Is SD-WAN right for your Dallas business?
SD-WAN makes sense once you’re managing multiple locations, remote employees, or cloud-based applications that a traditional WAN struggles to keep up with. It’s a bigger fit for growing, distributed businesses than for a single office with simple, static needs.
Not sure if SD-WAN fits how your business actually runs?
Seamless connectivity is crucial for any business in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with multiple locations. Add remote employees and cloud-based applications, and it is time to consider switching from a traditional WAN to a Dallas SD-WAN network solution.
What is SD-WAN?
In short, a software defined wide area network is an approach to intelligent connectivity that improves application performance. In addition, operating as a virtual architecture allows small businesses to leverage and manage their networks securely.
Deployment ensures that the applications in your business have consistent performance and resiliency. In addition, by using a centralized way to steer traffic, you can improve the overall user experience.
As a result, your Dallas business can see increased productivity, customer satisfaction, agility and reduced IT costs.
A Game-Changer for Businesses
More Dallas businesses are adopting software-as-a-service (SaaS) and infrastructure-as-a-service (Iaas) for cloud-based applications. With this comes poor user application experiences because wide area networks cannot handle the increased traffic.
That traffic causes unpredictability in performance, creates complex management issues and exposes critical assets to security threats. Therefore, creating a more efficient bandwidth on the network is a game-changer.
Instead of managing traffic through physical routers, businesses take advantage of a software overlay that can expand with growth.
Implementation Benefits
Traditionally, WAN architecture needed on-site data centers to connect users across multiple platforms anytime and anywhere. However, in this new technology era, the cloud hosts most applications through SaaS and IaaS.
Operating within this new business model drives the need for you also to have a new network model. SD-WAN addresses this new approach to intelligent network connectivity with many benefits.
Improved Application Experience
Your business can anticipate a consistently better application experience for employees and customers. This is because all critical enterprise applications are accessible with automated and simplified tasks. As a result, your productivity numbers improve from getting better application performances.
Enhanced Security
Two factors are crucial to selecting a network for your business: (1) how well it runs for your operations and (2) how secure it keeps your data. You get better results for both by implementing this type of network connectivity.
Generally, your business is at a security advantage with:
- Secure web gateways
- Application-aware policies
- Consistent security protocols
Optimized Traffic Routing
The ability to manage data traffic is an essential benefit of using a software-defined wide area network in your business. Through intelligent routing and path selection, traffic gets prioritized without using the same connection for each process.
As a result, your business experiences faster transmissions with fewer connection losses and lower usage of bandwidth.
Centralized Management
With a single, simplified, centralized dashboard, it is easier to manage and configure the network. In addition, policies governing applications are accessible to all users across multiple locations.
Additionally, your team can pull reports at any time to review network performance. This becomes valuable information for bandwidth forecasting and business analytics.
Overcoming Potential Challenges
Digital transformation moves at such a fast pace that keeping up can put a strain on your IT budget. However, the ability to meet increased demands from remote employees and customer expectations puts your business in a stronger position to compete.
SD-WAN is a feature-rich technology solution that addresses these current IT issues. Still, it is vital to recognize how it may present potential challenges while adding value.
Software Vulnerability
Business software has met many threats from hackers, bugs, glitches and errors. Moving to a software-defined comes with a different set of peculiarities and limitations but with more operational flexibility.
Budgeting for Real Cost Reduction
Quantifying expected cost reduction from this type of network connectivity can become complicated. It requires looking beyond the bottom line toward how your business benefits overall.
For instance, choosing a SASE SD-WAN solution can improve work practices efficiency. Unfortunately, user empowerment is not a line item on the company budget. However, it still has an overall positive effect on your business.
Choosing the Right Vendor
As the IT decision-maker for your business, you want to overcome the challenge of partnering with the right vendor. A prolific amount of marketing adds to knowing which vendor does more than offer a cookie-cutter approach to managing your network.
Not only should the vendor offer solutions that match your business needs, but it should also expand services beyond implementation. For example, managed services help ensure streamlined network and application performance.
Get SD-WAN Management Services for Your Dallas Business
At Meriplex, we offer expert implementation and support for intelligent network solutions.
