From SD-WAN to SASE: How the WAN Evolution is Progressing

As workloads shifted to the cloud, SD-WAN technology provided enterprises with a reliable and agile alternative. It proved to be more budget friendly than MPLS for numerous applications. This innovative option gained considerable traction throughout the past decade as an effective solution for WAN connectivity in multiple clouds.

SD-WAN technology revolutionized the WAN landscape, enabling enterprises to maximize network performance and cost efficiency while simultaneously addressing trombone-routing problems and issues. This state-of-the art solution also supplies a wealth of extra fault tolerance in last mile networks.

Enterprises have rapidly embraced SD-WAN, illustrated by its position as the 3rd most popular primary use case in Cato's 2019 Networking Survey and most favored of all cases in 2020.

What SD-WAN appliances alone can’t deliver

Despite SD-WAN's proven cost and agility benefits, the 2020 Networking Survey made one thing clear: it cannot be a lone player in providing digital enterprises with complete WAN transformation. Unfortunately, its deployment as an appliance has ultimately left companies disappointed post-digitalization.

With the increased demand for cloud connectivity, users of SD-WAN have seen a rise in dissatisfaction. This is because networks now require more than static site-to-site linkages - they need to enable public Internet access and advanced cloud services. SD-WAN appliances move enterprises closer to where they need to be, but simply aren’t designed to address all the networking and security challenges modern enterprises face. Specifically, SD-WAN appliances have these shortcomings:

• Lack of a global backbone: SD-WAN appliances sit atop the underlying network infrastructure. This means the need for a performant and reliable network backbone is left unaddressed by SD-WAN appliances alone.
• Lack of advanced security features: SD-WAN appliances help address many modern networking use cases, but don’t help with security requirements. As a result, enterprises often need to manage a patchwork of security and networking appliances from different vendors (Like CASBs) to meet their needs. This in turn leads to increased network cost and complexity as each appliance must be sourced, provisioned, and managed by in-house IT or an MSP.
• No support for the mobile workforce: By design, SD-WAN appliances are built for site-to-site connectivity. Securely connecting mobile users is left unaddressed by SD-WAN appliances.

SASE: The next leap forward

SD-WAN provides powerful advantages, but falls short of holistic coverage. That’s where the promise and potential of SASE lies - combining many components to provide an integrated security solution utilizing multiple services like SD-WAN for complete, reliable protection.

With SASE, organizations can connect and secure their edges--from sites to sd-mobile users and cloud resources--while enjoying the cost savings of Internet access coupled with the predictability & performance of MPLS. This is enabled by routing traffic through a PoP on an optimized global network that ensures optimal security without compromising agility or reach.

SD-WAN provides businesses with an efficient and cloud-compatible network, but SASE takes it to the next level. Combining cost savings and agility with networking functionality, security built into its core architecture, and a private backbone for end-to-end secure connectivity - SASE delivers the comprehensive solution organizations have been searching for.

Key characteristics of SASE include:

• Cloud-native architecture: A multitenant cloud-native approach to WAN infrastructure enables SASE to service any edge endpoint, including the mobile workforce, without sacrificing performance or security. It also means the complexities of upgrades, patches, and maintenance are handled by the SASE vendor and abstracted away from the enterprise.
• Global network backbone: A private network backbone, such as Cato’s which consists of 70+ PoPs and offers a 99.999% uptime SLA, enables SASE to deliver reliability appliances alone cannot.
• Convergence of networking & security: SD-WAN is just one piece of the broader WAN networking and security puzzle. In addition to SD-WAN, SASE provides features such as NGFW, IPS, CASB, DLP and SWG. With the entire network and security infrastructure delivered as a single cloud-native platform, enterprises benefit from increased visibility, fewer silos, and enhanced security.
• Simplified management: By doing away with the need for multiple appliances and complex integration and providing a simple management interface, SASE makes managing the WAN simple. As a result, opex and network complexity go down and IT is free to focus on core business functionality instead of infrastructure maintenance.

SASE presents an opportunity for enterprises to efficiently and securely manage their distributed networks with a comprehensive solution that goes far beyond traditional security appliances.

SASE is the enterprise WAN standard of today

With its combination of SD-WAN and advanced security capabilities, SASE has emerged as the go-to solution for enterprise networks. Its transformative approach to WAN offers significant advantages - so much so that Gartner predicts at least 40% of enterprises will incorporate SASE into their plans by 2024. Praised by industry professionals everywhere, this revolutionary architecture is undoubtedly set to expand in the future.

Why Horizon Telecom

If you're looking for a reliable and comprehensive solution to your WAN connectivity and security services, look no further than Horizon Telecom. As the WAN evolution progresses towards SASE, it's essential to have a partner that can keep up with the latest technology.

Horizon Telecom provides a private global network backbone, cloud-native architecture, and advanced security features such as IPS, CASB, and SWG. By choosing Horizon Telecom as your MSP partner, you can benefit from simplified management, increased visibility, and enhanced security, all delivered as a single cloud-native platform. Don't wait to make the leap forward with SASE - partner with Horizon Telecom for a complete and reliable solution to your WAN needs.

Contact us today or sign up for a demo to experience firsthand how Horizon Telecom can help you stay competitive in today's ever-evolving marketplace. With Horizon Telecom as your partner, you'll have the peace of mind that comes with knowing your network is secure and optimized for success.