If you’re thinking of improving the functionality of your wide area network (WAN), then a software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) is a perfect way to make that happen.
An SD-WAN is useful for allowing a business to stay connected despite having different physical locations. There are many online applications you might use within your business and all users must be able to access them to work together.
To do this, you can use an SD-WAN to create secure connections between multiple fixed office locations. This gives you the ultimate accessibility and boosts the performance of your network.
Let’s take a look at the benefits of implementing a software-defined WAN so that you can appreciate the impact it will have on your business.
Centralization and Visibility
To begin with, an SD-WAN allows for centralization and visibility.
This is possible because software is connected within an SD-WAN. When all software is accessible from anywhere, it means that you can manage everything in one place.
Being able to manage your software from a centralized location is incredibly helpful. If your business is using several different programs, then managing all of them can be a hassle.
For example, your business may operate multiple websites. If there’s something that you need to change, then individually adjusting each website will take a lot of time and effort.
With an SD-WAN, you can simplify this. You can create templates that apply changes to all of your websites at once.
Network management is much easier when everything is centralized because it also means that you have full visibility of your network. Visibility is essential because it allows you to understand what’s happening and monitor performance.
An SD-WAN simplifies network management by centralizing software or websites and increasing the visibility of network operations.
Efficiency and Performance
Another perk of an SD-WAN is a more efficient network with better performance.
SD-WANs are highly configurable and this allows you to select which processes and network traffic is most important. With this in mind, you can make traffic that is essential for business operations the highest priority in your network.
When this is happening, it allows for the quickest transfer speed and reliability. Additionally, complications with latency and packet loss are eliminated.
What this means for your employees is a seamless working experience. There won’t be any risk of interruption and this means that productivity increases.
An SD-WAN aids user experience and this makes it easier, quicker, and more enjoyable to use network features.
Improved Security
Implementing an SD-WAN will also improve network security.
Stellar cybersecurity is always a challenge, but a critical aspect of keeping your network safe and free from cybercrime.
Data theft and loss can spell disaster for your business and will make it difficult to continue operations. Because of this, anything that improves your network security is a great benefit to have.
An SD-WAN boosts your network security in two primary ways; isolating sectors and encrypting traffic.
Within your network, an SD-WAN will encrypt traffic so that it is not readable if it is improperly accessed. This means that if data theft does occur, it likely won’t be in a comprehensible format.
Furthermore, sections of your network will be separated so that a hacker can’t access everything from one intrusion. They may penetrate a small section of your network, but their access is limited and the damage is mitigated.
Using an SD-WAN will directly increase your network security strength and is one of the best reasons to implement one.
Lower Network Costs
The last advantage of using an SD-WAN is a lower network cost.
One of the biggest challenges with using a network spanning several locations is bandwidth. You may need to purchase additional bandwidth to keep up with your needs, which can quickly get expensive.
An SD-WAN simplifies this by looking for the cheapest bandwidth available to process your traffic. This means using public connections and any resources available that limit your cost.
Additionally, you won’t look for costly infrastructure to support your network. A good SD-WAN will have everything that you need for one price.
The convenience and functionality of an SD-WAN mean less money spent overall, which means a greater budget for other IT projects.
Closing Thoughts
When you’re looking to grow your business, you need to have tools to support your growth and keep your locations connected. You can do this with the help of a software-defined wide area network.
Implementing an SD-WAN will yield your network with many fantastic perks. This includes the centralization of network management and visibility of its processes, greater efficiency and employee performance, improved cybersecurity, and a lower cost to maintain your network.
Take the time to find an SD-WAN solution that works well for your business! While it does come at a cost, your overall savings combined with the other advantages that an SD-WAN offers makes it well worth it.