With the increasing demand for cloud-based applications and services, many businesses are turning to SD-WAN providers as an efficient, reliable way to connect multiple locations.
Traditional WAN solutions can be expensive, complex, and difficult to manage while slowing down bandwidth-intensive tasks like video conferencing or file transfers.
By leveraging software-defined networking technology, you can create an optimized pipeline between remote sites, reducing latency and delivering a more cost-effective solution for your business.
We’re here to give you the inside scoop on SD-WAN, what it is, why it is important, and who provides this amazing technology. So get ready to learn more !!!
What is SD-WAN?
SD-WAN means Software Defined Wide Area Network. This is a way for companies to use different services – like MPLS, LTE, and broadband internet. It connects people with the applications they need. It is safe and secure.
Benefits of SD-WAN Solutions
- Improves business agility and reduces the cost
- Some SD-WAN offers VPN options.
- Especially for global connectivity
- Management flexibility from fully managing to co-manage and DIY services
- It seamlessly aligns its complexity with yours for maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
- Hassle-free networking at its best
- With SD-WAN technology, companies can ensure seamless security across their remote workforce and branch offices – providing an indispensable piece of the SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) ( Provide outbound link) puzzle.
Now let us discuss SD WAN solution providers
List of Top SD-WAN Providers
1. Aryaka Networks
Aryaka offers an absolute way to simplify safeguarding your network infrastructure. Aryaka’s unified SASE platform makes protecting your IT systems straightforward and efficient.
Features
- Multi-cloud connectivity
- Global connectivity
- Managed with third-party firewalls
- Secured internet access
- Secured remote access
- Wireline and wireless connectivity
- SaS acceleration
Some screenshots of Aryaka Networks
Pros
- Comparatively easy to implement
Cons
- It expensive
- No free implementation
- Not many advanced notifications
- No good customer support
Supported languages- English, Hindi
User opinion
Aryaka is one of the best SD WAN vendors. Aryaka smartConnect is a service that helps businesses connect different locations, such as offices, data centers, and cloud services. It uses an SD-WAN platform from Aryaka to make it easier for businesses to stay connected.
2. Harmony Connect (Check Point)
Check Point Harmony Connect helps to keep you safe. It makes using the internet, corporate applications, and SaaS from any device easy without worrying about security.
Harmony Connect is a service to stop Cyber attacks from getting into your computer. It works quickly and keeps everyone safe.
Features
- Secure Web Gateway( SWG)
- Cloud Access Security Broker(CASB)
- Zero Trust Networks Access(ZTNA)
- Branch and SD-WAN security
- Global security service provider
Some screenshots of Check Point
Pros
- Easy to manage, implement, and administration
- Harmony made all the computers in the organization more secure.
- All employees can get access to VPN connectivity
- Good visibility and security capability
- Harmony Connect will stop people from trying to trick you through email, messaging, and social networks.
Cons
- Users expect more report and alert options
- The quality of the document needs to be improved
- Sometimes downloading PDFs takes time
- No proper sd wan marketing from the vendor side
Supported industries
- Retails
- Financial service
- Federal government
- State and Local government
- Health care
- Industrial control systems ICS and Scada
- Education
- Telco/ Service provider
User opinion
Harmony Connect is a popular choice for small businesses. More than 50% of people researching it are from the security industry. It also has good pricing.
3. Citrix SD-WAN
Citrix SD-WAN solution ensures that your employees, no matter where they work, have the secure and dependable connection they need to be productive.
Citrix SD-WAN helps you use the cloud. It makes sure you can access your work with good speed and security. Citrix SD WAN solution is part of Citrix Secure Access Service Edge (SASE).
Features
- Streamlines the network management
- Real-time internet provider for enterprises
- Application control and traffic management
- Multi-cloud connectivity
- Advanced edge security and Microsoft 365 optimization
Pros
- Citrix GUI is user-friendly
- Easy to follow the commands and training materials are very helpful
- Easily connectable to multiple apps
- Instantly it can run multiple desktops
Cons
- It is a little slow while running many programs
Supported industries
- Healthcare
- Education
- Government
- Financial service
- Manufacturing
- Retails
User opinion
Lots of IT teams are looking into something called SASE security. Citrix has many different things to help with this, like a special firewall, something that helps with Microsoft Cloud access, and something that uses AI.
These are part of the SD-WAN/SASE solution. Citrix is also working on making these things better.
4. Steel Connect EX (Riverbed)
Riverbed SteelConnect EX helps you connect your business to the digital world. It has everything you need, like powerful routing, faster applications, and security services. This gives your business a modern network that will help it grow.
Features
- Simplification of hybrid VAN operation
- Assures the quality of the internet link
- Worldwide application
- Best-in-class performance for SAAS, on-prem,on-cloud
- Secure your network edge
- Digital experience
- Increases the IT efficiency
Some screenshots of Riverbed
Pros
- It is a complete digital networking solution
- It is easy to set up and configure different kinds of applications and databases in various ways.
Cons
- Need proper guidance to decide
Supported industries
- Financial services
- Government & public sector
- Health care
- Logistics
- Mining operations
- Oil & gas
- Retails
User opinion
Overall SteelConnect Analytics is a tool to help companies track the performance of their networks. It collects data and shows it in pictures so people can understand how their network is doing.
5. Telia SD-WAN service
Telia SD WAN solution is a program that helps with networking. It makes it easier to create and run your business network. SD-WAN also lets you make different types of networks work better.
