SD-WAN (Software-Defined WAN) offers a solution by acting as a centralized control plane to automate, simplify, and optimize network transport for any application to any cloud.
As enterprises increasingly adopt multicloud environments to support distributed workforces, managing secure connectivity becomes more complex and costly.
Are you ready to improve your network management? Read on.
The shift to cloud and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) accelerated during the pandemic to support remote workforces, making multicloud environments standard.Â
Research indicates that 92% of enterprises use more than one public cloud, and 69% utilize over five SaaS applications.Â
This diverse infrastructure often results in increased management complexity and costs, complicating the delivery of secure, consistent user experiences.
Exploring the different networking layers highlights the importance of simplifying IT to connect today’s mobile workforce to business-critical applications.
In the first mile, users access services from offices, campuses, or remote locations using various devices and connections, such as MPLS, broadband, Wi-Fi, and cellular.Â
Remote workers connect via ISPs to concentrators at regional peering points of presence (PoPs).
The middle mile connects the first and last mile and has become more complex with cloud migration. It links various cloud services, applications (e.g., SaaS, IaaS), and data centers.Â
Providers like Equinix and Megaport offer cross-connects between business networks, the internet, and global cloud providers.Â
Public cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure provide multiple connection options with varying quality metrics.
The last mile connects the data center or service provider to the end user’s device and application. Effectively managing this layer is crucial for ensuring a seamless user experience.
Using applications distributed across multiple clouds and SaaS can lead to varied user experiences, including downtime, latency, and speed issues.Â
Ensuring reliable, consistent, high-quality experiences is a top priority for IT managers.
Over half of our survey respondents prioritize integration with cloud providers to enhance connectivity to cloud-based apps from distributed locations.Â
SD-WAN integrations across providers and multiple clouds offer a simpler, consistent, optimized, and secure IT and application experience.
SD-WAN unifies the entire WAN backbone, providing secure, private, cloud-aware connectivity regardless of link types, providers, and geographies.Â
This enables real-time traffic steering based on centralized policy and end-to-end analytics, allowing network administrators to manage traffic proactively.
SD-WAN is foundational to a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architecture, which simplifies security and networking through unified management.Â
By combining SD-WAN infrastructure with a cloud-centric security service edge (SSE) solution, companies can maintain consistent security for both cloud and data center users.
In a multicloud world, SD-WAN (Software-Defined WAN)—with its tight integrations to leading cloud, SaaS, and middle-mile providers—serves as the connective tissue from first mile to last, managing complexity and driving agility across sprawling multicloud environments.Â
SD-WAN’s ability to unify transport connections and policies under one management system for secure, consistent service, coupled with cost savings and optimized routing, makes it an increasingly popular solution for enterprises worldwide.
