Since this blog was published in June 2022, VMware announced another improvement for remote workers: The new software-based VMware SD-WAN Client. The VMware SD-WAN Client will provide a simple, secure, and high-performance remote access service that follows the principles of zero trust to securely connect remote workers’ endpoints and mobile devices without hardware edges. Read our blog or download the solution overview to learn more.
Dear Craig,
Many of our U.S.-based employees who work from home cannot consistently access critical apps from home, where broadband performance is unreliable. Our IT team thinks SD-WAN can help, but deploying it all over the world to implement the solution is not cost-effective. Can you suggest a better way?
-A Reader
Dear Reader,
We helped a customer with a similar problem about two years ago. In the wake of COVID-19, MD Anderson — the world’s leading comprehensive cancer treatment and research center — protected more than 1,000 employees by relocating them to remote home offices across the U.S. The move sparked rapid change. Hundreds of doctors could now provide telemedicine via the company’s network.
Their doctors were also power users, who needed to access resources and large files securely and reliably — including bandwidth-hungry X-ray images — within the company’s data center. This created challenges as their home Internet lacked the necessary encryption and throughput.
In response, MD Anderson turned to VMware SD-WAN™, which ensured their satellite employees received secure and improved connectivity to critical apps.
How did they get connected? After receiving VMware SD-WAN Edge 510 devices, each employee easily self-installed their devices within minutes through zero-touch provisioning. This automatically linked them to a cloud-based central management tool, the VMware SASE Orchestrator, which, in turn, connected them to MD Anderson’s network — providing the same experience remotely as they would at corporate headquarters. Additionally, the Orchestrator helped network managers visualize individual activated Edges and troubleshoot issues from MD Anderson’s headquarters with tremendous agility — largely eliminating the need for IT staff to travel.
As a result, hundreds of physicians, radiologists, and staff workers across the country received reliable and secure connectivity to collaborate seamlessly, ensuring patients received fantastic virtual care then and in the future.
Have a SASE question? Email Craig at[email protected]. Craig can’t respond to questions directly, but your topic could be considered for a future blog. For VMware SASE questions, comments, and inquiries, contact VMware SASE.
Learn more
Want a closer look at VMware SD-WAN? Check out its web page.
