As interest in Software-Defined Wide-Area Networks (SD-WAN) picks up among companies of all sizes, it’s becoming clear that one of the key drivers for the technology is security. The reason? SD-WAN lets companies deploy strong security features at the network edge and easily apply security policies throughout the network.To read this article in full, please click here
For those of you migrating from MPLS to SD-WAN, here’s a truism that all too often is forgotten: don’t overlook your security architecture.Failure to consider security as part of SD-WAN deployments is a major cause of security breaches. Last year, enterprises with completed SD-WAN implementations were 1.3 times more likely to experience a branch office security breach than those without one, says Shamus McGillicuddy, Research Director at analyst firm Enterprise Management Associates.To read this article in full, please click here
Late last year I moderated a MicroScope roundtable in the UK on the challenges and opportunities of SD-WAN. The representatives included 12 leading SD-WAN vendors, including Michael O’Brien, vice president of worldwide channel sales for Silver Peak. I started off the discussion by introducing a data point from a TechTarget survey (TechTarget owns MicroScope) that only 26 percent of companies surveyed had an SD-WAN deployment underway. This spans any stage of the deployment cycle, including testing. Given the hype around SD-WAN and how many conversations I have with IT leaders about it, this number seemed low to me, so I wanted to get a better feel for what the leading vendors thought about it. To read this article in full, please click here
Success for an NFL franchise involves the cultivation of a variety of core competencies both on and off the field. Recently I had the opportunity to spend time with the Seattle Seahawks organization and I was surprised by the extent to which the team utilizes data and digital tools to drive continuous improvements within their core competencies.But then why should I be surprised? Let’s face it, today, every business is a technology business. The Seahawks are no different. They are, like many other companies, investing in digital technologies to improve the product on the field and the fan experience in the stands.Data literacy is a core competency the Seahawks have added to their business. I won’t give away any trade secrets, but let’s take a high-level look at three ways this core competency creates competitive advantage.To read this article in full, please click here
Deployment flexibility is one of the most interesting aspects of software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) technology. Some solution providers offer total flexibility, while others are quite prescriptive. EMA has studied SD-WAN deployment flexibility and found a wide variety of enterprise strategies in practice today. Individual network teams will have to decide for themselves what works for them. EMA identified several aspects of SD-WAN deployment flexibility that enterprises should consider when selecting a solution. Procurement Flexibility: Selecting Your Solution Provider
First, there is the question of procurement strategy. Like many classes of technology, enterprises have many options for buying and installing SD-WAN technology. EMA found that the most popular approach (34%) is to buy SD-WAN from a WAN service provider or internet service provider. Many network providers offer managed SD-WAN services or simply resell SD-WAN technology.To read this article in full, please click here
Summer is about to end. Time to head back to work, understand next year’s projects and plans, and set your IT infrastructure objectives accordingly. SD-WAN and MPLS transformation are huge trends that cannot be overlooked. How will it impact your existing IT?MPLS transformations can send chills down any IT pro’s spine but these suggested readings will help calm the nerves. They’re a series of clear, concise, and practical manuals divided into lessons on how to migrate from the prehistoric world of MPLS into the light of SD-WAN. Finish all of them and you’ll have an A+ in WAN Transformation 101.To read this article in full, please click here
This is the second of a two-part blog series that explores how enterprise IT leaders can effectively measure the return on SD-WAN investments. In my first installment of this series, I discussed how IT leaders can make a business case for moving from a traditional router-centric architecture to a business-first networking model SD-WAN, like the one delivered by Silver Peak. According to a recent report by IDC[1], the SD-WAN market is poised to reach $5.25 Billion in 2023. The report also predicts the SD-WAN industry to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.8 percent from 2018 to 2023, and that is driving a lot of attention to this new way of deploying WAN infrastructure. CIOs are asking how and why they will use SD-WAN and how they can justify making SD-WAN investments.To read this article in full, please click here
Improved network security is a top business driver of SD-WAN adoption, as a previous blog in this series revealed. However, SD-WAN isn’t necessarily an off-the-shelf panacea for all your network security challenges. While the typical SD-WAN products include some native security capabilities, an enterprise must take an approach that combines native SD-WAN security with integrated, on-premises, and cloud-based security solutions.Some early adopters of SD-WAN have failed to take this comprehensive approach. For instance, EMA’s WAN Transformation research found that enterprises that have completed a production deployment of an SD-WAN solution are 1.3 times more likely than the average enterprise to have experienced a security breach in a remote site over the last year. EMA suspects that these particular enterprises have been oversold on the native security capabilities of their chosen vendors.To read this article in full, please click here
As an IT leader, you’re expected to be the technology vanguard of your organization. It is you who must deflate technology hype and devise the technology plan to keep the organization competitive.Addressing the WAN is, of course, essential to that plan. The high costs and limited agility of legacy MPLS-based networks are well known. What’s less clear is how to transform the enterprise network in a way that will remain agile and efficient for decades to come.Many mistakenly assume SD-WAN to be that transformation. After all, SD-WAN brings agility, scalability, and cost efficiencies lacking in telco-managed MPLS services. But while a critical step, SD-WAN alone is insufficient to address the networking challenges you’re likely to face today — and tomorrow. Here’s why.To read this article in full, please click here
When IT decision-makers research new technologies or products, the opinions of their peers often carry more weight than recommendations by vendors and industry pundits. That’s why Frost & Sullivan is sharing the results of our 2018 SD-WAN survey. The survey provides insights from IT leaders across a range of industries and company sizes about their SD-WAN decisions and deployments.To read this article in full, please click here
