SD-WAN: Finally a WAN for the Rest of Us! | Info-Tech Research Group

The network has more and more nodes, many of which are not within your direct control.
MPLS is slow to provision and expensive to consume if it’s even available where it’s needed.
User traffic is more and more destined NOT to the DC but rather to public cloud services – why then am I backhauling everything to that data center?
Security policies and objectives have been inextricably linked to the technology used to enact them – this is binding us to an old and outmoded way of doing things.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

SD-WAN is your gateway to full SDN and NFV functionality. NSX has been doing it deep in the data center, SD-WAN proves its viability at the branch. Software-defined networking and network function virtualization are the future of both centralized and distributed IT operations. It is time to embrace them and learn some new skills.
Branch internet access is not only necessary but also viable! Why mess with complex QoS polices on expensive backhaul links when the traffic is destined to go elsewhere anyways? Sufficient controls can now be consistently implemented remotely to allow diverse and redundant local internet breakout.

Impact and Result

Improve network performance service levels. Leverage commodity circuits to provide better performance and reliability than MPLS.
Increase agility. With the ability to push policy and control to anywhere an internet connection can be procured (including broadband, 4G, and even space internet), you can now do business … pretty much everywhere!
Build a proof-of-concept/demo plan that accurately predicts value in your real world. Rather than focusing on vendors’ shiny marchitecture, craft a reasonable value hypothesis that is specific to your organization.

SD-WAN: Finally a WAN for the Rest of Us! Research & Tools

Start here – read the Executive Brief

Read our concise Executive Brief to find out if you have problems that SD-WAN might be able to solve or SD-WAN vendors might try to convince you they can solve.

SD-WAN: Finally a WAN for the Rest of Us! – Executive Brief

1. Check that vendor hype at the door!

“Good” doesn’t always mean “good for you." Technology should support your goals, not the vendors’.

2. Build a purchase strategy

Buying stuff is easy; what else do I need to do that they aren’t telling me?

Member Testimonials

After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.

Client

Experience

Impact

$ Saved

Days Saved

Testimonial

Clyde & Co LLP

Guided Implementation

10/10

N/A

N/A

Very helpful discussion about technical direction

Alabama Department of Corrections

Guided Implementation

9/10

N/A

10

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Guided Implementation

7/10

N/A

N/A

Fred was knowledgeable about Networking but the Utility industry is very specific in how we conduct business and are regulated.

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Table of Contents

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Author

John Annand

Contributors

Rupert Penzinger, Vice President, Information Technology, SIM Group
Four anonymous contributors

Search Code: 95515
Last Revised: November 30, 2020

TAGS:

Network, modernization, WAN, telco, management, monitoring, internet, distributed, branch office

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