In today’s ever-evolving digital landscape, the networking needs of businesses are constantly changing and growing. Organisations today rely heavily on cloud-based applications, remote workforces, and distributed branch offices located up and down the country, or even opposite sides of the world. With the way technology is advancing, the limitations of traditional Wide Area Networks (WANs) are becoming more apparent. Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) has emerged as a new disruptive technology that aims to tackle what traditional WAN can’t do, in turn revolutionising the way businesses connect and manage their networks.
Businesses looking to make informed decisions about their network strategies should know and understand the differences between SD-WAN and traditional WAN architectures. In this blog post, we will be discussing the several differences between SD-WAN and traditional WAN solutions, highlighting the key benefits and addressing the connectivity needs of modern and evolving businesses.
The key differences between traditional WAN and SD-WAN are in terms of network management and optimisation, see below for more information.
Traditional WAN
Below is an outline of what traditional WAN solutions offer
Hardware-Centric: Significantly depends on specialised hardware appliances for connectivity and routing.
Static Configuration: Manual configuration of network policies can take a long time to adjust.
Restricted Flexibility: It can be difficult to scale and adjust to changing network requirements.
Higher Costs: Uses pricey dedicated lines, like Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), frequently.
Centralised Control: handled by a central data centre on average.
SD-WAN
See below for an outline of the benefits of SD-WAN solutions.
Software-Defined: Places a strong emphasis on virtualisation and software-based solutions for network management and control.
Dynamic Configuration: Enables automated, real-time modifications to network regulations in response to parameters like latency and bandwidth.
Scalability: Easily adjusts to evolving needs, allowing for agility and scalability.
Cost Savings: May lessen dependency on pricey dedicated lines by combining several less expensive internet connections.
Centralised Management System: Provides a centralised interface for network configuration and monitoring, giving you more visibility and control.
PCI Certified: Evolve’s SD-WAN solution is Level 1 PCI Certified.
In conclusion, SD-WAN is a more adaptable, economical, and dynamic wide-area networking solution than standard WAN. It makes use of software-defined concepts to lower dependency on pricey hardware, boost agility, and optimise performance.
This is especially helpful as businesses need more and more reliable, secure, and flexible connectivity- especially with cloud services and remote work settings.
For more information about SD-WAN solutions, contact Evolve today.