This is the part-one of a two-part blog series that will explore the return on investment that can be achieved by deploying a business-driven SD-WAN. In this installment, I will discuss how enterprise IT organizations can make the business case for moving from a traditional router-centric WAN architecture to a business-first networking model with SD-WAN.According to a survey conducted by Frost and Sullivan in 2018[1], 72 percent of respondents considered SD-WAN as a priority for their organization. Only a small percentage, six percent, indicated that they have no intention to deploy SD-WAN in the near term.To read this article in full, please click here
In part 1 of this 3-part series on how to conduct a wide-area network assessment and determine necessary updates, we looked at foundational issues including current challenges and objectives. Part 2 examined considerations around applications and bandwidth. In this third and final installment we’ll look at two issues that are critical for any organization: resiliency and security.To read this article in full, please click here
In part 1 of this 3-part series on how to conduct a wide-area network assessment and prepare for WAN updates, we looked at foundational issues such as current challenges and objectives. In this installment, we’ll examine considerations around applications and bandwidth.As with part 1, my source for information was Mike Lawson, Manager of SD-WAN/NFV Solutions Architecture for CenturyLink. Lawson is in the trenches with network architects and customers every day; as such, he understands the issues that lead companies to upgrade WAN services to newer technologies such as software-defined WAN (SD-WAN).To read this article in full, please click here
The majority of enterprise CIOs are of in the midst of a digital transformation journey, migrating more of their business applications and infrastructure from their own data centers to the cloud. These applications include real-time voice calling, video conferencing, email, storage, CRM, and many other software applications now delivered as a service – “SaaS.” To support digital transformation initiatives and shifting traffic patterns as more applications move to the cloud, 94 percent1 of enterprises are considering, evaluating or have already deployed1 SD-WAN solutions to address evolving WAN requirements. Enterprises are rethinking their WAN approach to better support multi-cloud infrastructures and to actively leverage higher bandwidth (and often lower cost) broadband services to augment existing MPLS transport networks.To read this article in full, please click here
If your wide-area network (WAN) has been with you for many years, it may be time to think about an upgrade, especially given the emergence of technologies such as software-defined WANs (SD-WAN). But rather than just dive in, assuming SD-WAN will be a good fit, it’s helpful to perform an assessment of your current situation and what outcomes you’d like to see out of an upgrade.Making this type of assessment means asking a series of questions, the answers to which may – or may not – lead you toward adopting SD-WAN technology. To learn what sort of questions to ask, I talked with Mike Lawson, Manager of SD-WAN/NFV Solutions Architecture for CenturyLink, a global network provider.Lawson spends his time in the trenches with network architects and customers, accumulating an excellent sense of whether a company is a good candidate for SD-WAN.To read this article in full, please click here
With interest in software-defined wide-area networks (SD-WAN) heating up, companies are facing a key question: can they implement SD-WAN themselves or do they need a service provider to help?It’s a rather loaded question, with many issues to consider if you elect to go the do-it-yourself (DIY) route. In this post, we’ll examine some of the highest hurdles you’ll have to get over if you decide to DIY; paint a picture of what sort of company may be able to tackle an SD-WAN project; and define who will be better off with a managed service.To read this article in full, please click here
If a software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) vendor calls you up and says you need their product because it will help you save money, hang up the phone. Okay, maybe you shouldn’t hang up the phone—but you should at least tell him that he’s selling his product wrong.It’s true that the early conversations about SD-WAN were all about cost savings, and those promised cost savings were to come via replacing MPLS with internet connectivity. To some extent, SD-WAN definitely delivers on this promise. That being said, saving money is not the real business driver for SD-WAN.To read this article in full, please click here
As enterprisesincreasingly focus on improving network performance to support applications and deliver a better customer experience, SD-WAN solutions are in the spotlight. One of the key components of providing ongoing IT support is ensuring that networks have the agility needed to adapt to changing business priorities at speed.In one recent IDG survey, 91% of enterprises that implemented SD-WAN technologies saw an increase in network speed. SD-WAN managed services have come to the forefront as a choice that allows enterprises to capture the benefits of SD-WAN, along with the expertise to make the most of the technology. Solutions offer access to the knowledge needed to design, deploy and manage SD-WAN networks, while letting the enterprise maintain visibility and control as desired.To read this article in full, please click here
Forty seven percent of CEOs say they are being “challenged” by their board of directors to show progress in shifting toward a digital business model according to the Gartner 2018 CIO Agenda Industry Insights Report. By improving IT operations, organizations can progress and even accelerate their digital transformation initiatives efficiently and successfully. The biggest barrier to success is that IT currently spends around 78 percent of their budget and 80 percent of their time just maintaining IT operations, leaving little time and resource left for innovation according to ZK Research*.To read this article in full, please click here
The “Shift Left” concept is all about efficiency and quality. In software development, shifting left means performing testing early and often in the project lifecycle instead of waiting until the end. By discovering and addressing errors and bugs earlier, teams can ultimately deliver a higher quality product, one that is better aligned with addressing customers’ needs.In support, it means shifting requests as close to the customer as possible – which includes offering the ability self-serve. Moving solutions closer to the operational frontline and to the point of the first issue allows customers get answers quicker and organizations to close tickets faster. There are 3 big benefits of taking this approach:To read this article in full, please click here
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