Pros and Cons of SD-WAN in Indianapolis

Many companies in Indianapolis, Indiana have heard about software defined wide area network (SD-WAN) technology and wonder whether making the switch is worth it. The market for this technology is rapidly growing because of its reliability and performance. While this technology offers multiple benefits, there are also some disadvantages to implementing SD-WAN. Below is some more information on the pros and cons of SD-WAN in Indianapolis.

What Is Software Defined Wide Area Network Technology?

A software defined wide area network is a technology that utilizes software for the control of services, connectivity, and management between resources in the cloud, distanced offices, and data centers within a company. This technology separates the data and control planes and can be easily deployed with existing routers or virtualized customer premises equipment (vCPE) that simultaneously run software to handle policy, security, and other critical functions.

A key feature of SD-WAN is its ability to simultaneously manage and handle numerous types of connections. This technology is a much more flexible solution for deployment at multiple sites than traditional wide area networks (WAN) since data does not need to be backhauled to an organization’s central location. Since traffic on a software defined wide area network is routed along the most optimal path, the network’s performance is optimized.

Pros and Cons of SD-WAN for Organizations in Indianapolis

In 2022, the market size for software-defined WAN was 3.515 billion. The market is projected to grow to $30.908 billion by 2030. The proliferation of this technology has largely been driven by organizations of all sizes moving from traditional WAN to software-defined WAN as they digitally transform. However, you should understand the pros and cons of deploying software-defined WAN within your Indiana organization before you make the switch.

Pros of Software-Defined Wide Area Networks

Here are some positive aspects of SD-WAN:

1. Strong Return on Investment and Cost Savings

Wide area network costs can be expensive because of the need to purchase and install hardware and infrastructure in each location. With software defined wide area networks, organizations can choose more cost-effective options such as LTE and broadband that can then be bonded. The combination of cost savings on circuits with uptime improvements provides a good return on investment for organizations.

This technology can also be used together with MPLS with broadband connections serving as backups. Remote workers can be provided with small appliances that work like firewalls so that they can enjoy intelligent connectivity using their LTE or home broadband connections with the same degree of monitoring and security as office workers.

2. Performance Optimization

Software-defined wide-area networks improve how existing wide-area networks perform by allowing for the simultaneous use of numerous links and bonding them together. This feature allows a larger traffic pipeline from which the technology will route the traffic through the most optimum link. The technology also routes data based on defined policies.

3. More Reliable

Since software-defined wide-area networks handle multiple connections simultaneously by creating configurations between active links, the system can detect failed links and reroute traffic as necessary. All types of connections can be used at the same time to maximize the capacity of the network.

4. More Secure

A software-defined wide-area network is more secure than a broadband or MPLS network through the creation of encrypted network tunnels. This helps to protect the safety of your sensitive data as it travels across the internet.

5. Simplicity of Management

With software-defined wide-area networks, management functions are centralized, and the network can be administered across the company from one location. This feature allows IT professionals to gain a comprehensive picture of the network and to more accurately forecast needed capacity upgrades. Compliance and security across the network can also be streamlined so that remote offices and workers can be treated with the same protocols as the organization’s primary location.

Cons of Software-Defined Wide Area Networks

Despite the benefits of SD-WAN technology, you should also consider the following drawbacks:

1. Potential for More Work for IT Staff

With a software-defined wide-area network, your IT staff might need to configure and maintain it. This might create more work for your IT staff and network engineers. However, there are managed service providers (MSPs) that can take care of these tasks for you.

2. There Are Potential Alternatives Currently Emerging

There are some alternatives to software-defined wide-area network technology that are currently emerging, including secure access service edge (SASE) that avoids some of the management challenges by being centered in the cloud. Another emerging option is secure service edge (SSE), which consolidates multiple security technologies into one and relies on the cloud more than SD-WAN. It is believed that these different technologies will converge, so your organization should eventually be able to benefit from all three of these technologies at once.

3. Initial Cost

The initial cost of a deployment of SD-WAN can be high in the short term. However, the cost savings from reduced downtime, fewer disruptions, and the ability to avoid new hardware installations at remote sites can quickly make up for it. In the long run, software-defined wide-area network technology should result in cost savings.

Contact Meriplex for Managed SD-WAN Solutions

If you would like to learn more about the pros and cons of SD-WAN for your Indianapolis organization, please contact us for more information.