CV_JulAug_22

often deployed in the same data centers as major SaaS applications, optimizing traffic from end to end.” There is still some reliance on the public internet in this set-up, but if an internet circuit drops down and the enterprise uses a secondary internet line, SD-WAN will re-route their cloud applications onto that secondary line, without losing the current session. In turn, this method of delivering SD-WAN is ideal for organizations that are reliant on a lot of cloud and SaaS applications within a given region or country. “Choose this option if you want to mesh sites with your existing firewall while migrating into the cloud,” advised executives at BCM One. “This is also an excellent solution for single-site organizations, fully-cloud operations or organizations with multiple locations that do not need site meshing.” Loosely within this category falls an SD-WAN version whereby the provider (typically a carrier) deploys edge devices in the cloud, “essentially turning them into a gateway- or POP-based SD-WAN solution,” explained Arnstein. This architecture is sometime described as telco-provided or carrier-managed SD-WAN, offering installation and delivery of the connectivity, as well as any appliance, often along with SLAs. Security capabilities may be supplied by a managed SD-WAN service provider based on customer requirements, and the burden of managing the SD-WAN controller, or central management tool, moves from the end user ’s IT department to the provider. SD-WAN as a managed service, instead of buying the appliances from a vendor, tends to cost about 1.9 times more than the DIY approach, according to TeleGeography, but the research firm also found that using an SD-WAN implementation can save organizations 50 percent or more compared to traditional WANs. “This can be a great solution for companies interested in the features of a particular edge-based platform but looking for a gateway/POP solution to optimize SaaS,” Arnstein explained. Added Backbone Whether or not a telco/managed SD-WAN configuration is as robust and reliable as a true “born in the cloud” SD-WAN depends on the specific carrier. In this third type of cloud-plus-backbone SD-WAN architecture, the SD-WAN box connects to a provider’s nearest point of presence (POP), where the traffic is switched to that provider’s private network backbone (similar to an MPLS link). These types of SD-WANs commonly are described as NaaS (network as a service) or POP-based SD-WANs. “POPs serve as a second, multitenant SD-WAN device to help optimize the traffic between the client site and the cloud,” said Arnstein. Redirecting traffic to an SD-WAN provider’s private backbone means reduced levels of latency, jitter and packet loss and increased traffic performance, reliability and security. And similar to the gateway-based architecture, the backbones tend to be straightforwardly connected with the leading cloud app providers, such as Office 365 and AWS, thereby improving the reliability and the overall VIRTUAL REALITIES U.S. Carrier Managed SD-WAN Services Leader Board (YEAR-END 2021) RANK SD-WAN PROVIDERS 1. AT&T 2. Comcast Business 3. Hughes 4. Verizon 5. Lumen 6. Windstream 7. Aryaka CHALLENGER TIER (in alphabetical order): Fusion Connect, MetTel, TPx Ranking based on installed and billable U.S. managed SD-WAN sites at yearend 2021 Source: Vertical Systems Group What are potential barriers that you see to SD-WAN adoption in your organization? (Among global enterprises) Answer Choices 2022 2021 Lack of knowledge or skill sets of internal employees 31% 33% Internal politics 30% 27% Application performance concerns for remote locations globally (most solutions are regional) 29% 36% Will result in increased spending 29% 29% It’s still very new technology 28% 31% Will result in additional complexity 28% 29% Lack of will in IT leadership 27% 30% Lack of SLAs 21% 22% There are no barriers to adoption 10% 9% Other 1% 1% Source: Aryaka SOTW 26 CHANNELV ISION | JULY - AUGUST 2022

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