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Network Infrastructure Magazine | Tuesday, March 16, 2021
SD WANs are critical to the successful migration of unified communications and contact center applications of enterprises to the cloud.
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FREMONT, CA: SD-WAN is emerging as an alternative and marks the starting of a shift away from this legacy way of doing things. For many enterprises, it is a giant leap forward in network infrastructure. SD WANs provide an entirely new means of managing a network across several locations. They are not reliant on hardware and can dynamically load balance across many links to avoid the backhauling that still plagues many conventional networks today. This functionality enables organizations to replace MPLS with an Internet-based option that can save money and boost employee productivity.
[vendor_logo_first]As significant as all of that functionality sounds, nothing is perfect, and there many disadvantages associated with SD WANs. In most instances, they only offer an advantage when accessing cloud-based applications. They do not offer any on-site security functionality. SD WANs are a DIY operation—meaning that the IT department is responsible for planning, implementation, design, and maintenance. This means it is vital to have staff who can develop and maintain this solution. Otherwise, firms could be looking at a hefty price tag for bringing in help if something goes wrong.
SD WANs are not immune to slow performance. It is seamless to connect to the cloud, but packet loss is still possible once you’re there. This is one area where firms will require carefully weighing the advantages and drawbacks, especially if firms are part of a digital business.
In determining whether or not to deploy an SD-WAN for the organization, firms need to consider where the employees are located and their requirements. They work mostly in the cloud, and they need to access on-site data. The company has the resources needed to build and maintain an SD-WAN. An SD-WAN benefits can be great, but only if firms have the requirements and the resources to support one.
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