Every minute your data spends in transit is a minute your operation isn’t moving. SD-WAN is an emerging technology that can help your oil and gas company optimize production.
Key Points
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- An SD-WAN is a wide-access network that automatically sorts information and optimizes your data management.
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- An SD-WAN will route online traffic in real time, making sure to send traffic to the ideal delivery channel.
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- SD-WANs are a massive development for the oil and gas industry because they optimize the connection between multiple offshore networks.
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- Partnering with a provider of managed SD-WAN solutions is the best way to make your network more efficient, secure, and flexible.
Not Sure If Your Network Can Keep Up?
What is SD-WAN Technology?
Software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) is a technology that enhances the storage, transmission, and delivery of information. An SD-WAN sorts data in real time to optimize your network.
An easy way to understand an SD-WAN is by imagining a 5 lane highway. A network without an SD-WAN may funnel all of its traffic in just one or two lanes, which slows all of the information down. By comparison, an SD-WAN will spread information across all five lanes, with each lane serving a different purpose. For example, the leftmost lane can be for high-priority, secure information that needs to get delivered fast, where the rightmost lane can be for casual, low-priority traffic.
Why an Oil and Gas SD-Wan Is Right for You
Improve Performance
The main reason that companies invest in SD-WAN technology is simple: they boost performance. An SD-WAN cuts down on wasted time because you won’t lose time waiting for information to send. An SD-WAN will identify what information needs to be sent quickly and set it on express networks that get it where it needs to be.
An SD-WAN also sets up direct connections between all your locations. This means that your oil platform, offshore network, and distribution centers are all tied together as part of a broader managed IT strategy built for oil and gas operations. An SD-WAN changes the technology landscape by digitizing and streamlining your supply chain.
Most SD-WANs also include data management options that let you configure your network to exact specifications. You can decide:
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- Which applications are sending out high priority data
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- What information needs to be sent on secure networks
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- Where information needs to be sent
Once you set the parameters, SD-WANs handle the rest.
Boost Security
Cyberattacks get more elaborate every year, which is why more oil and gas companies pair SD-WAN with managed security services built for industrial environments. An SD-WAN’s automated properties can protect your oil and gas company from cyberattacks. Where a traditional system manually sorts sensitive data, an SD-WAN keeps your private data secure by automatically isolating it. This closes off many of the common cyber threats facing the oil and gas industry, since there’s no downtime where your data is vulnerable and no chance it’s accidentally sent over an unsecured network.
An SD-WAN also brings your entire network onto a single interface. A centralized interface helps you better manage and control your network. This organization boosts your network’s defense because a standardized interface creates consistent UX across locations. This means that employees will be comfortable with the software anywhere and also simplifies the training process. Well-trained employees are going to be better equipped to identify threats and vulnerabilities in your network.
Increase Flexibility
An SD-WAN is an extremely convenient model. Its centralization makes adjusting the flow of information simple. Where a traditional WAN will get tangled in a mess of networks and systems, the simplicity of an SD-WAN makes adding or dropping locations easy.
SD-WANs create extremely adaptable, scalable networks. If you want to keep your business ready for anything, invest in an SD-WAN.
Cut Costs
Not only does an SD-WAN increase efficiency, it cuts costs. Where a traditional WAN transmits everything through its own network, SD-WANs leverage low cost, local Internet. An SD-WAN can also provide direct cloud access, which can save big on extensive communication costs.
An IDC survey found that nearly a quarter of respondents anticipate SD-WAN savings of 20 to 39%, with most others expecting more modest gains in the 5 to 19% range. Cut costs in oil and gas with an SD-WAN.
Contact Meriplex for Managed SD-Wan Solutions
Meriplex is the ultimate oil and gas SD-WAN provider. Our managed SD-WAN solutions will optimize your information routing, making your data transmission more efficient and secure. Our SD-WAN service offers:
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- Control and visibility
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- Advanced security protection
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- Operational simplicity
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- Saves money
