SD-WAN technology has been around since the early 2000s. One of the many reasons it remains popular is because it enables companies to create higher-performance wide area networks at a reduced cost. The point of the technology is to permit enterprises of all sizes to extend their networks to accommodate virtual employees as well as global office expansion. SD-WAN even assists in connecting data centers and delivering fast yet reliable services that empower businesses to function at a higher level.
This includes video conferencing, video streaming, and virtualized applications delivered through UCaaS and SaaS models, both popular in the land of UC. Along with a boost to these components, setup is also simple via SD-WAN. For all its benefits, there remain a few barriers to entry for enterprises that embrace SD-WAN.
IT pros don't feel they have what it takes
A recent market trends survey by Masergy highlights security and ‘skills gaps' as top obstacles and major drivers of why enterprises aren't deploying SD-WAN technology more rapidly.
This isn’t the first time Masergy’s conducted this kind of survey. They did the same in 2017, in cooperation with IDG Research where the duo also analyzed responses from IT decision makers across several industries. Its most recent survey is no different and found that 50 percent of the challenge in deploying WAN is security, with 81 percent of companies using it as a guiding factor when selecting SD-WAN.
Nearly 50 percent of respondents felt they didn’t have the necessary skills to deploy SD-WAN although concerns regarding interoperability with existing WANs were less prevalent than discovered in 2017, according to the updated survey. Masergy CEO, James Parker, said:
