Software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) is creating a lot of buzz because as networks become more complex, SD-WAN offers a way to handle the increased congestion that can result from the adoption of cloud technology and Internet of Things (IoT) devices pouring data transmissions through the network. For many enterprises, this solution answers a lot of challenges, but only if the organization can distinguish SD-WAN vendors that are equipped to deploy the service.
There’s a distinct difference between SD-WAN vendors and providers that have built an integrated networking and security solution with code that was written as a cohesive solution and those carriers that attempt to tack SD-WAN onto their other offerings. Here are a few of the reasons why an SD-WAN vendor or provider is superior to choosing a carrier:
Lack of automation: In both business and technology, carriers hinder efficiency related to information management and daily business processes. Changes made for customers often require a legacy, manual approach which can be highly inefficient.
Limited visibility: One of the benefits of SD-WAN is improved visibility into the network for provisioning and troubleshooting. When a variety of vendor products are pasted together by the carrier, visibility is limited and the likelihood of loss-of-service goes up.
Failure to standardize network information: When a carrier handles technology like SD-WAN, there tends to be one employee that knows all the ins and outs of each customer’s network. If a customer’s network needs troubleshooting and that single employee is out of the office, the customer is simply out of luck. An SD-WAN vendor will have a standardized, automated approach that doesn’t require a network cowboy to know how to fix a problem.
Team members working in silos: When carriers tack on SD-WAN, they often take an approach where there are basically three team members, each working in isolation. The architect, provisioner, and troubleshooter each work in their own roles, without enough overlap to streamline the process or give one another insight into the networking approach.
Bespoke network designs: A carrier offering SD-WAN is forced to cobble together products and devices to create the network solution. This results in customized network designs that can be complex, and it gets more complicated as various third-party offerings are added to complete the package.
SD-WAN vendors are particularly equipped to offer this technology because they have built it themselves as a cloud provider. While choosing a cloud solution always requires careful consideration, your decision can be simplified by eliminating carriers from your list of potential partners.
To learn more about SD-WAN and what it can do to solve your network complexity, contact us at SimpleWAN.
