On-premise to 5G-powered SD-WAN: Adaptability for a Future-Proof Network
Why organizations should prioritize long-term vision over short-term gains to realize SD-WAN benefits.
The advent of Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN) marked a paradigm shift in networking, promising cost savings and enhanced agility. However, maximizing its benefits remains complex for many organizations, writes Etay Maor, senior director of security strategy at Cato Networks.
The shift from traditional WAN to SD-WAN was a huge leap forward in networking. Organizations eagerly embraced the change, gradually reducing their reliance on high-cost, high-maintenance MPLS (multiprotocol label switching) connections and supplementing it with public internet. In their pursuit of cost reduction, many organizations chose to implement SD-WAN independently, simply layering an SD-WAN overlay atop their existing WAN infrastructure.
However, SD-WAN has come a long way since then, evolving with the evolving tech landscape.
SD-WAN’s cost benefits have receded into the background as cloud, SaaS, WFA (work from anywhere), and mobile networking becomes the norm. SD-WAN can be deployed in several flavors tailored to individual businesses’ unique needs and preferences.
Yet, only 38% of IT professionals believe their SD-WAN implementations have been fully successful. The reason? Prioritizing short-term objectives over long-term vision and sacrificing adaptability in favor of speed and perceived convenience.
Choosing the Right Fit: DIY or Managed SD-WAN
Organizations are primarily drawn to the idea of deploying SD-WAN themselves out of fear of losing control over their network infrastructure. They may feel constrained by the limited customization options available in managed services. This is especially true for organizations with strong network engineering teams who believe they can handle DIY implementation. Then, there is this misconception that DIY implementations could be more cost-effective. However, enterprises must realize they can’t achieve performant and reliable connectivity when their SD-WAN overlay simply sits atop legacy infrastructure.
Over the years, managed SD-WAN has seen increasing adoption as organizations have realized that managed SD-WAN providers offer enforceable service-level agreements for uptime and performance, which most ISPs lack. They are a viable alternative for organizations lacking the headcount, resources, and expertise to implement the technology. These organizations can reduce upfront costs and mitigate complexity by opting for managed services. Since managed SD-WAN providers offer dedicated expertise, organizations can also experience greater operational efficiency and cost optimizations.
Besides the delivery model, SD-WAN technology has also evolved from early iterations focused primarily on path optimization and cost savings to sophisticated platforms offering a wide array of features and capabilities, including cloud connectivity and security integrations.
See More: The Power of Network Automation: What You Need to Know
Cloud, SaaS, and Security Integrations
The proliferation of cloud computing and SaaS applications has become a key driver of SD-WAN evolution. Modern SD-WAN solutions must seamlessly integrate with cloud platforms and enable secure, high-performance connectivity between distributed branches, remote users, and cloud services.
However, traditional SD-WAN approaches either rely on backhauling or the public internet for cloud services. SD-WAN needs a global, private networking backbone to meet the growing demand for ubiquitous, high-performance connectivity. As a result, cloud SD-WAN has emerged. Cloud providers with global PoPs (points-of-presence) offer their own SD-WAN service delivered entirely through the cloud and without any need for onsite hardware or appliances.
Traditionally, SD-WAN also lacked robust security measures. Organizations had to integrate security features and solutions from different vendors. Each new solution or appliance came with additional costs and complexity. This led to another iteration in the SD-WAN evolution — secure SD-WAN implementations that integrate security features like firewalls, intrusion prevention, and data loss prevention directly into the SD-WAN solution.
Transition Challenges from SD-WAN to SASE
As networking and cybersecurity needs evolved, Gartner coined the term SASE (secure access service edge) to represent the next breed of SD-WAN. It combines SD-WAN capabilities with a wider range of security services, including zero-trust network access (ZTNA), secure web gateway (SWG), cloud access security broker (CASB), and additional security controls, delivered as a cloud-native service. Having all these capabilities converged behind a single-pane-of-glass view seems promising. However, mistakes made during the initial adoption — the rigidity and legacy constraints of DIY deployments and the complexities of managing point solutions — can collectively hinder a smooth transition to SASE.
This is reflected in the fact that over 30% of IT professionals find it challenging to transition from SD-WAN to SASE despite recognizing its numerous benefits. It underscores the need to establish a flexible and adaptable foundation for SD-WAN. Organizations should thoroughly assess their existing infrastructure, consider additional capabilities, and evaluate the integration potential of their SD-WAN before deploying it. This way, enterprises can establish a networking foundation that remains resilient and adaptable even as existing trends fade and new technologies emerge.
SD-WAN to SASE — What’s Next?
Looking ahead, the evolution of SD-WAN shows no signs of slowing down. With 5.5G just around the corner and 5G-based fixed wireless access finally delivering the bandwidth and performance needed for corporate connectivity, organizations with mature SD-WAN deployments seem to be at an obvious edge. They already have the resilience and flexibility to adopt wireless as their primary WAN connection. It will enable them to maximize cost savings and expand their reach in virtually no time at all.
However, along with immense opportunities, technological advancements also introduce new risks. As quantum computers inch closer to commercialization, efforts to establish quantum-safe networks are gaining momentum. The quest for unbreakable, “quantum-proof” encryption algorithms is ongoing, and quantum networking technologies like Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) hold great promise. They can provide an additional layer of defense for next-gen SD-WANs that handle highly sensitive data transmissions.
Quantum-safe networks are not just a distant fantasy but a pressing need for secure, future-proof communications, particularly for mission-critical use cases like industrial automation and IIoT communications that drive cyber-physical systems (CPS) and have real-world implications. As quantum networking technologies mature, they will become integral to next-generation networking architectures. SD-WAN solutions designed with flexibility and interoperability in mind will be able to integrate quantum networking capabilities as they become commercially viable seamlessly.
Over a decade after its conceptualization, SD-WAN remains highly relevant. It continues to enable resilient, adaptable, and scalable infrastructure to meet complex business needs in today’s rapidly evolving tech and networking landscape. However, organizations must understand its past, embrace its present, and envision its future, moving past the short-sightedness and tunnel vision that favors rapid, unplanned deployments and loosely integrated features that simply can’t evolve with time.
Why is understanding the evolution from SD-WAN to SASE essential? Let us know on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you!
Image Source: Shutterstock
MORE ON SD-WAN & SASE
