How small businesses can benefit from SD-WAN

With the growing prominence of the hybrid workforce, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for businesses to maintain full visibility into their networks and ensure proper performance and security for every connected user. More employees are connecting remotely via personal devices, creating new challenges.

This is where a Software-defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) comes in. SD-WAN gives businesses control of their network by reducing complexity and costs while also improving application performance. SD-WAN gives companies increased network visibility, application-level insights and the ability to optimize traffic. On top of that, SD-WAN puts multiple layers of security in place to protect against cyber threats.

There can sometimes be a misconception around concepts like SD-WAN, with many thinking that it’s fitting for only large, multi-branch companies with a large employee headcount. In reality, there are benefits to be gained from SD-WAN for a business of nearly any size.

If that’s the case, then what are the benefits of SD-WAN for small businesses, and is it right for yours?

What is SD-WAN?

An SD-WAN is a virtual WAN that can virtualize and combine together any type of network transport, including:

• Multiprotocol label switching (MPLS)
• Broadband internet
• Cellular
• Satellite

It applies the principles of software-defined networking (SDN) to corporate WANs. Control of the WAN is separated from its underlying network infrastructure. This means the most important management is conducted in software instead of in hardware.

But how does that translate into helping your small business? SD-WAN helps guarantee a reliable connection when it counts, meaning you can avoid dropped VoIP calls, as well as low resolutions when using web and video conferencing. Predictable performance from an SD-WAN can be crucial when taking on remote business meetings or sales pitches.

SD-WAN vs. MPLS for small businesses

There are benefits to both SD-WAN and MPLS WANs, depending on your particular needs. You can choose to use one or both of them.

Because it allows direct use of broadband, SD-WAN allows for more bandwidth. This means upload and download speeds are going to be faster, video conferencing and video streams can come in at higher resolutions with less lag and performance-intensive pages will load in a fraction of the time compared to MPLS.

Price is also a huge factor, especially for small businesses that may have a limited budget. The price range between SD-WAN and MPLS can vary widely. A broadband connection comes with decreased built-in security, but the price tag is much lower and it provides much more bandwidth. SD-WAN can be used to secure this connection while still offering data transport flexibility.

MPLS, on the other hand, is highly secure and reliable right out of the gate, especially for certain types of low-bandwidth traffic flows. But it comes with some notable setbacks. The tradeoff is much less bandwidth for a much larger price tag.

Because of the SD-WAN’s lower price tag and higher flexibility, it may have a wider appeal than MPLS for small businesses, especially since SMBs are less likely than enterprises to have existing MPLS investments. Though it’d be expensive, it’s worth noting that it is possible to incorporate MPLS as part of your SD-WAN, giving you the best of both worlds when it comes to reliability and speed.

Should you choose to go this route, you can keep existing MPLS links for specific traffic but can rely on broadband for accessing bandwidth-heavy apps, such as video conferencing apps or file sharing in the cloud. SD-WAN can direct traffic where you need it to go, circumventing the need to change over your links should you choose to implement it.

Speaking more realistically for small businesses, investing in SD-WAN alone may make more sense given its cost-effectiveness and already solid security. This is especially true if your business has only one location. If you’re working and consistently sharing sensitive data and information between multiple locations, then MPLS may be something to consider.

What SD-WAN can do for your business

Beyond security and traffic optimization, an SD-WAN offers a suite of features that will help you get the most out of your network, such as:

• VoIP Protection - Protects VoIP calls by sending them over the best available connections.
• VPN enhancement - Adds auto-failover and Quality of Service to virtual private networks.
• SaaS performance optimization - Automatically identifies SaaS traffic (e.g., CRM solutions, productivity suites, etc.), and prioritizes those apps.
• Ground-to-cloud architecture - Leverages an on-site router and a dedicated backbone network for cloud traffic.
• Firewall-friendly design - Doesn’t require ripping and replacing existing security architectures, since it is deployed outside the LAN.
• Monitoring and alerts - Every connection is logged, monitored and connected to email alerts.

One of the most important features of an SD-WAN is that it can improve and secure remote connections to your business applications and communications, meaning you never have to worry about you or your employees having a diminished experience when remote.

Prepare your business for the future

Investing in SD-WAN can be a big step in setting up your business for the future. As your business grows, your network can grow with you. When you’re ready to open new branch locations, your WAN will be ready to go when it comes to communication. Your IT team will be able to easily roll out new software and implement network-wide policy and protocol changes as the needs of your company evolve.

All of this happens over a strong, reliable connection that allows your business to thrive in this new hybrid environment.

Whether in the office, at home or on the go, Telesystem helps provide peace of mind to businesses who rely on anytime/anywhere connectivity. Learn more about our SD-WAN services and contact us today to let us know how we can make your business better.