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SD-WAN: Roadmap for Software-Defined Networking

The enterprise network landscape continues to be reshaped, businesses leveraging cloud-based IT, and the surge is moving clients toward software-defined networking – today more than ever before.

In addition, the rising cost of traditional networking stifles flexibility and efficiency. The costs of replacing obsolete hardware and applications, securing capable IT staff to manage infrastructure, and relying on multiple vendors for deployment and support are no longer a sustainable option.

Our new reality means the future of networking lies in the cloud. As our clients’ on-premises data centers and servers become obsolete we find ourselves deploying more and more sensitive data migrations to the cloud. In conjunction, we’re delivering more cloud-based applications as a service. The applications are scalable and tailored to our clients’ business needs.

The Network is Transforming Before Our Eyes

Our view is that a recent study by Gartner supports the forces that are driving this new network. These forces are based on a need to:

  1. Improve efficiency and flexibility.
  2. Maximize uptime.
  3. Reduce overhead.
  4. Optimize performance.

Traditional networks cannot deliver the agile, cost-effective, and high-performance solutions that hybrid cloud IT architectures can. And as the number of Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile devices connected to enterprise campus networks increase, so do the requirements of the network.

According to the report: “After decades of focusing on network performance and features, future network innovation will target operational simplicity, automation, reliability and flexible business models.”

After decades of sharpening network performance and adding on new features, the future of network innovation will require a strategic focus on:

  1. Operational simplicity
  2. Automation
  3. Reliability
  4. Scalability
  5. Solutions with flexible business models

A Future-Proof Network

Network leaders should focus on solutions that simplify the deployment and operation of the network, using capabilities such as zero-touch configuration, orchestration with APIs, business-policy-based configurations, IBN solutions, automation, and virtualization. Operations also involves how people and processes complement these new capabilities.

Software-Defined Networking: The Solution for Increased Connectivity and Efficiency

OnX Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) powered by VeloCloud, now part of VMware, provides limitless and optimized access across the entire enterprise organization for cloud applications and services. It does this while simplifying implementation and centrally managing all network activity.

OnX SD-WAN delivers:

  • Optimized MPLS connections. SD-WAN can replace MPLS entirely with broadband if desired, or with a secondary, more cost-effective connection.
  • Orchestrated services. SD-WAN orchestrates services among Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), Local Area Networks (LANs), Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications, security systems, and private and public clouds, including clouds hosted on Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS platforms.
  • Optimized usage. SD-WAN lets your IT managers build in rules for applications. They can specify 100 percent uptime for specific applications, and even deliver remediation of packet loss or jitter.
  • Better Quality of Service (QoS). Increase the performance and reliability of branch networks with the centralized, policy-based routing capability of SD-WAN.
  • Successful business outcomes. SD-WAN cuts costs dramatically, improves end-to-end voice and video communication, increases the efficiency of private and public networks, and optimizes hybrid network activity and application-aware routing.

The New Software-Defined Networking Roadmap

Replacing your traditional routers with SD-WAN results in greater network agility, simplicity, and performance. Software-defined networking ensures your enterprise network can support current and future requirements designed and engineered for the demands of IoT, Wi-Fi, and cellular connectivity.

Learn more: How to increase your network’s agility and uptime in, the full report

Gartner, 2019 Strategic Roadmap for Networking, Jonathan Frost, Neil Rickard, 10 April 2019 GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.