SD-WAN: How To Spot the Pros From the Cons

When it comes to complex, inter-dependent and mission-critical enterprise communications, the thing many organisations wish for is simplicity. 

But there’s a saying: be careful what you wish for. 

Just a few short years ago, SD-WAN was the innovation that was set to transform the operations of many multi-site organisations by simplifying their network architecture. 

The dream promised frictionless management of network configuration and policies; applications running better because they’re always taking the best path through the network, and minimal IT costs thanks to the reduced complexity of hardware management. 

The touted simplicity tempted enterprise organisations to consider reducing their managed network services to the level of a simple broadband connection, whilst taking internal ownership of overlay network management. 

Today, however, the reality of SD-WAN is considerably different. 

As with all technical advancements, it comes with both advantages and disadvantages. 

If the implementation and integration are not handled correctly, it can introduce unforeseen complexity where simplicity is the intended outcome. 

The Waking Reality of SD-WAN Implementation

“The original hype around SD-WAN was that it was a panacea that could cure the common cold,” says Richard Thomas, founder and CEO of UK Service Assurance experts Highlight, whose clever solution tames that new and increasing complexity. 

“However, snags and catches have emerged which have changed people’s views. Despite delivering on some fronts, SD-WAN actually introduces new issues and challenges into an enterprise. 

“Yes, the self-service nature of SD-WAN means there appears to be no need for a Managed Service Provider; yes, prioritised routing equals increased efficiency; and yes, it can be deployed across cheap broadband and cellular networks. 

“But – and it’s a big but – enterprise organisations attempting to self-manage SD-WAN networks are finding they not only own their network management, but they also end up owning a set of problems that they struggle to solve in-house; they can suffer performance issues because the cheap networks prove unreliable. 

“That’s because SD-WAN is not a stand-alone tool, it is totally dependent on the way it interacts with underlying networks.” 

Self-management of a network may be inviting but it is not a long-term solution. 

Many SD-WAN solutions may be easy to deploy but do they work efficiently? 

Does the enterprise know what their critical applications are and what performance they need?  

Success Through Visibility and Integration

Highlight’s innovative yet affordable cloud-based service assurance platform provides an organisation with ‘single pane of glass’ visibility across an entire network. 

This includes SD-WAN components as well as the vital networks on which the SD-WAN relies – making it easy to see performance, flag issues, and deploy a proactive fix before they escalate. 

Because it is cloud-based, the Highlight platform can be scaled up or down dependent on an organisation’s network size. 

And, once it has harvested and interpreted the data, it is able to configure and display the results in customised, organised and accessible dashboard views aligned to the varied requirements of different areas of an organisation. 

“We are all working in a very challenging and ever-evolving environment, trying to interpret and manage performance effectively,” says Thomas.  

“Traditional monitoring tools require specialised technical skills and extensive setup time to provide readily understandable data. 

“The Highlight platform’s single user interface simplifies all of that complexity and delivers the right data to the right people at the right time.” 

Instead of attempting to go it alone and trying to self-manage SD-WAN technology on top of the underlying networks supplied by Managed Service Providers, most enterprise organisations will benefit from working with a provider that offers an SD-WAN solution that is well-integrated within their complete network packages. 

Leaving an expert partner to watch over the tech enables an organisation to focus fully on its core business, especially if that partner can provide transparent and readily understandable visibility of network performance via a platform like Highlight. 

For the MSPs themselves, Highlight’s functionality surely represents an opportunity to broaden their offering in a way that delivers extra margin AND a richer customer relationship. 

Who wouldn’t wish for that..? 

• Coming soon: SD-WAN and MSPs – Why Highlight is the new star of the service wrap