Network upgrade with SASE & SD-WAN

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype and excitement surrounding new technologies. However, some of the promised benefits of network infrastructure have not materialized, leaving technology buyers confused, disillusioned and sometimes feeling ripped off. Their ultimate concern is whether they are exposed to increased business risk from an underperforming infrastructure.

Change is inevitable. The increasing use of the cloud and the ability to work from anywhere with almost any device have challenged traditional network and security architectures. Organizations need an adaptable and robust strategy for connecting and securing widely distributed networks that incorporates appropriate technologies to achieve business goals.

Finally, your network infrastructure roadmap should replace inefficient technologies with strong and adaptable systems that increase productivity and user experience in a secure environment.

Functional infrastructure

The IT infrastructure has become the digital nervous system of your company. By building flexibility and scalability, your organization can gain an edge by quickly adapting to market demands. However, many senior executives feel they are regretting the purchase and need help navigating the plethora of information and offerings on the market.

SD-WAN, for example, has been touted as the hero of network management, offering lower costs, greater efficiency, zero-touch provisioning and higher security. However, while many first-generation SD-WAN implementations have improved existing networks, they have not lived up to expectations.

Some first-generation SD-WAN solutions have limitations in features and network visibility, making it difficult to fully optimize network performance or achieve specific business objectives. When SD-WAN solutions come from different vendors, interoperability issues can also arise, making troubleshooting more difficult.

The configuration and optimization of SD-WAN deployments can also be difficult and complex, especially for large distributed networks. If the underlying network infrastructure is not robust enough to support the increased traffic and bandwidth requirements, it will not meet performance expectations.

To meet the long-term needs of your business, you need a next-generation SD-WAN offering that provides a high degree of automation, e.g. for moves, adds and changes. Cloud management platforms are also important because they provide a consolidated overview of all cloud resources and allow you to monitor performance in real time.

Focus on security

In addition, the new hybrid, cloud-driven working environment has expanded the threat landscape even further. Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) promises to improve enterprise security. It is designed to deliver converged network and security-as-a-service capabilities to provide users with consistent and secure access to resources.

That sounds great, but buyers should be warned. Not all SASE solutions are created equal in terms of security, access and application performance. You need to choose the solution with the components that work best for your organization. It’s also important that each element of the SASE solution works seamlessly with the rest of your integrated network strategy, otherwise there can be significant interoperability issues.

In addition, well-designed single-vendor offerings, converged networks and security capabilities for connecting distributed users are growing rapidly. This leaves technology buyers with three options for SASE adoption – a single vendor solution, a vendor duo (one for network services and one for security services) or a managed SASE solution. However, a trusted partner is essential if you’re thinking about migrating an existing overlay network or developing a network to securely connect your most remote sites. They can help you deploy SD-WAN and SASE while seamlessly managing your network and security.

The key role of the underlay

If you get your SD-WAN and SASE strategies right, you’ll be well on your way to greater performance, security, flexibility, scalability and control over enterprise network requirements. But the story doesn’t end there.

Organizations often focus only on the overlay, the virtual network that manages traffic and improves cloud connectivity. Executives may wonder what mismatch they were sold without a high-performance underlay network and why they are not getting the performance they expected. Suboptimal underlay issues include suboptimal latency, congestion and outages that result in underperforming business applications and unnecessarily increase business risk.

SD-WAN is an overlay network that still depends on a high-quality physical underlay network to fulfill its promises. Organizations have been using a mix of MPLS and Internet to meet their connectivity needs. However, many want to abandon MPLS due to its price and rigidity. Instead, they are opting for an Internet connectivity underlay for their next-generation SD-WAN because they are comfortable with its agility, flexibility and affordability.

However, do not be misled into thinking that all Internet services are the same. Internet service providers (ISPs) can be very different. While SD-WAN selects the optimal route for a given traffic based on configuration and policy, performance is only as good as the routes provided.

Get rid of the headache of buying technology

SD-WAN and SASE can improve network performance, security and simplicity. But despite having access to more information and choice than ever before, enterprise customers often regret their purchasing decisions. To avoid this, working with technology partners who give you confidence in your purchasing decisions from the outset is key to minimizing risk.

I look forward to your questions!

Frank Frommknecht

Key Account Consultant