3 Ways Companies Are Using SD-WAN to Modernize Their Networks

Common WAN designs adopted over the last 20 years cannot support how businesses operate today. They were built for centralized applications and predictable traffic. Instead, enterprises need to ensure fast, secure, high-bandwidth connectivity from branch offices to other corporate locations and clouds. Further, employees are generally more mobile. Enterprises need a connectivity solution that gives hybrid workers a consistent experience–wherever they are.

Enterprises transitioning to hybrid or multicloud IT strategies can benefit from SD-WAN solutions that offer connectivity to cloud networks via cloud on-ramps. This trend and others like it support incorporating SD-WAN into enterprise network architectures. There are several use cases that demonstrate its value.

Evolving from centralized to distributed networks

SD-WAN continues to gain adoption across many enterprises, especially those that require significant bandwidth at remote locations, but don’t have the same performance requirements supported by MPLS-based networks. SD-WAN also provides improved WAN and application performance, simplified management, and opportunity for LAN/WAN consolidation. It’s a key component of network modernization strategies, and it sees companies transform static, centralized WANs into dynamic, distributed networks that can intelligently route traffic to minimize latency, costs and downtime.

While enterprises are transitioning from MPLS to more cost-effective solutions, some specific use cases are still better served by MPLS, so there’s a place for both technologies. For instance, managing WANs for redundancy and resilience will continue to require dedicated circuits or private interconnection.

Network and security convergence is another dominant trend in the SD-WAN market. Enterprise buyers are increasingly focusing on SD-WAN products that provide a migration path to security frameworks such as secure access service edge (SASE) and security service edge (SSE). SD-WAN, combined with SASE or SSE, is becoming the go-to solution for some enterprises, offering easier vendor management and tighter integration between networking and security elements. Further, SASE enhances the security of highly distributed hybrid multicloud environments by bringing networking and security together in a single, comprehensive framework.

As you might expect, AI is shaping the future of SD-WAN by enhancing performance, security, and management capabilities. AI offers several potential benefits, including easier network configurations through traffic pattern identification, improved performance via rapid adaptation to user behavior changes, predictive maintenance capabilities, enhanced network observability, and strengthened security through better threat detection. As the market moves toward integrated SASE solutions, we expect AI to complement the work of network administrators by providing real-time monitoring, threat prevention, incident prioritization and data-driven insights to improve network efficiency.

Solving real-world network modernization challenges with SD-WAN

Here are three diverse examples of how businesses have built SD-WANs at Equinix to improve user experience, cost efficiencies, network resilience and organizational agility:

Network transformation with a blend of physical and virtual SD-WAN device deployments

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) needed to modernize their WAN to better support their geographically distributed business and improve digital services and guest experiences across multiple countries. The solution uses a mix of physical and virtual components: Virtual Fortinet SD-WAN devices deployed via Equinix Network Edge connect hotel locations to Equinix IBX® colocation data centers across Silicon Valley, Washington, D.C., London, and Singapore, where physical Fortinet devices serve as network head-ends. This blended approach allows the company to ensure high throughput in hubs while simplifying operations and reducing costs at edge locations, as part of a repeatable, agile blueprint for future expansion. View the case study video.

Network modernization with virtual SD-WAN device deployments and on-demand private connectivity

A global supply chain management firm needed to replace their complex, rigid and expensive MPLS-based network with an SD-WAN solution to cut costs and improve connectivity between their East Asian headquarters and branch offices. The company implemented virtual Fortinet SD-WAN devices via Equinix Network Edge, leveraging economical broadband internet for non-critical workloads while using Equinix Fabric® to connect the SD-WAN to clouds and service providers. This virtual infrastructure approach significantly simplifies deployment and management. The firm can deploy Equinix Network Edge network functions and Equinix Fabric connections in minutes, and make modifications quickly using Terraform templates and APIs.

Rapid integration of new sites into an existing SD-WAN with virtual deployments

An international sporting goods manufacturer needed to integrate branch offices from a recent merger into their existing SD-WAN, which provided secure access to corporate applications running across multiple clouds (SAP on Google Cloud and other apps on AWS). The company extended their SD-WAN by deploying virtual VeloCloud SD-WAN devices and Check Point virtual firewalls via Equinix Network Edge, enabling fast, flexible and low-latency cloud connections via Equinix Fabric. This approach enables rapid deployment of virtual SD-WAN devices and security functions, allowing the network to scale quickly to new locations and adapt as requirements evolve.

Upleveling your SD-WAN strategy

Modern global enterprises need to build SD-WAN solutions focused on speed, flexibility and choice to ensure fast, agile multicloud and edge connectivity, while maintaining robust security. Deploying those solutions on a foundation of vendor-neutral infrastructure will help you get the most from your SD-WAN strategies. You’ll be able to react and adapt quickly to market realities, adopt new services that meet evolving business requirements, and leverage products and services that enhance SD-WAN capabilities.

Equinix offers diverse SD-WAN networking solutions with multiple deployment options, including physical deployment in any of our 270+ Equinix IBX data centers worldwide or an on-demand virtual SD-WAN gateway on Equinix Network Edge. Our partnerships with leading SD-WAN device manufacturers—such as Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks, Versa and VMware—allow you to select from a range of models to suit your needs.

Further, by establishing your SD-WAN solution in our vendor-neutral environments, you can tap into a robust ecosystem of partners, including:

• Network service providers such as AT&T, BT, Orange and Verizon, that facilitate seamless integration between SD-WAN, L3 VPNs and other solutions
• Security providers such as Cloudflare and Zscaler, that specialize in standalone SASE and SSE offerings
• Neoclouds such as Groq and Nebius, that deliver AI inference capabilities
• Cloud service providers such as Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud Interconnect, that deliver on-demand compute, processing power, application and storage services

Equinix Fabric simplifies hybrid multicloud networking and provides global, on-demand interconnection that supports SD-WAN overlays. Our data centers serve as aggregation points for clouds, and Equinix Fabric enables physical and virtual links to clouds via low-latency cloud on-ramps. Equinix is the global market leader in cloud on-ramps, with twice as many ramps as our nearest competitor.

For more about how companies are using SD-WAN to modernize their networks, check out the SD-WAN at Equinix Customer Stories e-book.