By Rob Kruger, Product Manager, Network Services, TPx
If your business is grappling with the challenges of managing high-cost multilocation networks with inconsistent quality of service (QoS), you’ve likely looked into software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) as a solution. SD-WAN has grown in popularity because it simultaneously lowers network costs, increases performance and adds redundancy, improving competitiveness, productivity, scalability and profitability for growing connected businesses.
What is SD-WAN?
SD-WAN takes a cloud-based approach to wide area network (WAN) management. By separating network management from the hardware, SD-WAN can leverage multiple connection types (e.g., wireless, broadband, MPLS, etc.) to prioritize and route traffic. As a result, SD-WAN helps your business achieve high QoS, network redundancy and diversity – all using lower-cost broadband connections.
What are the benefits of SD-WAN?
SD-WAN offers your business a range of benefits, including:
Significant cost savings – SD-WAN enables your business to right-size circuits and reduce overall IT costs using IP-based broadband connections. Cloud-based management also lessens hardware costs and shortens deployment time and expenses.
Improved performance and reliability – SD-WAN dynamically routes traffic across the most optimal path based on application, network conditions and performance objectives. As a result, SD-WAN enhances application performance and network reliability while minimizing downtime.
Increased bandwidth availability – SD-WAN’s ability to prioritize traffic based on QoS demands can optimize network performance and maximize available bandwidth.
Redundancy and continuity – SD-WAN’s ability to manage multiple connection types provides instant failover protection. When a primary connection fails, traffic is routed over secondary links.
Centralized management – SD-WAN provides centralized control over your network’s critical functions and visibility into peak traffic, bottlenecks and security.
Enhanced security – SD-WAN solutions often include advanced security features like encryption, firewall, intrusion detection and prevention, and secure web gateways. SD-WAN centralizes security policy management, ensuring consistent security across your network, including branch offices and remote locations.
Simple scalability – SD-WAN solutions scale more easily than traditional WAN configurations.
Increased productivity – With higher network availability and fewer network issues, your employees experience less application lag and can more easily communicate and collaborate.
SD-WAN to the rescue
Read the case study about how TPx and VMware transformed a large medical group’s network and, by extension, its business with a centralized, reliable and scalable SD-WAN solution.
Why use managed SD-WAN?
Managed SD-WAN maximizes the inherent benefits of SD-WAN by offering your business access to:
Expertise –A best-in-class managed service provider (MSP) delivers instant access to network management professionals versed in SD-WAN planning, deployment and ongoing management. Access to this expertise is vital to making SD-WAN work, especially for companies that lack in-house networking professionals. For those that do have on-staff IT, offloading SD-WAN management frees up high-value internal IT teams to focus on strategic revenue-generating initiatives.
Experience –A seasoned MSP has extensive knowledge and experience in deploying, configuring and optimizing SD-WAN solutions. By leveraging the MSP’s experience, you can ensure your SD-WAN implementation is done correctly and efficiently.
24/7 monitoring and support – Around-the-clock monitoring and support for your SD-WAN networks is critical, but it can be expensive to handle in-house. Partnering with an MSP offers dedicated teams that proactively monitor your network, identify potential issues, and take appropriate actions to prevent or minimize disruptions. In case of any problems, your MSP can provide timely support and troubleshooting, ensuring high network availability.
Faster deployment and time-to-value – The right MSP will have streamlined processes and well-defined methodologies for SD-WAN deployment. They can help your business accelerate the implementation process by reducing deployment timelines and minimizing disruptions to ongoing operations. As a result, you can quickly realize the benefits of SD-WAN and achieve a faster time-to-value.
Ongoing maintenance and upgrades – SD-WAN solutions require regular maintenance and updates to ensure optimal performance and security. An MSP can handle these routine tasks, freeing internal IT resources to focus on core activities.
Cost benefits – An MSP offers instant economies of scale through access to its infrastructure, tools and resources. Working through an MSP can reduce your company’s upfront investment costs and ongoing operational expenses associated with managing SD-WAN in-house.
Guaranteed SLAs – A managed SD-WAN provider also can engineer solutions backed by service level agreements (SLAs), ensuring high network performance and reliability.
Multilayer security – SD-WAN typically provides encryption and firewall features, but working with the right managed SD-WAN provider can deliver integrated managed security services to your critical infrastructure.
Managed SD-WAN from VMware and TPx
VMware partners with TPx, a leading national managed service provider, to deliver SD-WAN. TPx currently has more than 20,000 VMware-powered locations currently under management. What’s more, TPx enables inbound internet failover by owning and operating VMware gateways on its private telecommunications backbone.
![[Guest Post] Cashing in on Connectivity: How the First National Bank of Long Island Used SD-WAN to Enable Modern Banking](https://blogs.vmware.com/sase/files/2023/05/bankofLI_3-150x110.jpg "[Guest Post] Cashing in on Connectivity: How the First National Bank of Long Island Used SD-WAN to Enable Modern Banking")
