New Insights into WAN Transformation
I recently published new research on enterprise wide-area networks (WANs). Every two years I survey hundreds of WAN professionals about the state of their WANs, particularly their use of software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) technology to transform their networks.
You can view a free recording of a webinar I conducted on the highlights of this research here, and you can buy the research here.
However, I also frequently write columns for leading tech publications about key findings from my research. Here is a summary of three columns I wrote about my latest WAN research.
For TechTarget’s SearchNetworking.com, I wrote about how enterprises have embraced managed SD-WAN services, and shifted away from do-it yourself (DIY) SD-WAN implementations.
This column explores why IT organizations have mostly abandoned DIY SD-WAN strategies.
The column also reveals why enterprises have maintained a hybrid SD-WAN operations strategy, despite embracing managed SD-WAN services. Typically, they want to outsource implementation and administration, but they want to maintain some control over monitoring, troubleshooting, and change management.
For Network World, I explored took a deep dive into SD-WAN operations, writing about how native SD-WAN visibility isn’t enough for the majority of IT organizations.
Native network and application performance monitoring is a major selling point for most SD-WAN solutions, but that native visibility does not provide complete insight into these transformed networks.
My research found that vast majority of IT organizations monitor and troubleshoot their SD-WAN implementations with third-party monitoring tools. This third-party approach is especially favored by network engineers and information security professionals, the people who usually receive escalated trouble tickets for complex problems. Frontline network operations technicians and admins, on the other hand, perceived less of a need for third-party tools.
Finally, I conducted this WAN transformation research in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, so I asked survey respondents about how they’re providing network connectivity and services to their surged populations of end users working from home.
For Network Computing, I wrote about how enterprises are changing their WANs to support the mainstreaming of working from home.
My research found that more than 80% of IT organizations believe that SD-WAN can support business continuity during the pandemic. They see an opportunity to deploy it to home offices. They’re also looking at the potential of secure access service edge (SASE), an emerging platform that includes SD-WAN, cloud-based security, and secure remote access technology.
If you’d like to learn more about this and other research I conduct on enterprise networks, feel free to email me at shamus@emausa.com or DM me on twitter at twitter.com/shamusEMA.