A recent report from BCG also found that decisions around digital technologies are increasingly embedded in the core of the business. Part of this includes establishing an agile, flexible and efficient business network that can handle modern business demands, security and 24/7 access to applications or data. The next generation of network infrastructures need to be deployed whilst ensuring that there isn’t a trade-off between security and resiliency, since they are all important requirements in today’s digital marketplace. 

Rise of SD-WAN

With 80% of employees wanting to work from home after the pandemic, enterprise connectivity is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but central to any digital workplace strategy. The tech-savvy workforce demands robust, stable and fast infrastructure that enables them to remain productive and efficient when working from home or the office. These workplaces are also becoming increasingly collaborative, with teams geographically distributed across the country or the globe. With that in mind, the business network must be able to provide remote and cross-border access as we move into our new normal.

However, the traditional centralised Wide Area Networking (WAN) model that once served their needs, is starting to break down. Organisations are increasingly re-examining SD-WAN to modernise their internal infrastructures and enhance their business. SD-WAN stands for Software Defined Wide Area Networking and is used to connect data centres and offices over large distances, allowing them to share data or applications with ease. 

Research from IDC confirmed that SD-WAN continues to be one of the most popular segments of the enterprise network market, with annual revenues set to grow by 30.8% to reach $5.25 billion. One of the key factors for its rise in popularity is that SD-WAN reduces costs, improves the user experience and strengthens connectivity to and from the cloud. Learn more.