SD-WAN offers enterprises fast, reliable connectivity at reduced cost, but that doesn’t mean it’s one size fits all.

We can all agree a fast, reliable and, yes, affordable, Internet solution is key for every business, big or small. In today’s rapidly evolving WFH environment, there’s also a need for enterprises to embrace cloud-based services and technologies that allow for increased productivity, improved communication and growth. This is where traditional wide-area networks (WANs) usually fail to meet the increased demand. That is, until software-defined wide area networks (SD-WANs) came along.

The big buzz

So, you’re a small business owner and you’ve heard all about the networking miracle that is SD-WAN, but every time you hear or read anything, it seems as though everyone is talking about something completely different.

From a marketing perspective, the term SD-WAN seems to have rapidly evolved from a tech industry buzzword in the late twenty-teens to a solution concept these days. You may read about network hardware being decoupled from control mechanisms, SD-WAN saving operational costs or even slaying the incumbent Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) giant. Who’s right? Chances are, everyone is, to some extent.

Related: The ultimate SD-WAN checklist 

Cost reduction is often one of the first value propositions that comes up when talking about SD-WAN.

One of the ways SD-WAN solutions might do this is by replacing expensive MPLS WAN circuits with cheaper Internet access alternatives and by replacing the functionality of some of the expensive hardware components of your WAN.

The catch

However, most SMEs are already using the more affordable Internet Access options available to them and will most likely look at more cost-effective public cloud-based solutions instead of investing in expensive hardware.

Related: Vox launches SD-WAN Lite to give SMEs more reliable connectivity

Ironically, we’ve found that SD-WAN for the SME potentially increases costs, adds unnecessary complexity and results in much of the functionality of the solution going unused.

The SME solution

There is some good news though. Vox SD-WAN Lite is specifically tailored to meet the connectivity needs of SMEs. A simplified and scaled-down version of SD-WAN, Vox SD-WAN Lite offers SMEs the opportunity to enjoy all the perks of the solution without the resource wastage.

Vox SD-WAN Lite integrates any combination of ADSL, LTE, Wireless and Fibre connectivity to create the best network possible. It can accommodate up to three separate Internet connections and will prioritise the best one for fast, reliable Internet resiliency.