Testing Identifies Source of SD-WAN Internet Performance Problems
Enterprise networkers can be forgiven for thinking that running mission-critical apps across an Internet-based SASE SD-WANs sounds like a recipe for disaster. After all, can an inherently unpredictable network like the public Internet really provide predictable application delivery? We recently explored that question in a series of tests conducted for one of our clients. We measured latency […]
Open Systems Adds MDR To SD-WAN Platform
The integration of security into SD-WAN was once an anomaly but particularly since the introduction of SASE has increasingly become the norm. Open Systems, an early player in the secure SD-WAN trend, took a step even further and announced today the integration of managed detection and response (MDR). The service will be available in Q3 […]
SD-WAN Negotiations: Do It Now
The common wisdom has it that during times of crisis, IT should huddle up and wait it out. Infrastructure investments get deprioritized as companies look to conserve cash. Networking is no different. Many of my customers are reporting project freezes, numerous vendors have told me the same. But several of my customers are taking a […]
Latency Across Cloud Backbones Varies Significantly
One of the most exciting developments to happen in enterprise networking has been the rise of private backbones. Alibaba, Azure, AWS, and the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) — all can connect your SD-WAN appliances, offering lower, more predictable latency than the open Internet. We’ve already spoken about the problems of the open Internet and the […]
How to Integrate SASE with Your Existing WAN and SD-WAN
We’ve spoken a lot about the emergence of Gartner’s Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). Gartner might not have been the first consultancy to describe how security and networking are converging together into a global cloud service, but its definition has certainly become popular. Already, we’ve seen several of our clients requesting SASE elements in their […]
Coronavirus and Remote Access are the Best Reason for SASE Architectures
As we grapple with the implications of Coronavirus, IT professionals need to ready themselves for what’s being called the largest work from home experiment in history. Numerous countries are requiring workers to be remote. Just last month, Cato Network reported seeing a 75% jump in active remote users. Over here at SASE Experts, we’ve seen […]
Don’t Fall Victim to the SD-WAN Shell Game
Watch carefully. Three shells before you, one with a ball. I’m going to move them around like so. Select the shell with the ball and you win, select wrong and you lose. Are you ready? Here we go one, two, and three. Sometimes selecting an SD-WAN can feel an awful lot like playing a shell game on […]
SD-WAN Pricing Analysis: When Early Terminatation of MPLS Makes Sense
The common wisdom has it that you wait till your MPLS contract finishes before switching to SD-WAN. But don’t assume common wisdom applies to your deployment. Sometimes, SD-WAN’s cost savings are so significant, terminating MPLS contracts early and incurring any penalities can still result in significant cost savings. Case in point was one global customer of mine. The […]
SD-WAN Selection: It’s What You Don’t Know That Can Hurt You
Recently, my wife and I were visiting some neighbors and the topic of cellphones came up. My wife’s friend, we’ll call her Jane, was thinking about buying a new phone. When she remembered that I work in IT she asked for my advice. (Because working in network infrastructure makes you an expert on cell phones […]
Bribery: It’s Bad for Business — And Your SD-WAN
All too often when we talk about SD-WAN, conversations can border on the academic. There are questions about “controllers” and “controller redundancy.” We discuss “SD-WAN fabrics” and hear about the need for “APIs.” It’s all so, well, smart. But here’s the thing. In the real world, you know the one where you and I live, our […]
