SD-WAN changeover: is now the right time?

Why SD-WAN is now a compelling reason

Network stability, security and performance are key to your digital transformation. This is where the software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) comes into play.

As organizations move their workloads and applications to Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers, traditional WAN architectures are limited for this purpose. Many organizations are turning to SD-WAN to support their multicloud ambitions with flexible access options, higher bandwidths, end-to-end security and improved usability. SD-WAN comes in many forms. Choosing the right provider and the right solution is essential to avoid problems with orchestration and compatibility later on.

More than 90 percent of companies state, according to industry surveys, that they want to address the topic of SD-WAN within 24 months in order to adapt their networks to users, be flexible and take advantage of the opportunities in a rapidly developing digital economy. Early SD-WAN deployments focused on savings, as they allowed organizations to balance and distribute budget allocation between MPLS and the more economical broadband connectivity. However, SD-WAN adopters report other significant and potentially transformative benefits. These include more reliable access to business applications, as well as improved multicloud application access, allowing users to access cloud services from anywhere.

How to plan your SD-WAN changeover

SD-WAN is a decisive factor for digital transformation today. Companies should consider the business case for introducing SD-WAN. However, before you begin your SD-WAN transition, we recommend analyzing whether your network strategy aligns with your overall digital business goals. This means that you need to reflect the requirements of the business units and users as well as the IT teams and their security expectations. Security plays a crucial role in enterprise networks and should be an integral part of the SD-WAN design. When selecting potential SD-WAN vendors, it is essential to consider their security capabilities.

A smooth transition to SD-WAN

Converting a network can be time consuming as well as risky and disruptive to business operations. With a pilot project that includes a number of different site types, you can test the impact of SD-WAN on your network sites and applications. The more details you have in the test phase, the more confident you can be in implementing SD-WAN. It also gives you the opportunity to eliminate any problems that may arise before the general rollout.

The network is the backbone of digital business, so migration needs to be as smooth and seamless as possible. But not all SD-WAN solutions are the same. Therefore, it is advisable to evaluate SD-WAN vendors in terms of their product portfolio, deployment models, track record and procurement strategy to ensure they are fit for purpose and support the migration requirements.

Once SD-WAN has been introduced, the work does not stop. Many management areas may fall under your responsibility, depending on the network’s operating model (in-house, third-party or hybrid management). The technology is also very dynamic. To deliver on the promise of greater resilience, agility and flexibility, SD-WAN requires end-to-end monitoring and full lifecycle management to maintain the technical integrity of the solution and improve its performance over time.