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Cloud delivered SD-WAN: 5 Solutions for defeating networking challenges

Businesses in nearly every industry and vertical are turning to software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN) to solve their network challenges. One factor motivating the rush is the growing need to empower remote workforces. But why is SD-WAN the most sought-after solution?

What is cloud-delivered SD-WAN?

SD-WAN technology was created as a result of business applications being migrated to the cloud. Businesses around the globe are familiar with software and services like Office365, and many are adopting cloud computing services like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. More and more disaster recovery and backup services are being managed via the cloud.

Network functions are following the migration of applications to the cloud. This is where cloud-delivered SD-WAN stands out. When companies move network operations to the cloud, they no longer need to manage their communications infrastructures at the local level. The migration also brings improved visibility and unmatched analytical insights.

In the cloud, mission-critical applications can be layered into the cloud-delivered network. SD-WAN is the engine that drives these capabilities, which ultimately leads to better business outcomes by delivering a better experience to customers.

Also read: How to build an effective patch management program

Cloud-delivered SD-WAN software and cloud-based solutions

  • Increase business agility, deliver faster deployments, on-demand bandwidth, and faster disaster recovery.
  • Reduce in-house IT staff burden with automation and cloud management services.
  • Reduce costs by eliminating legacy data center upgrades and redesigns.

Five solutions for remote or hybrid networking challenges

In today’s global business environment, the hybrid and remote networking solutions enabled by cloud-delivered SD-WAN can create a competitive advantage—but only if it’s implemented the right way. Enterprises often run into roadblocks when attempting to adopt a remote/hybrid networking environment. Here are some solutions for overcoming those challenges:

1. Migrate your remote workforce onto the same network.

Businesses of all sizes have struggled over the past year to establish high-functioning remote workforce networks. Due to the chaos of COVID-19, it’s not surprising so many remote workforce initiatives have underperformed. By partnering with a proven service provider like OnX Canada, a variety of remote work and Internet-based connectivity solutions can be put into place using software-based virtualization. The end result is substantially improved connection quality, reliability, and security.

Also read: Collaboration and meeting solutions

2. Enhancing security across remote offices protects your network.

Many enterprises have found their network security unsuitable for the large numbers of employees working from home. An SD-WAN cloud security solution can easily be chained with a cloud security service to deliver consistent protection. This solution prevents external threats like phishers, scammers, bots, and viruses from breaching your network. Reduce the strain on your data center and grant peace of mind to your remote workforce.

3. Empower remote workers while reducing costs.

In a time when operational expenditures are increasing due to the ongoing health crisis, it’s critical to take advantage of cost savings when they appear. Cloud-delivered SD-WAN accomplishes this by simplifying management and enhancing performance. Replace expensive private WAN connections such as multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) with high-performance WANs that use lower-cost Internet access.

SD-WAN improves your enterprise’s bottom line by:

  • Eliminating capital expenditures (CapEx) – the traditional capital investment model in IT infrastructure.
  • Reducing the complexity and high costs associated with building, sourcing, and supporting high-performance and leading-edge technology.
  • Choosing to pay less for an agile, high-performance network.

4. Application cloud migrations.

Today, cloud-based applications are a key component of modern business operations. As a result, network admins are always on the lookout for new methods of ensuring access and increasing bandwidth. A cloud solution that is customized to your unique needs is a game-changer. The key to success is finding a qualified partner to help you migrate critical applications to the cloud without any issues.  

Also read: How to realize maximum benefits from migrating to the cloud

5. Create a more consistent and satisfying customer experience

By embracing centralized, cloud-delivered SD-WAN functionality, you can eliminate the problem of managing disparate networking equipment across multiple locations, create predictable performance, and ensure best-in-class service. At the same time, this frees up organization leadership to focus less on network management and more on long-term strategic initiatives.

How cloud-delivered SD-WAN transforms operational efficiency

SD-WAN’s intelligent controls make it easy to manage public and private network connectivity within secure and reliable wide area networks. Cloud-delivered SD-WAN automatically deploys and maintains these WANs using VPN and other technologies. This allows multiple sites to remain connected and supported.

SD-WAN’s efficiency-boosting features include:

  • Connection remediation with packet-duplication over single Internet links.
  • A connectivity-agnostic architecture capable of integrating public, private, and hybrid (public/private) networks and applications with automatic site-to-site VPN.
  • A centralized, policy-based management portal with Graphical User Interface (GUI).
  • Application enhancement and a high-quality user experience.
  • Dynamic link selection via aggregating multiple Internet connections and choosing the best path for traffic.

Also read: Empower home offices and branches for maximum connectivity with SD-WAN

A complete suite of cloud networking solutions

To support organizations struggling to equip remote workers for success, OnX has developed a suite of networking solutions designed to provide employees with reliable, secure bandwidth regardless of their location or the number of users or devices sharing the network. For decades, OnX has been on a mission to optimize networks, making them more accessible and their users more productive. That mission continues with our latest OnX remote worker bundles, including a Cisco Meraki bundle, VMware SD-WAN bundle, and the VMware SD-WAN + Primsa Access bundle for enhanced security. These predefined remote network bundles are built to get clients up and running quickly in order to meet the challenge for today’s environments that demand flexibility with work-from-anywhere policies.

Click here for more information on how cloud-delivered SD-WAN can modernize your network as well as your threat management strategy