Is SD-WAN the right networking solution for your SMB?

You’ve probably been hearing quite a lot over the last few years about the advantages of Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) over traditional WAN solutions like MPLS.

If you haven’t updated your networking to SD-WAN yet, you may be concerned about cost, or worried that SD-WAN - for all its benefits - is something of an overpowered solution for the relatively straightforward networking needs of your SMB.

In this blog, we’ll revisit the advantages of SD-WAN and also introduce Essentials, an SD-WAN solution specially designed for SMBs with simple networking needs. We’ll show that SD-WAN can bring benefits for a complete range of organisations, regardless of size or the sophistication of their digital requirements.

The benefits of SD-WAN

SD-WAN works by decoupling network control from physical hardware. That gives you a smarter, software-driven way to manage your wide area network.

The benefits of that are profound. Think of SD-WAN as a GPS for your network. It dynamically optimises traffic routes, avoids congestion, and adjusts in real time to ensure seamless performance. In addition, SD-WAN offers:

• Simplified management: Centralised control for real-time visibility and adjustments, removing the need for manual configurations.
• Optimised application performance: Intelligent traffic routing ensures critical applications run smoothly, even during peak demand.
• Future-proof networking: Scales effortlessly with your business, supporting IoT, AI, and real-time collaboration tools.
• Resilience and reliability: Multi-path options (MPLS, broadband, 4G/5G, satellite) ensure uninterrupted connectivity and high availability.

In short, SD-WAN creates a more reliable and future-proof network. It scales much more easily than MPLS, is more secure and offers faster access to the cloud.

Why your SMB should consider SD-WAN

These are benefits that no longer simply apply to larger enterprises. Since the pandemic, most businesses have increased their reliance on cloud applications and services, and many have moved permanently to a hybrid working model.

These unpredictable networking conditions are exactly what SD-WAN was created for. It can adjust to new circumstances much more easily than traditional MPLS, and scales seamlessly with your business.

An SD-WAN for SMBs

Nevertheless, SMBs are right to think that the SD-WAN solutions designed for enterprises are likely to include features and functionality they simply don’t need. That means they will be paying for things they’ll never use, wiping out the cost savings that SD-WAN can bring.

Which is exactly why we’ve created SD-WAN Essentials, a game-changing networking solution that is made for smaller businesses. SD-WAN Essentials gives all the networking functionality you need and nothing you don’t, at an affordable cost.

• Get high-quality performance, reduced downtime, and scalable efficiency at predictable cost.
• If you have limited in-house expertise, Zen becomes an extension of your IT team, seamlessly co-managing SD-WAN Essentials on your behalf.
• Essentials is a perfect fit for small networks, connecting up to 50 devices.

On top of that, Essentials gives you all the advantages of sophisticated SD-WAN. It offers advanced security as standard, enterprise-level resilience, advanced analytics and network monitoring, and flexibility with underlay options. It also comes with a range of optional add-ons that you can take or leave on a case by case basis.

Unlock your network’s full potential with Zen

SD-WAN isn’t just a network upgrade - it’s a business enabler. It can empower your organisation to enhance connectivity, reduce costs, and embrace the future with confidence.

With SD-WAN Essentials from Zen, that’s just as true for a local SMB as it is for an international corporation. And by taking SD-WAN from us, you also get our award-winning UK-based support and the reassurance of ISO 27001 compliance. In addition, Essentials has been designed for rapid deployment with minimum disruption.

The fact is, SD-WAN is quickly replacing legacy solutions such as MPLS-based IP VPNs, with the global market expected to reach $13.7 billion by 2027 (from $3.4 billion in 2022). Don’t be left behind. Let Zen transform your network with industry-leading expertise and solutions tailored to your business needs.

Ready to find out more about SD-WAN Essential from Zen? Contact us today.