For most businesses, switching their network technology can be a burden to take on. Therefore, many questions arise in regards to switching to SD-WAN. Is it worth it? Will it save us money? What are the benefits of switching? With Internet connection being an essential part of a business's operations, poor quality connections will not only affect browsing but will negatively impact the entire system of operation, causing a reduction in profitability and revenue over time. With speedy industry shifts in technology and more businesses transitioning to the cloud, a legacy infrastructure may no longer be the most efficient network setup for your company. 

What is SD-WAN?

SD-WAN, also known as software-defined wide area network, is the newest capability in the world of WAN. It's networking capabilities can be applied as a virtual overlay to a company’s current WAN connection, which would typically be MPLS-based today. An SD-WAN architecture can connect your branches and data centers, optimizing network performance, for about one-third of the cost of using solely MPLS. 

Why are Companies Switching to SD-WAN?

SD-WAN is an excellent system for businesses looking to gain the greatest IT efficiencies possible, and with this technology gaining more traction, the benefits of SD-WAN will only continue to grow. For a more detailed explanation, here are a few benefits of SD-WAN technology: 

• Transport Flexibility: SD-WAN offers businesses greater independence and flexibility in their data transport methods. This virtualized WAN allows companies to take advantage of any transport protocol, including 3G 4G LTE, MPLS, Internet, Ethernet, Serial, WI-FI and more.
• Greater Security: Unlike traditional WAN solutions that handle security on a branch-by-branch basis, SD-WAN can include universal security functions. At each level, SD-WAN can integrate cloud web content filtering, malware defenses, and intervention protocols, resulting in more robust security while decreasing the cost to the user.
• Intelligent Control: Possibly the most critical advantage of SD-WAN is its smart pathway control. This control system steers traffic based on the application being used and can be set by a centralized controller to be implemented at all locations. Even better, each site can have its own traffic control protocol, with different protocols for specific IP addresses, application profiles, port numbers, quality-of-service markings or even time of day.

If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of switching to SD-WAN or need help identifying the best system for your business, Communications Deployment Partners can help. Discover the best tool or combination of tools by working directly with us and putting our years of experience in the IT field to work. We have helped many businesses just like yours find the best solutions for their company and discover the benefits of SD-WAN. Contact us today to learn more!