Unlike network services, SD-WAN is not a commodity, and pricing strategies are still in flux. But as the service matures, this is beginning to change.
Median price points have started to decline and the range in reported vendor prices has started to converge.
Let's unpack SD-WAN prices—starting with pricing models.
When it comes to the cloud and digital transformation of the enterprise, it's always useful to come back to the fact that physical geography matters to our digital world.
We've crunched the numbers from our 2021 survey of WAN managers, and our new analysis is ready and waiting. What did we find?
One of the earliest and most persistent use cases for SD-WAN has been the ability to utilize alternative connectivity options like the internet and fixed wireless. Our WAN Manager Survey data shows that, since 2018, MPLS has been losing ground to other wireline alternatives like DIA and broadband.
In a recent analysis, we highlighted how DIA has gained ground as an integral part of the global enterprise WAN and how it compares in price directly to MPLS.
However, it is not just a matter of switching underlay products, but also understanding the global pricing dynamics of those alternatives.
We're going to talk about the cloud. More specifically, cloud outages and how to avoid them and mitigate their impacts.
There's no way we can dig into this topic without touching on multicloud strategies.
Business broadband is no longer a connection of last resort. In fact, it is an integral part of WAN architecture.
Unlike pricey network connectivity services like MPLS and DIA, business broadband is a cost-effective option for enterprises that push more traffic to the public internet and utilize SaaS applications.
As global enterprises become more reliant on cloud—and start to break away or reduce their traditional MPLS circuits—the “middle mile” of the internet is coming into focus.
Today, I want to examine the use cases that vendors hope to address through middle mile network services. (And their basic value proposition.)
If you caught last week's special episode of the WAN Manager Podcast, you must be waiting on the edge of your seat for the second installment.
To recap, Greg Bryan and Elizabeth Thorne are keeping up their tradition of decking the halls with an end-of-year WAN review. And since 2021 was such a big year, we couldn't fit everything into just one episode.
To make up for the cliffhanger, we've packed part two with enough data and lively conversation to knock your stockings off their mantel.
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