Work is rapidly becoming more remote and cloud-based, requiring businesses to adapt to new technologies to manage networks and data while maintaining security. Traditional network setups cannot keep up with today’s expectations of agile and quickly adaptable systems that provide secure network access worldwide regardless of device.
SD-WAN and SASE are improving how businesses can keep up with the networking security and portability the market is demanding. These concepts can be abstract and confusing acronyms, but finding out what they mean and what they can do could benefit your organization.
What Is SD-WAN?
SD-WAN, or software-defined wide-area networking, is managing network connections of separate office locations through software. It’s an upgrade to traditional networks, adding features that keep up with today’s ever-evolving demands.
Traditional WAN, or wide-area networking, wasn’t built for cloud-based computing. It connects users in different locations to servers on the data center that host software applications. Traditional WAN systems use multiprotocol label switching circuits, known as MPLS, which help businesses and service providers offer services over a single network. Traditional WAN systems can be ill-prepared to handle the influx of traffic and increased pressure on management, performance, and security.
SD-WAN expands the ability of WAN to meet today’s needs, allowing software to create secure and private network connections that can be delivered via different links and providers while offering cloud connectivity. SD-WAN brings business infrastructure to one location, allowing automatic rerouting in case of failures and providing global analytical information on the entire enterprise network. SD-WAN also boosts performance while keeping security a top priority.
What Is SASE?
Short for secure access service edge, SASE (pronounced sassy) is a cloud-based cybersecurity framework that provides security and risk management for businesses and remote access for employees. SASE provides security and controlled access to networks housed in the cloud.
With the rapid move to the cloud, SASE adoption is increasing significantly, especially during the last three years. It combines the performance of a WAN with a suite of security features to bring high-performance network access to users in the cloud and mobile environments. Today’s employees, vendors, and other network users demand quick and secure access to needed network locations and software systems. With the influx of users, companies need to make sure user access is secure and carefully managed.
SASE systems combine network connection and security to worldwide users regardless of the method. It extends to all connections, including mobile and physical office locations. Companies can monitor usage, knowing who is on the network and the types of devices individuals use to conduct business. Security policies are easy to apply and ensure users can safely and reliably use the network. SASE saves time and money, cutting the overhead and time required to deploy security measures and making traditional network infrastructure unnecessary.
SASE platforms provide access to several applications for many types of users. The systems are configurable for different locations, users, and devices. Staff members, contractors, and guests can have access to only the areas of the network they need to access. The SASE platform works with on-site and cloud-based systems: on-site data centers, cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) such as Microsoft 365, infrastructure as a service (IaaS) such as Amazon Web Services, and general web access.
How Do SD-WAN and SASE Apply to Midmarket Businesses?
Midsize businesses need to carefully allocate more dollars to expenses such as information technology than larger entities. They don’t have unlimited budgets and need to decide where to focus on technology-related improvements judiciously. SD-WAN and SASE are areas where the benefits can outweigh the expenses for midsized companies.
SD-WAN migrates networks to a software-driven platform, helping midmarket companies improve their network performance, portability, and security. It provides quicker, reliable, flexible, and visible networking.
SASE allows flexible, agile, and scalable networking and cloud security for businesses of all sizes. SASE helps midsize businesses deliver efficient access to networks and applications, improved security, and consistent user experience regardless of device. The systems also offer streamlined management that uses one centralized location that provides visibility into the entire network system and allows companies to manage users, create reports, and analyze data on system usage and performance.
What Are the Benefits of SD-WAN and SASE in the Midmarket?
SD-WAN and SASE provide many vital features that businesses will want to consider when making network upgrades. Like many new technologies, SD-WAN and SASE are scalable and customizable, allowing companies to choose the features and level of service to meet their needs.
SD-WAN has several advantages for companies and end-users:
- Improved experience and availability, with efficient connections that maximize reliability through dynamically routed traffic.
- Higher security through broadband internet connections or via the cloud and easier management of access.
- Seamless connections to cloud-based storage systems such as Amazon Web Services, including an optimized performance for applications such as the Microsoft Office suite.
- Simplified and centralized management and configuration abilities through a single dashboard, including information gathering and report generation to monitor and plan for usage.
- Increased agility through higher performance systems that incorporate software as a service (SaaS).
- Saving money through transport independence with the ability to use various connections to share data.
SASE helps companies and users in many ways as well:
- Simplifies management and reduces costs with a single cloud-based platform that incorporates the SD-WAN and related network systems.
- Improves security through the agile application of security features.
- Creates a window into an organization’s network infrastructure and the best measures to ensure security.
- Provides immediate network access regardless of location and device.
- Combines site-based and cloud-based system access into one manageable platform for locations, users, and devices.
Midsize companies can take advantage of the simplified network and security services offered through SD-WAN and SASE. The systems provide many ways to improve efficiency by centralizing administration and giving users secure and reliable access no matter where they are, who they are, or which device they are using. A company can tailor customizable, scalable systems to meet its needs without paying for unnecessary features. Today’s business market, especially with its quick and secure access requirements regardless of location, demands improved networks.
