Why Is SD-WAN The “New Normal” For Networks?

Short answer: SD-WAN became the new normal because remote work and cloud apps outgrew traditional WANs. It gives more bandwidth at lower cost, lets IT update and manage every site remotely, and uses plug-and-play setup so remote locations can go live without a technician travelling. It also gives real-time visibility into traffic and applications.

Editor’s note: this post was written in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some steps it describes as future ones, such as 5G SD-WAN edges and AI-assisted operations, are now available.

The beginning of 2020 had brought with it a future that none of us had foreseen. Covid-19 slowly made a mark all over the world. Sparing no one. Its effects are seen across every business sector. Leaving every individual clueless, scrambling to survive this sudden change in the situation. In 2021, when this post was written, we were still grappling with its effects. The lockdown imposed across all countries has greatly affected the economies, the livelihood and basic sustenance was a challenge.

The term Business As Usual holds new meaning now. So no matter how many lockdowns are declared, business has to go on irrespective. With the onset of working from home, we have evolved to a working structure which is here to stay, even in a post-pandemic world. This is now the “New Normal”.

Why did SD-WAN become essential during the pandemic?

The pandemic brought with it some challenges, with a visible bottleneck at internet gateways because of the influx of remote users along with performance at the home based broadband. All this made organizations across the globe to re-evaluate their options and seek newer, faster and affordable ways to improve performance and efficacy. It’ll be interesting to see the lasting effects the pandemic has in terms of accelerating digital transformation and changing networking models globally. One of the dominant changes which is here to stay is SD-WAN. In turn, making a digital transformation, but remotely, the next big thing.

Technology is evolving to serve security-driven networking needs in a pandemic/ post-pandemic world. With cloud dominating the scene now, it comes as a saving grace for businesses to function. While many are still in the process of figuring things out, SD-WAN is already making a mark with its flexibility which is making working remotely much easier, by providing greater coverage while being cost-effective.

SD-WAN is a key piece of digital transformation, thanks to its agility, efficiency and adaptable operations. There has been an increase in the need for SD-WAN services during this pandemic. A relatively new-age technology, SD-WAN has been garnering quite some attention for a few years now. And for good reasons too. With the onset of Covid, flexibility and tighter security for data protection are a few of the most important aspects of the SD-WAN picture. With the growing need for remote access to applications, SD-WAN has been providing affordable and easy to apply solutions to all these needs. It supports large enterprises and is accessible to smaller businesses as well. Shifting the focus to rapidly deploy solutions that are reliable and sustainable for the long run. These offerings aim to improve the user experience by quickly adopting and deploying cloud services. The increase in the upstream of video, voice and SaaS applications consumption is a two-way interaction taking place from home in this situation.

For many organizations in the APAC region, with remote locations, it can be tough to travel, especially at short notice. This is where SD-WAN comes to play. With the plug & play model, it becomes extremely easier to gather data from these secluded locations, without the need to physically travel of a technician. With the ability to access real-time visibility into network traffic and applications providing key insights and trends, in turn, driving business leaders to make smarter decisions.

Why opt for SD-WAN?

In recent years, SD-WAN has gradually made its way to the top, as it plays a crucial role in networking. However, what are some of the reasons for anyone to opt for it?

• SD-WAN serves as a cheaper and much more useful mode of communication in today’s modern workplaces.
• With security being a driving force, all updates are quick and easy over different channels. Giving more bandwidth at a lower cost.
• SD-WAN solutions provide answers across vast areas, including remote connectivity, multi-cloud performance management, efficiency, security and automation to name a few.
• SD-WAN – an expert in delivering remote services. It helps bring various locations together where a physical connection is absent.
• Offering a single click solution for updates in all remote locations.
• Along with providing an added layer of security.

SD-WAN now plays a major role in 5G, with 5G SD-WAN edges such as Nexapp’s IRX100-5G, and AI is being built in too, for example through Nexapp’s NexParth AI assistant. This is a good time to take advantage of SD-WAN, as the world is not going to return to business as usual as we know it. But will keep evolving.

Switching to SD-WAN can be one of the most important changes for an organization as a whole. With a reliable, efficient and flexible approach, SD-WAN paves the way for a more secure future.

Related: SD-WAN vs MPLS cost in India, Nexapp SD-WAN Enterprise and replace MPLS with SD-WAN.

Frequently asked questions

Why are businesses moving to SD-WAN?

SD-WAN delivers more bandwidth at lower cost than traditional WANs, supports cloud and remote access, and lets IT manage and update all sites centrally.

Is SD-WAN cheaper than MPLS?

SD-WAN can use lower-cost broadband and cellular links alongside or instead of MPLS, which usually lowers WAN costs. Actual savings depend on the number of sites and links.

Is SD-WAN suitable for small businesses?

Yes. SD-WAN is used by smaller businesses as well as large enterprises, because plug-and-play setup and central management reduce the need for IT staff on site.

How does SD-WAN help manage remote sites?

SD-WAN routers can be deployed plug-and-play, updated with one click from a central console, and monitored in real time, so technicians rarely need to travel.

See Nexapp SD-WAN Enterprise to find out more about how SD-WAN is changing networking across business sectors.