SD-WAN: What You Need to Know

The Gartner Magic Quadrant for SD-WAN is the result of extensive research and analysis conducted by a team of experts. Gartner’s team, led by industry specialists, collaborating with multiple contributors to meticulously evaluate the SD-WAN market. Their mission is to provide IT leaders and decision-makers with invaluable insights into the rapidly evolving landscape of software-defined WAN technology. Through comprehensive research, data collection, and rigorous assessment, this report delivers a detailed and objective view of the state of the SD-WAN market as of September 2023. It’s your guide to making informed decisions in the dynamic world of networking solutions.

SD-WAN: What You Need to Know

Software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) is a network architecture that uses software to control traffic flow over multiple WAN connections. SD-WAN can help businesses improve application performance, reduce costs, and increase security.

Here are some of the key benefits of SD-WAN:

• Improved application performance: SD-WAN can help to improve application performance by routing traffic over the best available connection. This can be especially beneficial for businesses that rely on cloud-based applications.
• Reduced costs: SD-WAN can help to reduce costs by using multiple WAN connections, including low-cost Internet connections. This can help businesses to save money on their WAN costs, especially if they have a large number of locations.
• Increased security: SD-WAN can help to increase security by encrypting data and by using multiple WAN connections to make it more difficult for attackers to disrupt traffic. SD-WAN can also help to integrate with other security solutions, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems.

Leading SD-WAN manufacturers

There are a number of leading SD-WAN manufacturers, including:

• Aruba
• Cisco
• VMware
• Fortinet
• Palo Alto Networks
• Citrix
• Check Point
• Nokia
• Riverbed
• Silver Peak
• Versa Networks
• Oracle
• CloudGenix
• Cato Networks
• Forcepoint
• Cradlepoint

SD-WAN comparison chart

The following table compares some of the key features of the leading SD-WAN manufacturers:

Vendor	Strengths	Cautions
Aruba	Customer experience, product, market responsiveness	Innovation, geographic strategy, multiple SD-WAN products
Cisco	Market visibility, sales channels, product strategy	Customer experience, multiple SD-WAN products, market investment
Cradlepoint	Vertical strategy, sales strategy, geographic strategy	Product, sales execution, market investment
Forcepoint	On-premises security, customer base, geographic strategy	Market visibility, product, innovation
Fortinet	Product, innovation, sales execution	Customer experience, networking capabilities, SSE integrations
Huawei	Customer experience, product strategy, sales execution	Market presence, innovation, market investment
HPE (Aruba)	Customer experience, product, market responsiveness	Innovation, geographic strategy, multiple SD-WAN products
Juniper Networks	Product strategy, innovation, customer experience	Sales execution, market visibility, market responsiveness
Nuage Networks	Customer experience, SSE integrations, viability	Innovation, market visibility, product
Palo Alto Networks	Innovation, customer experience, market understanding	Pricing, performance optimization, multiple SD-WAN products
Peplink	Viability, vertical strategy, marketing strategy	Product and product strategy, market visibility, sales execution
Sophos	On-premises security, midmarket focus, pricing	Market visibility, product, product strategy
Versa Networks	Product, product strategy, market responsiveness	Pricing, multiple SD-WAN products, geographic strategy
VMware	Product strategy, customer experience, market visibility	On-premises security, market investment, SD-branch

Choosing the right SD-WAN solution

When choosing an SD-WAN solution, it is important to consider the following factors:

• Your business needs: What are your specific requirements for SD-WAN? Do you need a solution that can support a large number of users and applications? Do you need a solution that can support multiple locations?
• Your budget: How much are you willing to spend on SD-WAN?
• Your existing infrastructure: What is your existing WAN infrastructure like? Do you need a solution that can be integrated with your existing infrastructure?

Conclusion

SD-WAN is a powerful technology that can help businesses to improve their network performance, reduce costs, and increase security. If you are considering implementing SD-WAN, it is important to choose the right solution for your business needs. Acordis works with all of the leading SD-WAN vendors, so we can help you choose the right solution for your business and budget. We can also help you implement and manage your SD-WAN solution.

Note:

All of the SD-WAN providers listed in the Gartner Magic Quadrant offer comprehensive solutions with a wide range of features and capabilities. However, there are some key differences between the vendors.

Aruba, Cisco, VMware, Fortinet, and Palo Alto Networks are all leaders in the SD-WAN market and offer mature, well-tested solutions. These vendors also have a strong partner ecosystem, which can help businesses to implement and manage their SD-WAN solutions.

Citrix, Check Point, Nokia, Riverbed, Silver Peak, Versa Networks, Oracle, CloudGenix, Cato Networks, Forcepoint, and Cradlepoint are also notable SD-WAN vendors. However, these vendors may not have as mature solutions as the leaders in the market, or they may have a smaller partner ecosystem.

When choosing an SD-WAN provider, it is important to consider your business needs, budget, and existing infrastructure. You should also evaluate the different SD-WAN solutions and vendors carefully before making a decision.

At Acordis, we understand that navigating this complex landscape can be daunting. That’s where we come in. As your trusted partner, we have in-depth expertise in working with all the major SD-WAN manufacturers featured in the report. We help you make sense of this extensive information and assist you in deciding which solution aligns best with your specific requirements. We are committed to delivering secure, efficient, and cloud-connected SD-WAN solutions, tailored to your unique needs. Contact us today, and let’s explore the SD-WAN options that will drive your organization forward with confidence.