SD-WAN is a software-defined approach to managing the wide-area network, or WAN. It is an evolution of traditional WAN that offers a more agile networking approach for companies.
An SD-WAN uses a centralised control function to apply software-defined policies and business intent to WAN connections to securely and strategically direct traffic. This approach increases application performance, which results in an enhanced user experience, increased business productivity and reduced IT costs.
New business models are driving the need for a different network model.
The modern workforce is increasingly mobile and geographically disperse with business-critical applications increasingly accessed via the cloud. Traditional WAN architectures simply can't keep up, because of lack of available bandwidth, limited security, and increased complexity. And with companies demanding IT agility to quickly respond to market trends and customer demands a new WAN model is required.
At its most basic, SD-WAN provides centralised management, bandwidth management, increased cost control, and enhanced networking visibility. Core benefits include: