Retail. Education. Healthcare. Transportation. What do these sectors have in common? In a word – connectivity!
While they seem unrelated, these industries – actually, every industry today – have something significant in common: Their operations depend on a combination of people and digital capabilities – all connected by a network.
What does this mean for decision-makers? As the pace of digital transformation accelerates, a reliable network is crucial for business continuity.
Modern work-life happens on the go, and in a far-flung range of locations and modalities. You likely have staff on a hybrid schedule, working from home, in the office, and everywhere in between. Some customers are scrolling your page from their smartphones or home desktops, while others enter your brick-and-mortar facilities. Meanwhile, various people in your supply chain regularly log on from the road. Oh, and don’t forget – there’s an app for everything.
In an economy defined by such a widely distributed and mobile-based exchange of goods and services, your network has to function at peak performance. Yet, many don’t. Do any of these network issues sound familiar?
All these factors interrupt business continuity. Organizations can’t deliver consistent quality to their stakeholders without a reliable network. However, there is a way to simplify, improve, and minimize disruptions.
Tired of latency, packet loss, and jitter? A software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) is a transport-independent, modern network architecture. It employs load balancing and link monitoring, so devices can utilize both fixed and wireless connections, with no difference in the quality of connectivity. Those advantages support business continuity not just in the here and now, but for the future.
Despite the many advantages of SD-WAN, many organizations have yet to take advantage of it. In fact, even fewer networking professionals understand or have a definition of SD-WAN. As research and advisory firm Forrester, notes: “Our clients often reference marketing messages from 2017 when the concept emerged.”
Growing businesses might want to take a fresh look at SD-WAN and its benefits. Not only can it help you keep pace with the increasing demands of your day-to-day operations, but it can ensure business continuity. Consider the following advantages.
Another important aspect of resiliency is the ability to keep pace with new use cases and network demands. With SD-WAN, as your organization grows, adapts, and takes advantage of new opportunities, so does your network. As you add new locations, plug-and-play devices can be rapidly shipped and easily deployed by non-technical staff. Further, it’s all customizable, which means you can select the proper transport mode for each new branch, while using one unified application to steer traffic.
In addition, cloud delivery ensures you’re always up to date. As consumer demands shift over time, technology adapts accordingly, and apps are constantly updated. SD-WAN ensures there’s no lag time between the latest iteration and your implementation.
These capabilities empower your organization to achieve a resilient and infinite enterprise. What does that look like? It’s sustainable business continuity paired with a loyal base of thriving stakeholders. Now your organization can meet users wherever they are by bringing the workplace to your employees and your services to your consumers.
When you deliver a consumer-centric experience by providing technology tailored to and evolving with the user’s needs, you demonstrate your commitment to their satisfaction. And, you can take it a step further by enabling the process at scale, so reliability and security become the norm everywhere, for everyone.
In a volatile world, we’re all looking for more stability. When you choose the right technology partner, you can ensure the power is in your hands, and your reach is infinite.
Gain a deeper understanding of how SD-WAN adds up to better business continuity. Download our eBook, The Case for SD-WAN: Optimizing Today’s Digital Network, today.
