The Benefits of Working With a Managed SD-WAN Provider
With enterprise-level SD-WAN demand rising, many organizations rely on managed services to satisfy their needs. Business size usually plays a role in this decision, as smaller and medium-sized businesses often need more technical expertise to deploy and manage their infrastructure.
Choosing a managed service provider offers several benefits that can help improve WAN uptime and minimize management overhead. To ensure your managed SD-WAN solution performs as expected, you should look for a service level agreement (SLA) that guarantees minimum performance levels.
Reduced Risk
Using a managed SD-WAN provider is an effective way to reduce risk and improve productivity. It removes the responsibility of managing your WAN connectivity from your IT team and allows them to focus on strategic initiatives.
Some businesses choose a DIY approach, purchasing hardware from a manufacturer and administering the service using their IT staff. However, this option can be complicated and costly when considering all the equipment costs and time spent installing, maintaining, and monitoring the solution.
Suppose your business has a sizable WAN that requires multiple connections. In that case, you’ll want to find a solution that offers a centralized control function for steering traffic securely and intelligently across the WAN and directly to cloud providers. This can help you optimize the performance and security of your network and avoid downtime and loss of revenue.
In addition, a managed solution can be more cost-effective than a do-it-yourself option as it reduces human error and ensures your data is always protected. It also simplifies and streamlines your network infrastructure management so that you can spend less time tracking issues and more time on higher-value projects.
Managed SD-WAN solutions can offer automated security functions that monitor the health and performance of your WAN and detect security breaches. This can be especially helpful for organizations that deal with sensitive data, such as financial institutions and healthcare companies.
Increased Flexibility
Working with top managed SD-WAN providers gives you more flexibility in your network’s operation. This is a good thing, especially for companies that need to be able to change their networks quickly and easily.
A managed SD-WAN provider can help you to get a new SD-WAN deployed in a matter of days and often with minimal disruption to your business. They can also handle the maintenance and monitoring of your SD-WAN, ensuring your network stays healthy and secure.
Another benefit of working with a managed SD-WAN provider is that they can help improve your network’s performance. This is a fantastic alternative for companies wishing to increase the speed at which their network can transport data and provide content.
For example, getting more bandwidth can be essential if a business uses video streaming or cloud application to conduct its operations. This makes it feasible for your staff to continue working as effectively as possible and to have a better experience.
Similarly, businesses utilizing voice and collaboration tools can be more flexible in using these resources. This can be a good thing, as it can help reduce costs and allow teams to connect easily across different locations.
Enhanced Security
One of the essential benefits of working with a managed SD-WAN provider is that they can offer your business enhanced security features you cannot get by building it yourself. Whether your company is large or small, you need to ensure it can protect your network and data from potential threats.
Most managed SD-WAN solutions offer end-to-end encryption to protect your traffic from being tampered with by malicious actors or hackers. Most also use Internet protocol security (IPSec) or proprietary tunneling protocols to set up secure tunnels between locations.
Some best-managed SD-WAN providers also have built-in firewalls and unified threat management (UTM) features. These are essential for preventing network breaches and malware.
Managed SD-WAN security is more scalable and controlled than in-house solutions, as IT teams can configure it centrally. A company with 10s, 100s, or 1000s employees can quickly scale up its security needs as needed.
Besides, a managed SD-WAN service provider will be able to monitor the system and alert you to any issues as they occur. This makes it much easier to find the root cause of a problem and address it quickly before it can become a more significant issue for your company.
Another important benefit of a managed SD-WAN is that it can be fully automated, reducing the need for staff to do the work manually. This accepts your team to focus on other aspects of the business and prevents burnout.
Enhanced Performance
A managed SD-WAN provider is a good choice for those looking to improve the performance of their network and increase productivity. They can help you reduce the risk of downtime, optimize your network and provide a secure connection for your business.
To make the most of a managed SD-WAN service, you must find a vendor to deliver a customized solution that meets your needs. You must also ask about their experience providing this solution in various environments.
You should also check their Net Promoter Scores, which indicate how well they serve their customers. A high NPS indicates that your managed SD-WAN provider is committed to helping you get the most out of the service.
Managed SD-WAN services are ideal for many businesses because they eliminate the need to implement and maintain your infrastructure. In addition, they are usually supported by service-level agreements (SLAs) that guarantee performance and uptime.
Another benefit of working with a managed SD-WAN provider is that they can simplify your WAN architecture. They can deploy the edge customer premises equipment you need and handle day-to-day operations, routine maintenance, and troubleshooting for you.
Using software to steer traffic securely and intelligently, an SD-WAN enables enterprises to optimize cloud applications for better performance. This reduces latency and packet loss, which improves the quality of service for applications and enhances the overall user experience.