SD-WAN solutions from the best-of-breed integrate network availability and security, meeting a wide range of network requirements seamlessly.
SD-WAN solutions with advanced features:
Here is a list of the top 4 SD-WAN vendors and providers for 2021
SD-WANs (software-defined wide-area networks) are often praised for integrating enterprise and security features in one solution. Despite this, the convergence story is much more significant.
Some vendors and solutions have recently combined networking, security, and artificial intelligence under the SD-WAN umbrella, enabling AI, virtual assistants, and improved administration. SD-WAN is beginning to look like a standalone networking solution as a result of these upgrades.
Additionally, SD-WAN control is another focal point of multi-cloud enterprise hubs, since it provides IT experts with the adaptable hybrid network capabilities and security features necessary for cloud transformation. In any case, SD-WAN is experiencing its first years of connecting networks, combining cutting-edge security features, and allowing secure Internet access. Currently, we need to dive deeper into cloud security and automating networks using artificial intelligence.
The SD-WAN industry has grown at a phenomenal rate and there are few other areas of enterprise IT that are growing so rapidly. According to IDC researchers, the SD-WAN market is expected to grow by 40.4% every year until 2022, when it will reach $ 4.5 billion. During the past five years, researchers at the Dell’Oro Group suggested that the rate of growth would arrive at 35% each year.
With SD-WAN, enterprise subsidiaries can move data and applications using a range of transport strategies — MPLS, broadband, and 3G and 4G LTE networks. The speed of data will just improve soon with 5G. In addition to improving security, simplifying system management, and providing more predictable performance, SD-WAN systems also reduce costs.
It’s also interesting that SD-WAN is on the shortlist for pretty much all businesses. Choosing a vendor can be challenging because there is such a wide range of features available.
As for the top 10 SD-WAN vendors (outside of Cisco Systems, which is number one), here is a list based on data from eWEEK, Gartner, IDC, Dell’Oro Group, and other sources.
- Cisco Systems
San Jose, Calif.
Potential buyers will benefit from the top global networking vendor’s wide range of router offerings, as well as their offerings in the SD-WAN area:
Key values/differentiators:
By purchasing SD-WAN pureplay Viptela in 2017 for $610 million, Cisco has evolved its portfolio for Cisco edge routers ISR and ASR to include Viptela capabilities.
There are two different SD-WAN solutions offered by Cisco:
- Cisco’s SD-WAN powered by Viptela provides maximum flexibility with advanced capabilities for complex IT environments
- Lean IT environments and SD-Branch environments benefit from Cisco SD-WAN Powered by Meraki’s simple and secure full-stack IT as part of Cisco SD-WAN
Cisco offers a fully integrated security stack for SD-WAN, including Cisco Umbrella Secure Internet Gateway cloud security, to help customers transition to Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architectures
As a leading SaaS, IaaS, and cloud service provider, Cisco has established partnerships and SD-WAN integrations to ensure seamless and secure application experiences across any cloud.
With the largest share in the SD-WAN market, Cisco is the largest networking vendor in the world by volume and revenue.
- VMware
Palo Alto, Calif.
Potential buyers should consider the following value proposition: The virtualization pioneer has expanded its networking scope to include WAN and LAN as a result of acquisitions and internal development.
Key values/differentiators:
- Has a broad presence in data centers and a wide range of channel and ecosystem partnerships that extend from the data center to the cloud and out to the edge.
- With its acquisition of VeloCloud in late 2017, VMware expanded its capabilities in SD-WAN with the VMware SD-WAN by VeloCloud solution. The offering includes physical and virtual edge appliances, cloud gateways, and centralized orchestration, which can be hosted on-premises or by an MSP or VMware.
- There is a wide range of partners with VMware, including multiple global NSPs as well as VMware and Dell channels, which provide enterprises with many ways to consume the solution. VMware has a proven track record of fulfilling large, complex global networks of more than 1,000 sites. It has some of the largest SD-WAN deployments.
- A VMware SASE platform launched in 2020 that combines SD-WAN gateways, a ZTNA service powered by WorkspaceONE, a cloud web security solution, and firewall capabilities to provide enterprises a comprehensive cloud networking and security stack to meet the demands of an increasingly distributed workforce.
- Juniper Networks
Sunnyvale, Calif.
In terms of the value proposition for potential buyers, Juniper has survived in the networking business thanks to well-respected technology and an excellent go-to-market approach. Due to its long history as an enterprise networking and security vendor, it has an expanded presence within enterprises. With the acquisition of Contrail Systems in 2012, the company entered the software-defined networking (SDN) space and has since expanded Contrail’s SD-WAN capabilities.
Key values/differentiators:
- Contrail SD-WAN provides unified policy and security controls across a variety of WAN connection types, including MPLS, broadband, 4G LTE, and others. Moreover, it provides dynamic path selection to ensure that the right transport mode is selected for the workload. 5G is in the works.
- Juniper’s zero-touch provisioning of CPE (customer premises equipment) means that hardware can be easily deployed on-site, with branch devices and cloud endpoints managed from a central location.
- In Contrail Service Orchestration, the virtual-network functions like WAN optimization, wireless controllers, next-generation firewalls, and edge computing frameworks are integrated with VPNs and third-party virtual networks. On-premises hosting of these services is provided by the NFX Series Network Services Platform.
- Silver Peak Systems
Santa Clara, Calif.
Potential buyers get the benefit of HPE’s worldwide sales and marketing organization because the company has been acquired by HPE’s Aruba networking division in July. It has a legacy of high-quality services in such areas as WAN optimization and has aggressively moved into the SD-WAN space in the past few years.
Key values/differentiators:
- Customers who were customers of the company’s WAN optimization division are now customers of its SD-WAN division. Silver Peak in 2018 passed the 1,000 customer mark with its Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN platform.
- With separate versions designed for enterprises and service providers, the platform can be deployed in remote and branch offices, data centers, and the cloud. There is a wide range of hypervisors supported by physical, virtual, and cloud appliances.
- Cloud services offered by Unity EdgeConnect include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and Oracle Cloud.
- Both versions are managed by Silver Peak’s Unity Orchestrator software, and the Unity Boost WAN optimization product enables service providers to offer tiered services.
