Does your business need managed SD-WAN services?

Around 92% of businesses are expected to adopt a software-defined wide area network by 2026. If you are not yet one of them, it is likely only a matter of time. Many business leaders, though, are not sure whether managed SD-WAN or a DIY solution would be best for their company.

Unmanaged SD-WAN can offer significant cost savings compared with managed services, especially in hybrid MPLS environments. A managed service, on the other hand, is less operationally complex. While an estimated 77% of organizations prefer a fully managed or co-managed solution, yours does not necessarily fit into that percentage. The right option depends on your needs and expertise.

What managed SD-WAN is

With managed SD-WAN, a third-party managed service provider maintains your SD-WAN infrastructure. That typically includes networking hardware and software, controllers and routers, configuring and optimizing the network, monitoring for and resolving issues, and delivering regular reports on performance.

The trade-off is that pricing tends to be higher than unmanaged SD-WAN. It is especially useful for businesses without the internal IT resources to effectively manage their network, freeing the internal team to focus on other critical activities.

SD-WAN as a service compared with managed SD-WAN

SD-WAN-as-a-Service is a cloud-based model encompassing hardware, software, and network management for a monthly fee. The difference is control: with SDWaaS, a business does not retain control of the underlying infrastructure, which can limit customization.

Understanding the costs

Evaluating a solution requires more than looking at vendor pricing. You must also account for total cost of ownership, which encompasses hardware, software, and maintenance. Other factors that influence cost include number of sites, bandwidth requirements, network size, security needs, and scalability requirements. Pricing models vary, with some providers offering subscription-based service and others delivering licensing options.

Choosing the right solution

Network architecture

Options include hub-and-spoke, mesh, and hybrid configurations, as well as specialized deployments like multi-VRF.

Security

For secure communication and connectivity, providers may offer firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and encryption capabilities.

Scalability requirements

Choose a solution that fulfills your current resource demands while also growing with your needs.

Management and monitoring

Look for real-time visibility, analytics, traffic shaping, and centralized control.

Service-level agreements

Prioritize vendors with generous SLAs, as these are more likely to provide reliable connectivity.

The pros

Expertise

Experts configure, manage, and monitor your solution, freeing internal resources to focus on tasks that grow the business.

Cost savings

Managed SD-WAN tends to cost less overall than traditional MPLS. Pricing is predictable, taking the form of a monthly subscription with no upfront hardware costs, and troubleshooting and maintenance are handled by the provider.

Scalability

Scale up or down to meet changing needs without significant investment or changes to the network infrastructure.

Security

Your provider can protect network services and data through intrusion detection and prevention, firewalls, and VPNs.

Performance

Optimized performance, reduced latency, improved application response times, and increased uptime.

The trade-offs

Loss of control

You retain more control than with SDWaaS, but you still relinquish some to your provider.

Vendor lock-in

Your business may end up tied to a single provider, which can make it difficult to switch in the event of poor service or a price increase.

Limited customization

Managed services may offer fewer customization options, as the provider typically manages configuration and policies.

Reliance on the provider

You depend on your provider for network management, which is a concern if they frequently experience downtime or reliability issues.

The modern IT challenges it solves

Traditional WANs can be complex and difficult to manage, especially for multi-location businesses. Distributed enterprises are also increasingly dependent on cloud services and remote working models, making reliable and secure connectivity essential. SD-WAN offers a way for remote workers to securely connect to corporate resources over the internet without impacting performance, and it simplifies management by consolidating multiple connections into a single platform.

Network security

SD-WAN offers enhanced security features such as firewalls, intrusion detection, and encryption. But as with any connected technology, there is risk of unauthorized access and data breaches. Businesses should regularly update their security and employ both multi-factor authentication and encryption, and integrating with next-generation firewalls and intrusion prevention systems provides additional layers of protection.

Global connectivity

Global SD-WAN connectivity enables businesses to connect multiple locations worldwide using a single, unified network. Leveraging internet-based connections such as broadband and 4G/LTE provides a cost-effective and flexible way to enable remote collaboration, and measures such as WAN optimization and intelligent routing address latency and packet loss.

The tools and services on offer

WAN management protocols

Enable a provider to remotely oversee the network in real time, covering performance management, automatic configuration, and software management.

Policy rules

Manage traffic and optimize performance through routing, ensuring the applications employees need always receive the necessary bandwidth.

Public cloud support

Connect your network to AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud for everything from application development to database hosting.

Centralized management

A management console for handling policies, configurations, and performance across all locations.

WAN optimization

Improves application performance and reduces latency through bandwidth aggregation and elastic scaling.

Managed connectivity

An end-to-end solution including broadband internet, 4G/LTE, and private connections as needed.

Managed CPE

The provider installs, configures, and maintains your network equipment, including routers, switches, and firewalls.

Analytics and reporting

Insights into traffic patterns, application performance, and user behavior.

Modern networking environments are increasingly complex. Managed services leverage the expertise and resources of a provider to optimize performance, reduce costs, adapt to changing needs, enhance productivity, and deliver a better experience to end users.