Can SD-WAN Cloud Replace WAN Optimization Solutions?

At that time, many people simplified the discussion and wondered if SD-WAN could replace the old WAN optimization solution. When analyzing the purpose of each technology, the two technologies are more like a dynamic duo rather than being replaced with each other.

But times are already changing.

As business needs change, SD-WAN and WAN optimization vendors continue to adapt. Currently, there will be free lively pair. Instead, they just merge.

The cloud will change everything.

Recall the simplest era when WAN was just a collection of basic point-to-point links. That was the use case where WAN optimization appeared.

However, WANs have become increasingly complex in recent years. Point-to-point links are stacked on top of each other, replicated, divided into several telephone companies and connected through various management solutions.

The expansion of WAN connectivity has made life more difficult for IT professionals, but the cloud has really changed things.

When the private WAN connection links the remote site and the branch, you have full control. As applications continue to move to the cloud, certain levels of control are lost and another complex layer is added to the WAN.

Cloud-based applications add another point between the original WAN links. Data travels between private networks and public clouds at high speeds, reducing the effectiveness of traditional WAN optimization.

And in addition to the exaggeration surrounding software-defined networks, this is the reason why SD-WAN has become a hot topic. By separating traffic control from WAN hardware, SD-WAN solutions promise to eliminate much of the complexity of the cloud.

This difference is what makes SD-WAN and WAN optimization seem like a dynamic duo. If the two do not work together, there may be a gap between the backbone network of the high-speed network and the performance of cloud-based applications such as Office 365 and Salesforce.

However, for a long time, it is not necessary to select different providers for the optimization of SD-WAN and WAN.

 Merge SD-WAN and WAN optimization

The cloud is not going anywhere. As a result, the optimization providers SD-WAN and WAN are trying to overcome the cloud challenges described here.

Suppliers are beginning to perform SD-WAN and WAN optimization in a single box. This unique WAN solution allows companies to connect remote workers to mission-critical cloud applications and ensure efficiency for network professionals.

This change represents a concrete understanding that the end-user experience of the application, not the performance of the WAN, is really important.

It is not necessary to evaluate individual suppliers for the optimization of SD-WAN and WAN. You need an IT solution that promises to maintain employee productivity and efficiency. And when you hear that these new optimized SD-WAN solutions are "ready for the application," it seems you just got them. However, keep in mind what application recognition really means.

For SD-WAN solutions, knowledge of applications means prioritizing applications across the network. These solutions promise to optimize traffic based on the importance of each application, rather than simply optimizing specific links.

That does not necessarily mean that the solution will tell you the performance of these applications. While knowledge of the application is important, it does not replace the need for visibility through the WAN.