As the distributed workforce trend continues, team collaboration tools have become essential to modern workflows. They offer a variety of features, such as file sharing, instant messaging, cloud storage, online whiteboards, document synchronization, voice/video conferencing, and calendar sharing.
They have quickly become a vital addition to most business environments, streamlining work processes, managing projects, and driving them to successful completion. The fast adoption of these tools is rapidly propelling nearly every organization into a major digital workplace transformation.
However, connecting this highly mobile and dispersed workforce can be challenging, especially when working with outdated network technologies. That’s where software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN), Network as a Service (NaaS), and secure access service edge (SASE) come in. This trifecta offers the core solution that is becoming the backbone of digital workplace transformation. These offerings are overcoming the common challenges with infrastructure, accessibility, and security. They collaborate efficiently and intelligently, tackling common challenges that affect all our primary industries.
Overcoming aging infrastructure
Enterprises have long relied on the wide-area network (WAN), which connects multiple local-area networks (LANs) to create a unified organization. However, the limitations of WAN architecture can be debilitating when organizations try to move to the Cloud or use commodity Internet connections in branch offices.
For large organizations with many branches spread across countries or continents, managing complex multi-site WAN connections can be a nightmare for IT staff. Outdated networks can lead to frustration for staff and unsatisfactory service for customers.
To address these concerns, companies need high-quality network connections.
Enter software-defined WAN (SD-WAN), the solution that enables greater efficiency with digital workplace transformation. With SD-WAN, organizations can overcome the limitations of traditional WAN architectures and enjoy the benefits of cloud migration and improved network performance.
The benefits of combining SD-WAN and NaaS
Businesses are rapidly moving toward cloud-based models to improve overall performance and accessibility for their customers and employees. However, this shift also requires a reliable and secure network infrastructure. That’s where implementing an SD-WAN solution comes in.
By adopting SD-WAN, companies can reap numerous benefits, such as better access to the Cloud and improved network performance. IT managers can also gain greater visibility of the entire network, allowing them to make more informed decisions. However, the most crucial advantage of SD-WAN is that it delivers reliable and secure connectivity to all branches and remote staff.
To further enhance these benefits, businesses can combine SD-WAN with a NaaS solution. IT teams can efficiently operate the network and achieve the desired outcomes without owning, building, or maintaining their infrastructure. Instead, companies pay a fixed monthly fee that covers all phases of solution implementation, from hardware and licensing to configuration, implementation, and co-management.
With a single-pane-of-glass dashboard, IT managers can have complete visibility into the network, improving incident response efficiency and effectiveness, simplifying the deployment of new technologies, and strengthening security. By adopting SD-WAN and NaaS solutions, businesses can take their network infrastructure to the next level and provide the best possible experience for their customers and employees.
The importance of secure voice communications
As technology advances, so do the issues with managing traffic for distributed locations. Although SD-WAN provided solutions to many of these issues, it has now reached a point in its lifespan where it requires its own solutions. Enter SASE, a new type of architecture that seems tailor-made to support remote workforces.
SASE is a cutting-edge architecture that combines an organization’s network and security functionalities into a cloud service that operates closer to endpoints and distributes traffic quicker than traditional network services. Unlike SD-WAN, which primarily connects an organization’s branch offices to the data center, SASE focuses on endpoints and end-user devices. SASE combines SD-WAN’s benefits and third-party security services into a single platform.
Another critical difference between SD-WAN and SASE is that SD-WAN is an overlay network that backhauls traffic to data centers. At the same time, SASE is a cloud platform that inspects data at various PoPs at the edge. SASE is better suited for remote access, which has become an integral part of everyday life for many people.
Overall, SASE is a promising architecture that offers a fresh approach to managing traffic for distributed locations. As remote work continues to grow in popularity, SASE will undoubtedly become an increasingly important technology for organizations looking to support their remote and hybrid workforces.
Explore digital workplace transformation with a proven partner
Identifying the right partner for your digital workplace transformation is crucial for organizations looking to build a network architecture that can support high-level business imperatives.
If your team is facing hurdles like outdated infrastructure, growing complexity, and rising expenses that are hindering your digital workplace transformation, CBTS is the ideal partner for you. With a rich history of converting networks into cloud-based hybrid or SD-WAN architectures, CBTS is equipped to assist companies in any industry.
Selecting a partner with expertise in both network and security solutions is also crucial. CBTS stands out among managed service providers with its broad spectrum of capabilities. In 2020, CBTS achieved the status of a Gartner Magic Quadrant leader for its proficiency in VMware SD-WAN™ edge technology. By uniting VMware SD-WAN with SASE network security principles, CBTS delivers comprehensive cloud-native network security.
Our team of experts collaborates with you, starting from the initial assessment phase and continuing through the implementation of your SD-WAN, NaaS, and security capabilities, providing ongoing, comprehensive support for your organization. Contact us today to learn more.
