SD-WAN vendor search: 10 important considerations

The SD-WAN market is growing rapidly: forecasts predict that it will reach a volume of 4.6 billion US dollars by 2023. This growth has also led to the emergence of a complex SD-WAN provider landscape. This poses a challenge for companies: How do they make the right choice when deciding on an SD-WAN provider?

Below we have listed the ten most important considerations your company should take into account when choosing an SD-WAN provider:

1. managed SD-WAN or do it yourself

One of the first decisions a company has to make when switching to SD-WAN is whether it wants a do-it-yourself approach or a managed offering. The biggest advantage of a fully managed SD-WAN solution is that it places fewer demands on employees. The provider then takes over all tasks relating to the operation of the SD-WAN solution. The advantage of a do-it-yourself solution is its flexibility. Desired changes or extensions can be implemented immediately by internal employees. There is no need to wait until the provider has time to implement the requested changes.

2. performance

Choosing the right SD-WAN provider depends to a large extent on the performance they can offer. A good provider will improve the performance of your key applications, such as O365 or Salesforce, resulting in significant productivity benefits. A good SD-WAN provider will constantly monitor traffic to identify and implement opportunities for improvement. In addition to performance monitoring, a good SD-WAN provider also offers optimized connectivity to SaaS solutions. Such SD-WAN gateways always guarantee the best route to the desired SaaS provider and thus ensure increased performance.

3. know-how

SD-WAN is still a new technology. A company should therefore look for a provider that already has a high level of expertise and experience in this area. It should be ensured that the provider not only has the technical know-how, but also understands what a company expects from the SD-WAN solution today and, above all, in the future.

4. safety

With the ever-increasing threats to network security – from malware to DDoS attacks – a strong security framework is an essential part of any SD-WAN solution. It is important to ensure that a provider can integrate tools such as next-generation firewalls, anti-malware, etc. to provide the necessary safeguards to protect your network from the likely threats not only today, but in the future.

5. a growth plan

When selecting an SD-WAN provider, pay attention to whether they are able to fulfill growth plans. An SD-WAN provider must therefore be able to integrate functions and new technologies into its solution.

6 An end-to-end solution

When selecting an SD-WAN provider, it is important to check that they also provide the underlay network that underpins the SD-WAN infrastructure. Whether it is MPLS, Direct Internet Access or wireless broadband, the physical underlay network is ultimately responsible for the transmission of data packets across your network. SD-WAN providers should be able to manage at least the underlay if the full potential of SD-WAN is to be realized.

7. partnerships ecosystem

As the SD-WAN market has grown, so has the number of solutions and applications that can be integrated into it. From security tools to cloud-based SaaS applications, the best SD-WAN vendors have a rich ecosystem of partners that can be integrated into the SD-WAN solution.

8. focus on innovation

SD-WAN technology will continue to evolve in the coming years. The best providers are those who are prepared for the future and have the answers to future requirements with regard to new digital challenges.

9. global reach

SD-WAN orchestration and management will probably be done remotely in most cases. However, if on-site support is required, it is of course helpful to work with a vendor that has the capability or a partner network that can provide fast and competent on-site service. No matter where in the world.

10. costs

SD-WAN offers a number of cost benefits by making legacy hardware obsolete and helping to significantly reduce capital expenditure. However, SD-WAN costs vary from vendor to vendor, so you should carefully factor this into your IT budget.

If you’re looking for an SD-WAN provider to meet your needs, contact Savecall today.