For a lot of people out there, the software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN) is a communications tool more than anything else, adept at keeping multiple offices connected. The truth, however, is that the SD-WAN is a lot more than a system for basic connectivity. In fact, SD-WAN features branch into some areas that you might not expect.
SD-WAN Features Available Besides Connectivity
SD-WAN features only start with connectivity. Some of the best features are also some of the least-often considered.
Security systems. SD-WAN features can include a depth of protective systems that help keep businesses safe online. With real-time monitoring of cloud-based attacks as well as honeypot systems designed to lure in potential attackers to gather information, SD-WAN features can include active protection as well as preventative measures.
Compliance help. Work with Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards? Under the effects of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)? If you’re in an industry with a regulatory burden, SD-WAN systems not only acknowledge these requirements, but can help you meet them too in terms of security and data transfer.
Improved application use. Some SD-WAN offerings include traffic shaping. This allows the system to prioritize certain kinds of output and allow for that to go out first, reducing delay and improving performance. After all, no one really notices if it takes email a minute to arrive at its destination, but everyone notices if a video conference cuts out for a minute.
Streamlined maintenance. Maintenance with an SD-WAN is going to be smoother than most anything you’ve encountered so far. Not only will you get a single dashboard for all the locations involved in your network, thus allowing you to watch the whole thing from one display, but you’ll also get several diagnostic features. WAN load testing, jitter tracking, latency tracking, power supply monitoring, and more all add up to give you vital network insight.
Proactive issue prevention. SD-WAN will help prevent many common problems from even showing up. Content filtering for websites allows SD-WAN to tackle problems before they appear by blocking compromised, virus-riddled, or just plain malicious websites from activating. Dual WAN failover and 4G wireless backup can help keep the system alive even when the main network shuts down.
Have SD-WAN Features Got Your Attention?
If SD-WAN features have you thinking about bringing in SD-WAN operations, you’ll need the right kind of provider with a great range of features available. Not all SD-WAN systems are created equal, so for a great range of SD-WAN features, get in touch with us at SimpleWAN. Our SD-WAN 2.0 system has many of the best features end users can put to work, so just drop us a line to get started.
