support your digital transformation strategy.