Virtualization has revolutionized the data center, and now it’s time to revolutionize the network. Central to the networking revolution is software-defined networking, which allows network administrators to virtualize their networking hardware and bring added agility and cost savings. Although networking of all types can benefit from SDN, one area ripe for adoption is the wide area network. SD-WAN can enable businesses to harness virtualization and reap the benefits not only of improved agility and cost, but also other massive benefits and savings.
1) Transport Options
SD-WAN gives organizations true transport independence. Since the WAN is virtualized, it can take advantage of any transport protocol that is needed. This includes 3G, 4G LTE, MPLS, Internet, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi. Total transport flexibility gives your organization the ability to adapt to any number of technical requirements and save money when making the change.
2) Improved Security
Unlike traditional WAN solutions, which handle security through multiple appliances at each branch office, SD-WAN can include all these functions in a box and at lower cost. SD-WAN can also integrate with a cloud web content filtering serviceand offer malware defenses, plus botnet command-and-control intervention for every branch and remote devices. You can rest at ease knowing your data is safe and sound under the SD-WAN umbrella.
3) Intelligent Pathway Control
One of the most important advantages of SD-WAN is that it can provide intelligent path control that steers traffic based on application. This traffic-forwarding capability can be set in place at the centralized controller level and then pushed out to all SD-WAN devices. Policies can be based on IP addresses, application profiles, port number, quality-of-service markings, time of day, or any other number of variables. Giving your network this level of traffic freedom means that outages and throttling will be reduced dramatically.
4) Automatic Provisioning
Deploying WAN systems is yesterday’s technology. SD-WAN enables businesses to send SD-WAN devices to branches un-configured. The device can then download its policy, crypto certificate and keys and automatically start learning traffic patterns. Consequently, provisioning is dramatically easier with SD-WAN.
These are just some of the benefits of SD-WAN, but there are many more. Virtualization is a revolutionary technology, and WAN networking is no exception.
To learn how SD-WAN could impact your organization, schedule a consultation with P2CM today by emailing us at sales@p2cm.com or calling (703) 939-8240!