In the past, traditional WANs were built using separate hardware components such as routers, switches, and multiplexers. These separate pieces of hardware connected different parts of a company’s network across long distance networks. This was expensive to maintain and upgrade. It also suffered from slow response times when serving applications and services. With the introduction of SD-WAN, businesses are now able to reduce their networking costs and improve performance by introducing software-defined networking technology.
SD-WAN is essentially a virtualized version of a wide area network. With this type of network, the entire network can be managed via software. This includes configuring the network, monitoring it, and executing changes to the network. This provides businesses with more control, flexibility, and scalability for their WAN. The key benefits of SD-WAN include cost savings, improved performance, simplified management, and increased security.
When it comes to cost savings, companies that use SD-WAN can save money by eliminating the need for costly hardware components and extra cabling. Instead of needing to install, maintain, and upgrade physical devices, a company can now run an SD-WAN solution in the cloud or on an existing internet connection. This eliminates the need for expensive hardware and reduces the need for extra cabling. This allows companies to save money and free up staff resources for other tasks.
Another benefit of SD-WAN is improved performance. By running a virtualized network, companies can gain better insight into their networks and increase performance. The virtualized nature of the network allows for better control of traffic and better visibility into individual applications on the network. This allows companies to identify any issues that may be causing slow performance and quickly resolve them.
In addition to cost savings and improved performance, SD-WAN provides businesses with simplified network management. Since all of the management tasks are done through software, businesses can quickly make changes to their network without having to incur additional costs. This allows businesses to quickly deploy new applications and services, scale their networks as needed, and keep their networks secure.
Finally, SD-WAN increases network security. Since all of the networking operations are handled through software, it is easier to detect and respond to threats that may be targeting the network. By detecting threats quickly, businesses can prevent disruptions to their network operations and keep sensitive data safe.
Overall, SD-WAN is a great way for businesses to simplify their networking infrastructure and save on costs. It offers cost savings, improved performance, simplified management, and increased security, making it a great choice for businesses that need to extend their networks over longer distances.
