SD-WAN + Internet: The New Corporate Network?

Think the public Internet is a good option for deploying business- and mission-critical applications? Read this post and then download our latest report for the facts.

Business is moving to the cloud. Everything, from productivity applications, like Office365, to computing platforms like AWS and Azure, to business-critical SaaS applications like Salesforce and SAP Business ByDesign, is now accessed from the cloud – and not through your MPLS network, but by the Internet.

Does this mean, as many have begun declaring, that the Internet is the new corporate network?

Well, if the issue were only access to cloud applications, we would have abandoned legacy networks like MPLS as soon as Software-as-a-Service hit the mainstream.

But it’s not just access to applications that necessitates corporate networks; it’s reliability and performance.

Slow Data is a Business Killer

The public Internet does allow for easy connectivity and fast deployment and scalability, but you can’t just ask the Internet by itself to prioritize your mission-critical applications over someone else’s streaming cat video. That’s where edge-based devices like SD-WAN come in because they can provide path selection and prioritize traffic for an enterprise. That can hamstring workers who need access to their data now. However, the Internet is a public medium, which makes it prone to congestion and packet loss, especially over large geographical distances. These factors leave end users with slow and unreliable response times for their applications.

If end users are thousands of miles from their applications’ end points, then it’s probable they will experience workflow interruptions over the Internet, even if you’ve purchased and allocated large amounts of bandwidth.

Imagine mobile salespeople unable to follow up on hot leads because Salesforce won’t load, engineers unable to complete their projects because their CAD software is too slow, or executives in multinational businesses struggling to discuss strategy because their video conference is lagging.

This is why companies have held onto legacy networks long after they stopped connecting directly to mission-critical software.

But does this mean that the Internet shouldn’t be used in lieu of the corporate network?

Where Legacy Network Architectures Fail

Stable and reliable connectivity is key to consistent application performance – but, unfortunately, hanging onto MPLS isn’t the answer.

MPLS was not built for the cloud, and as businesses migrate toward an as-a-service architecture they are forced to implement expensive and resource-intensive workarounds to connect to their applications.

To connect “directly” to the cloud with MPLS, you must backhaul through the data center, but the quality of the connection – the reliability of your latencies and packet delivery – will suffer. To combat that, you must purchase WAN Optimization Controllers (WOCs) and SD-WAN for every location – as well as hire IT staff to monitor the network performance.

In a few instances, you can purchase a Direct Connect from a cloud provider into their software. However, there are only a few cloud applications that have direct connects. In addition, you have to purchase one for each SaaS application you want to use.

MPLS is also difficult to scale. If you’re looking to open a new office, expand your offices globally, or allow workers to connect remotely, MPLS is inflexible and can take months to deploy. The costs of reaching remote geographies can weigh heavily on your budget (in addition to your WOCs and SD-WAN expenses), and since there is no international MPLS provider, you’ll be stuck managing multiple contracts.

MPLS-Grade Alternatives that Leverage the Internet

If the Internet is the best option for flexibility, low CapEx, and ease of connectivity, while MPLS is best for reliability and QoS, which do you choose as you move to the cloud?

The answer? Neither.

What global enterprises need for today’s connectivity is a software-defined private network with MPLS-grade stability that can be accessed through their local ISP. A network of this caliber provides an enertprise with:

• Fast and reliable connectivity from anywhere in the world
• Accelerated access to all cloud and SaaS environments
• Simple and quick deployment with on-demand scalability for faster project implementation

Aryaka’s Global SD-WAN solution has pioneered an approach to connectivity that enables enterprises to access their cloud and SaaS applications from anywhere in the world with the same reliability and stability as an MPLS connection to their local data center. The network also includes WAN Optimization software, which has been layered over the network to accelerate application performance for end-users around the globe.

Since Aryaka’s Managed SD-WAN is delivered as a service, enterprises don’t have to buy, configure, deploy, or maintain expensive boxes in every branch office. You can simply connect through your office Internet connection to one of our POPs, and you’re up and running.

Customer Satisfaction in Over 63 Countries

Deployed by over 700 enterprises around the world, Aryaka’s Global SD-WAN has become the leading solution for businesses looking to improve their global connectivity and application performance across remote geographies:

• JAS Forwarding Worldwide, a global logistics corporation, implemented Aryaka’s Global SD-WAN for their 240 offices worldwide to connect to their SaaS application, CargoWise One. Their employees around the world are now able to collaborate in real-time.
• Platform Specialty Products, a global, diversified producer of high technology specialty chemical products, successfully deployed Aryaka’s Global SD-WAN to 190 sites worldwide in four months. The network not only accelerated file transfer speeds by 20x, they also estimate they save about $2-3 million per year over a legacy MPLS solution.

For an in-depth comparison of the reliability and speed of a cloud-native private network, such as Aryaka Global SD-WAN, versus the public Internet, download our State of SD-WAN Connectivity report.

About the author

Shehzad Karkhanawala

Shehzad is Director of Marketing at Aryaka. He leads public and analyst relations globally and demand generation as well as partner marketing activities for the Asia-Pacific region. Shehzad is an SD-WAN evangelist and often participates in webinars, events and discussions on the subject.