The traditional WAN is not enough: Today’s enterprises need 5G SD-WANs

Fast and efficient communications networks have become increasingly important to businesses across all industry verticals. Long gone are the days when fast internet access was a luxury or bonus item for some offices and a staple for forward-thinking or cyber-oriented enterprises.

The traditional answer to the need to connect multiple business locations over a large geographic area has been the Wide-Area Network (WAN). These networks deliver exceptional speed and reliability across large areas by using dedicated Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) connections. This makes them eminently well-suited to solving enterprise needs for reliable connectivity and substantial bandwidth. Traditional WANs are expensive, requiring costly and specialized routers to move traffic efficiently between branch offices and data centers. Their reliance on physical connectivity greatly limits their flexibility. 

Now, the traditional WAN is outdated. Today’s enterprises don’t just need blazing-fast speed and high bandwidth, but vastly more flexible and cost-effective network connections that allow efficient traffic routing and provide granular control and insight. Traditional WANs can’t provide this, but a Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN) can.

Software-based abstraction adds efficiency and flexibility

An SD-WAN works by layering a virtual network over the physical network infrastructure, which can be managed from a centralized controller.

The controller uses a variety of connection technologies, including MPLS and broadband internet. It directs traffic flow in real time based on the performance of each connection, as well as the bandwidth and traffic routing demands being placed on the network by all applications. This ensures dynamic and seamless routing that maximizes the quality of each connection.

And this digital infrastructure also enables enterprises to leverage cloud architectures, including private, public, and hybrid clouds, which can further enhance the flexibility and cost-efficiency of an SD-WAN infrastructure.

SD-WAN eases deployment and improves connectivity

The benefits of a virtualized SD-WAN network are substantial and wide-ranging. One crucial advantage is that it provides a flexible, centralized management hub from which every branch office and endpoint can be monitored and controlled. With this capability, enterprises can:

• Efficiently route and re-route traffic as needed to optimize network performance
• Manage and update network policies and configurations from one screen
• Identify and prioritize high-bandwidth, real-time applications, such as video calls and conferences
• Effectively troubleshoot as needed with real-time visibility into network activity and performance

With a greatly simplified provisioning process that allows devices to be automatically connected and configured, enterprises can more easily deploy networks as needed, whether they’re expanding to more locations or need to deploy high-quality connectivity at a temporary site.

Deployments are also more cost-efficient with SD-WAN, as it uses less expensive broadband internet connections compared to a traditional WAN. An SD-WAN provides savings on operating costs by optimizing traffic to minimize data usage without affecting performance.

Advanced security capabilities enhance cybersecurity

SD-WANs also provide access to more advanced and effective network security capabilities. Just as today’s enterprises have leveraged more powerful and sophisticated technologies, so too have bad actors. Those technologies are being used by bad actors to breach even the most secure systems. With so much tied up in networks, ensuring the highest level of security is more crucial than ever.

For example, enterprises can build SD-WANs using the latest and greatest security technologies and techniques available, such as zero-trust network access (ZTNA). This approach to security only allows authorized users or devices to access the network, increasing security even through a public internet connection or if a device that would normally be trusted by a network is compromised.

SD-WAN and SASE support deployment and utilization

SD-WANs can also be built to take advantage of technologies like secure access server edge (SASE). This network and security architecture combines SD-WAN and security policies into a single service. It consolidates multiple functions including patch management, intrusion detection, encryption, identity management, access control, edge and cloud gateway, and application security.

This combination of technologies and techniques supports both the deployment and utilization of networks.

SD-WAN-based automation using zero-touch provisioning and orchestration simplifies configuration and speeds up network deployments. Once the network is established, enterprises can use virtual links, cloud services, and network traffic to aid in the creation of a highly scalable network layout.

Once the network is established, SD-WAN and SASE enable secure data collation. This allows multiple branch locations to consolidate their data onto one platform, using virtual links, cloud services, and network traffic to aid in the creation of a highly scalable network layout. With this approach, enterprises can securely connect and protect remote users, as well as on-premises applications and networks, to enable seamless and optimized access to all enterprise resources.

Build your SD-WAN with Inseego’s SD EDGE

Inseego’s cloud-managed Inseego SD EDGE platform combines SD-WAN and SASE to provide a comprehensive solution for managing network traffic and securing data at the network edge.

Inseego SD EDGE enables businesses to manage and monitor their entire distributed network, including remote locations, through a single cloud console. It uses intelligent traffic optimization and routing to dynamically steer network traffic through multiple connections, including MPLS, broadband, and cellular, to ensure optimal performance and uptime.

Advanced security features, such as ZTNA, VPN, secure connectivity, and next-generation firewalls, protect networks and data at the edge, while micro-segmentation capabilities allow for granular control and security for different applications and devices.

Contact us to find out how Inseego can help your business build an SD-WAN for its operations and step securely into the future of the digital enterprise.