In the past, the only place for the company network was in the office building. The connectivity linking local offices also ran through the head office. Now employees increasingly have to connect to their business applications at other locations, not only in local offices but also, for example, at construction sites, at pop-ups and at home through the WAN (Wide Area Network). Combined with the growing number of applications that consume huge amounts of data, such as artificial intelligence and all kinds of data-heavy cloud applications, this puts a heavy strain on bandwidth. The result can be a significant increase in the costs of data traffic.

Cost savings compared to conventional lines

Another great advantage of SD-WAN is undoubtedly the cost savings. Companies with multiple locations usually work through conventional MPLS lines, where the internet provider can offer certain guarantees about the speed of the connection. However, such an MPLS network is very expensive. Moreover, as a company you then become dependent on a particular internet provider.

Flexible expansion

You also need internet services with SD-WAN, of course, but the advantage is that you can buy them from different providers. This allows you to choose the provider with the best offer for each location. Here, too, you have a lot of flexibility and you can set up a new location quickly and easily in your network.

Independent of internet providers

So with SD-WAN you are independent of your internet provider. You can combine the services of multiple providers, which puts you in a stronger financial position. The technically hybrid nature of the network is not a problem because the management level is separated from the physical network. Your SD-WAN brings everything together virtually in the central software system, allowing you to still manage your network centrally in a uniform way.

Security tailored to any location

You can also adjust other aspects optimally for each location yourself. For example, you can provide a firewall for each branch. This way, you have more control over security than with MPLS, where the firewall is usually shared with other companies at the network level. Setting the network security for each location individually also increases efficiency. You can even decide which websites you want to block for each branch.

Calling in an external expert

Do you lack the in-house expertise for this complex network management? Then it’s best to call in a specialist who can guarantee optimal management and customised security on your behalf. You will always be in control through consultation and reporting. Besides the certainty of a high-performance and secure network, you will also have more time to spend on the strategic growth of your business.