As VMworld 2021 rapidly approaches, we’re excited to continue our comprehensive blog series on secure access service edge (SASE), which combines cloud-based SD-WAN and security to power IT teams’ digital transformation journey for addressing business-critical priorities at the edge.
Following last week’s blog on cloud security, here, we’ll focus on cloud networking and how VMware SD-WAN™ can help.
And we’re not stopping there. As our series rolls on each week leading up to VMworld, we’ll focus on how VMware SASE integrates cloud networking and security to affordably deliver the connectivity and performance that distributed workforces require while maintaining tremendous control and visibility across the enterprise infrastructure.
Many IT teams face tremendous pressure to simplify their networks, increase network flexibility, centralize controls and improve application performance. And in the wake of the pandemic, 62% of IT teams reported their IT budgets were reduced, with 71% indicating that just 10% or less of the overall corporate budget was earmarked for IT.
Additionally, IT teams are facing an uphill battle as their archaic WANs face challenges across the board, including complexity, scalability, application performance, architecture, and security.
What’s the alternative? Enter VMware SD-WAN, which delivers next-level enterprise-wide service and enhanced user experience. Many IT teams are turning to SD-WAN for six key reasons:
1. Optimized cloud architecture
VMware SD-WAN empowers IT teams to leverage broadband Internet links to create secure, high-performance connections from the branch to the cloud.
For example, VMware SD-WAN delivers high-performance access to cloud apps and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offerings by connecting branches to clouds through VMware SD-WAN Gateways. These Gateways are hosted by VMware Points of Presence (POPs), positioned closely to target applications.
2. Simplified deployment
SD-WAN solutions are enabled by automation and centralized provisioning that speed deployment and reduce requirements for dedicated personnel across remote sites – delivering maximum business agility.
For example, a VMware SD-WAN rollout begins by deploying a small VMware SD-WAN Edge device at a remote location that connects to larger hub Edge device in the data center. This greatly streamlines site deployment, powering fast and efficient network expansion of new sites.
3. Affordability
As IT teams face reduced budgets, they also must grapple with their outdated WAN, which cannot provide high-quality or affordable solutions that connect company branches to their data center.
Instead, VMware SD-WAN empowers them to rapidly, easily, and cost-effectively launch WAN services to better support branch offices. This reduces spend for onsite IT personnel, eliminates needless truck rolls, and empowers IT teams to select from numerous affordable broadband Internet connectivity options.
4. Visibility and traffic steering
Unfortunately, traditional WANs do not provide IT teams the visibility and control to unify the operational experience.
By harnessing VMware SD-WAN, teams have total visibility of their network, leveraging exhaustive real-time analytics that deliver actionable insights. SD-WAN also helps prioritize traffic with tuning tools and by dynamically altering flows to support changing network conditions.
5. Improved security
The cloud’s expansive reach can make networks vulnerable to security threats. IT teams require a security solution that fully covers the corporate environment, spanning mobile access and the cloud. Additionally, teams must also perform network segmentation when data traffic from different customers and/or business entities must be isolated from each other.
By leveraging VMware SD-WAN, teams leverage the solution’s many built-in security features, including the ability to perform network segmentation. Additionally, it enables them to run third-party security functions as VNFs, which gives them options to minimize their network’s attack surface and reduce breaches. It also cuts costs and empowers them to choose from a variety of security vendors.
6. Quality of experience
To access their apps from anywhere and maximize their quality of experience, end-users need an infrastructure that provides delay-sensitive traffic and reliable connectivity, which current WAN infrastructure cannot deliver.
Conversely, VMware SD-WAN delivers assured application performance over WANs with real-time remediation and traffic steering, ensuring improved quality of experience.
Learn more
- For a closer look at SD-WAN, check out the white paper, Intro to SASE: SD-WAN Networking Foundation here.
- Want to learn even more about SD-WAN? Register now for VMworld, which features almost 70 sessions, panels, hands-on labs, and keynotes related to SASE, cloud networking and the emerging edge.
- Be sure to check out the technical book, “Journey into the World of SASE” to get expert insights on SASE and why it’s important
Stay tuned for next week, where our blog series continues as we explore how enterprises can digitally transform through SASE. See you there!
