5 Advantages of Fully Managed SD-WAN for Businesses

The SD-WAN market is expected to reach a net worth of $6 billion in 2020. The number of businesses adopting the service continues to grow because of the many benefits it provides.

Installing a fully managed SD-WAN is one of the best things you can do for your business, especially if it has a large network with high data loads. Its unique features improve security and performance and make life easier for your IT staff. Best of all, these returns require a very low investment.

Intelligent Routing and Path Selection 

One of the most critical and beneficial features of a fully managed SD-WAN is its ability to regulate how and where your data gets transferred. Rather than using the same connection for every process, it prioritizes certain traffic and signals. It does this through two processes known as path selection and intelligent routing.

These features come standard in fully managed SD-WAN solutions and ensure that you always send your traffic through the best possible channel. This leads to fewer lost connections, faster transfers, and reduced connection costs.

Improved Performance and Security

Two of the most critical considerations you must keep in mind before choosing a network are how well it will run and how secure the data you send through it will be. A fully managed SD-WAN is one of the most reliable and secure options available today, which makes it the best.

The worldwide cost of cybercrime damage is expected to reach $6 trillion by 2021. Fully managed SD-WAN solutions always include end-to-end encryption, keeping your business safe from an attack.

Another benefit of a fully managed SD-WAN solution is boosted application performance. Intelligent routing and path selection work together with other important processes to ensure your connection is fast and smooth.

Research shows that approximately 25% of network downtime results from configuration errors, an issue eliminated by a fully managed SD-WAN. This performance improvement alone is a major benefit for any business. 

Easier Staffing

Businesses are often concerned with reducing staff costs in an effort to increase profits. A fully managed SD-WAN solution allows them to do this without sacrificing quality. 

The key word in the phrase fully managed SD-WAN is managed. These services both simplify and handle important network tasks. Examples include routing traffic and preventing cyberattacks.

Fully managed SD-WAN solutions are great for supporting IT networks already in place at your business. They lessen the burden of managing and policing the network and its traffic. They may also decrease the amount of IT staff a business must hire.

It’s also not necessary to hire a professional to install a new connection or add an additional component to the network. The process is easy, and your provider will often handle it for you. This further reduces the amount you’ll have to spend paying people to maintain the network.

A fully managed SD-WAN solution will improve employee satisfaction as well as customer satisfaction. They’ll be less likely to get frustrated by a poorly performing system. This increase in morale will allow your business to maintain its best employees and enable them to work more effectively.

Variety of Scalable Fully Managed SD-WAN Options

Businesses need options that give them choices they can customize to fit their needs. They also need something scalable that can change as they grow. A fully managed SD-WAN provides both of these advantages.

You can choose any connectivity method you prefer when using a fully managed SD-WAN service, including MPLS and 4G. This means that you won’t have to learn a new type of connection or forsake one you’ve grown accustomed to. You can simply adapt a fully managed SD-WAN to what your business already has.

There are also several different types of SD-WAN equipment to choose from. You could opt for an on-premise, controller-based, or gateway-based solution. They all provide the same cost reductions and improvements in performance and security, but one may suit the needs of an individual business better than another. 

There are other types and options as well, and it’s important to choose the right one. Check here for tips on deciding which fully managed SD-WAN solution is best for your business.

Lower Costs and Higher Returns

A fully-managed SD-WAN solution is an efficient, effective, and affordable network solution. It allows a business to save money in a variety of ways, leading to higher profits in the end.

One way that a fully managed SD-WAN saves money is by routing traffic to the best and most affordable link. Broadband connections cost anywhere from 95-99% less per megabyte per second than MLPS links. Over time, this adds up to large savings.

As previously mentioned, a fully-managed SD-WAN can also help with reducing staff costs. They reduce the need for IT personnel and can be installed without hiring professionals to do so.

Improved security means less money spent remediating any issues and/or attacks. Improved performance means a better customer experience, encouraging them to become repeat buyers.

While they require ongoing investment, the business benefits these networks provide are also long-lasting. Check out our podcast series for more on the benefits of fully managed SD-WAN networks.

Where to Get an SD-WAN

Due to its growing popularity, the number of companies offering fully-managed SD-WAN is growing almost as quickly as the number of businesses seeking their services. 

When a business adopts an SD-WAN, they’ll receive several benefits. They can customize a solution that meets their needs, use essential features like intelligent routing and path selection, and benefit from improved security and performance. They’ll also be better able to manage IT issues and the staff that regulate them.

It’s important to choose your SD-WAN provider carefully. They’re not all created equal, and you may not get a network that meets your needs if you choose the wrong one.

We offer a variety of network and cloud options for businesses of all sizes and types. Check out our SD-WAN solutions and contact us today for more information.