What Is SD-WAN?
When designing a network to connect central and far-flung offices, IT leaders are increasingly turning to a Software-Defined Wide-Area Network (SD-WAN) overlay. A software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN) is a virtual WAN architecture that's service provider-agnostic. This allows enterprises to leverage any assortment of transport services to securely link to desired applications. The list of transport services includes broadband internet, Multiprotocol Label Switching, and Long-Term Evolution (wireless).
The increasingly popular and flexible SD-WAN architecture provides a network overlay and decouples network software services from hardware-provided WAN links. SD-WAN gives you a wide array of cost-effective and versatile services with which to build and enhance your enterprise network to meet today’s ever-changing business needs.
10 SD-WAN Providers to Consider in 2024
Cisco SD-WAN Services: Catalyst and Meraki
Cisco Catalyst
Catalyst SD-WAN connects any user to any application with integrated capabilities for multicloud, security, predictive operations, and enhanced network visibility. The offering enables you to deliver network connectivity that’s cloud-agnostic, efficient, and simple to manage, lowers operational costs, and increases control and visibility.
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager provides a dashboard designed to simplify network operations. It provides centralized configuration, management, operation, and monitoring.
Catalyst SD-WAN offers integrated security, including full-stack multilayer security capabilities on the premises and in the cloud. This security provides real-time threat protection for branches connecting to multiple SaaS or IaaS clouds, data centers, or the internet, which can accelerate the transition to a SASE-enabled architecture.
Cisco Meraki
Cisco also offers Meraki SD-WAN, which is viewed as extremely user-friendly, from cloud-based network management to its template-based configuration and deployment. The Meraki cloud infrastructure is designed to be very reliable, with data centers providing redundancy to maintain uptime and performance.
A range of additional capabilities enhances the product, for example, endpoint management and integration with security cameras. Meraki SD-WAN provides comprehensive security coverage, including SASE security and additional capabilities that include an array of device management.
Through the cloud platform, Meraki offers tracking of connected devices from any site and through all types of connectivity options.
Fortinet Secure SD-WAN
The security-focused vendor delivers fast, scalable, and flexible Secure SD-WAN on-premises and in the cloud. Fortinet Secure SD-WAN supports cloud-first, security-sensitive, and global enterprises, as well as the hybrid workforce. The vendor’s Secure Networking approach uses one operating system and consolidates SD-WAN, next-generation firewall (NGFW), advanced routing, and ZTNA application gateway functions.
Fortinet Secure SD-WAN is foundational for a transition to SASE and SD-Branch. It enables organizations to protect their investment and simplify operations en route to their journey to a Zero Trust Architecture. Its SASE offering delivers a set of networking and security capabilities, including secure web gateway (SWG), universal zero-trust network access (ZTNA), dual-mode cloud access security, Firewall as a Service, and secure SD-WAN integration.
