AT&T SD-WAN

AT&T SD-WAN solutions can improve your network's agility
 

How does a business know it is ready to implement SD-WAN?

A Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) gives businesses a flexible, cost-effective network architecture that enables business agility. SD-WAN works by taking a software-based approach to network traffic management to deliver and scale network services and capacity in near real time. This enables distributed users with reliable, fast access to the data and information they need to improve productivity.
  • Banks use SD-WAN to connect tellers and service reps scattered across a vast network of branch locations to critical applications hosted in a central data center.
  • Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) firms use SD-WAN to quickly spin up and deploy worksites in the field so on-site employees can access large CAD files from their mobile devices.
  • Businesses of all shapes and sizes use SD-WAN to provide connectivity to Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms for remote users.
  • Small businesses use SD-WAN to scale their networks in line with business growth.
SD-WAN provides organizations the agility needed to arm key stakeholders with the information to make informed decisions, to respond quickly to dynamic customer and market needs, and to grow intelligently in line with goals and opportunities.

But is SD-WAN right for any business? How do decision-makers know whether the time is right for their business?

This guide will discuss:

 

What is SD-WAN?

Computer motherboard in 3d resembling the city building structureComputer motherboard in 3d resembling the city building structure
AT&T SD-WAN is a software-defined networking solution that moves network traffic management away from on-premise hardware to next-generation software in the cloud.

AT&T SD-WAN uses path selection, WAN aggregation, near real-time performance monitoring, and dynamic routing to improve network performance to dozens or even hundreds of business locations. Organizations can define policies based on business needs and apply them across traffic types, locations, or users from a central management console in the cloud. This level of control allows for optimal delivery paths across any combination of network transport type—providing flexible deployment options and improved total cost of ownership without compromising security. In effect, AT&T SD-WAN defends against “worst case scenarios” in data performance and security.

What does SD-WAN allow a business to do?

AT&T SD-WAN improves performance in a cost-effective manner, giving distributed users seamless, fingertip access to data, large files, and SaaS platforms so they can make quick, informed decisions. With just a few clicks, organizations can add bandwidth and network services for new applications, scale existing applications, throttle down capacity during times of low demand, and quickly expand to new locations.

While the traditional process for upgrading WAN capabilities requires adding equipment, people and expenses, SD-WAN gives businesses the flexibility to expand capacity at individual locations in near real time.

AT&T SD-WAN also makes it easy to scale network capacity in line with business growth. Setting up a new branch office or remote work site can be managed from a central management console in the cloud. Users can establish and configure VPNs, WAN optimization, VoIP, and firewalls to new locations through software without having to procure, ship, configure, and manage hardware.

How does a business know it is ready to implement SD-WAN?

Windmills located in an open areaWindmills located in an open area
Any sized organization can achieve business agility through the benefit gained from AT&T SD-WAN. Here are some questions to consider:
  • Does your business need to connect your employees to applications at any time, from anywhere, from any device, to wherever those applications reside?
  • Does your business use applications and SAAS tools that are hosted in the cloud?
  • Do you need to transfer data quickly and more securely between multiple office locations, regardless of physical distance?
  • Do you need to prioritize bandwidth for more critical business applications such as video conferencing, point of sale terminals, or a CRM platform?
  • Do users complain that their apps run faster from home or the coffee shop down the street than at the office?
  • Does your business need to isolate certain traffic from the rest of your traffic for compliance reasons such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or financial transactions?
  • Do you need to be able to provision application performance, configuration, and security policies for many locations without having to manually program each device?
  • Are you opening a new office or recently acquired an existing office and need to get faster time to revenue by quickly getting the office network provisioned and ready for use?
  • Do you want to reduce your hardware footprint and power consumption?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, SD-WAN could help.

The bottom line

  • SD-WAN gives businesses a flexible, cost-effective network architecture that enables business agility.
  • It does this by improving performance cost-effectively while giving distributed users seamless, fingertip access to data, large files, and SaaS platforms so they can make quick, informed decisions.
  • Any organization that wants to achieve business agility should benefit from AT&T SD-WAN.