Network functionality is like a computer game. It helps you make changes quickly and add new services when needed. Telia also helps connect your Local Area Network (LAN) to the cloud or other device software.
Features
- Business networking
- Mobility
- Cloud and security
- IoT connectivity
- Industry dezitalization
Pros
- Reliable connectivity for the public using cloud-based services
- Easy management and monitoring
- It provides a wide range of choices to manage network infrastructure.
Cons
- Documentation is not user friendly
- Initial setup is time-consuming
- The graphical interface needs improvement
- Command syntax needs time to learn
Supported industries
- Smart cities
- Building and real estate
- Manufacturing
- Retails
- Public sector
- Public transport
- Transport and logistics
User opinion
Overall, Telia SD-WAN service is a good internet connection solution. It works for big networks, and it also works for small networks.
Moreover, Telia Carrier has a great internet connection that covers more than 60% of the world’s internet routes.
6. Virtual Edge Platform
The VEP4600 is a special computer made by Dell EMC. It helps with next-generation access and works well for routing, firewalls, and deep-packet inspection. Service providers can use it at the edge or in companies.
Features
- Networking with integrated hardware and software solutions
- Integrated data center to meet modern workload with visualization environment
- Provides network configuration automation and OPEX savings
Pros
- This is the easiest way of deployment with a lot of choices
- Hardware and software choice is available
- While configuring hardware, you can choose the cores.
Cons
- Some fluctuations in the stability of the network
- The cost is a bit high
Supported industries
- Digital cities
- Federal government
- Financial
- Healthcare and life science
- Hier eduction
- K-12 education
- Retails
- Safety and security
User opinion
The VEP4600 will work well and can easily handle hosting VNF services. It follows three rules: Purpose built (it’sit’s made just for this job), Future-ready (it works for the future), and Validated choice (it’s a good choice).
7. Versa SASE
Versa’sVersa’s cutting-edge SD WAN solution is packed with innovative features like lightning-fast packet steering, advanced loss prevention, and intelligent link optimization.
Feature
- It also acts as a DNS proxy with SD-WAN traffic-sharing
- Stateful high availability
- MP-BGP route exchange with SDN controller
- Capability to enable seamless SASE architecture
- Flexible, hybrid, and multicloud deployment
- Support for flexible network topology -full mesh, partial mesh, hub and spoke, etc
Some screenshots of Versa
Pros
- All in one platform for SASE components, security SD-WAN
- It is full of different features with ease of configuration and management
- The excellent security feature is another plus point.
Cons
- Some of the places do not have service
- It doesn’t support multicast.
- Some users expected training could be for some more time which helps their understanding.
- Sometimes it becomes slow with fantasy
- Some users found document complexity
Supported industries
- Architecture
- Education
- Energy utilities
- Engineering construction
- Federal government
- Financial services
- Healthcare
- Hospitality
User opinion
Overall Versa SASE is an all-inclusive, avant-garde software that revolutionizes software-defined networking. Unleash the power of this multi-talented cloud-native marvel that elevates multi-tenancy and multi-service capabilities.
8. Barracuda Cloud Gen WAN
Barracuda introduced SD-WAN built natively on Azure. Barracuda is a company that makes things to help keep people safe, like helping protect you from bad emails, hackers, and viruses.
They also make things to help with networking and storage, like filtering websites and making sure your data is backed up.
Features
- Multi-link support to Azur
- Management and automation
- Advanced multi-layered security
- Practical SASE
- Dynamic bandwidth and latency detection
- The site-to-site connectivity
- Failover link support
Some screenshots of Barracuda Cloud Gen WAN
Pros
- Scales dynamically to match workload
- Security and good data protection solution
Cons
- It cannot combat redundancy speedily
Supported industries
- Healthcare
- Retail
- Financial services
- Education
- State and local government
User opinion
Overall, Barracuda CloudGen Wan is a great SD WAN solution. Barracuda secures SD-WAN. This is like a VPN, but it also checks the connection’s quality and ensures there are extra links in case one fails.
9. Juniper Contrail SD-WAN
Contrail SD–WAN helps businesses with their internet. It makes the internet faster, and it can fix problems with the internet quickly.
You can add more connections like broadband or cell phone to your existing service, so important things get sent first, and if there is a problem, it will switch to another connection automatically.
Features
- It provides end-end networking
- It can be controlled from a single user interface
- Easy visualization and automation
- It delivers intelligent automation
- A good application of security
- Reliability for cloud and NFV
Pros
- This automates the network resource
- It has advanced analytics capabilities
- Provides reliability and agility to multi-cloud network
- Good security and gateway services
Cons
- Lack of open source
- No inbuilt management and underlay network
- The user is not satisfied with the vendor’s information
User opinion
Juniper Networks helps people use SDN with Contrail Networking. This helps them control their networks and makes it easy to do things like to create virtual connections between different machines.
In addition, it takes instructions from the user and turns them into policies, so they don’t have to do all the work themselves.
10. Cisco SD-WAN
Cisco SD-WAN helps people use different applications. It helps to keep those applications safe and secure. It also lets people work on more than one cloud at the same time.
This helps to extend your network, and visibility Immediately pinpoints the issues, Faster resolution, etc.
Features
- Enhanced visibility
- Security coverage
- Multicloud optimization
- Wireless WAN
Screenshot of Cisco SD WAN
Pros
- Good stability and firmware
- Cisco SD-WAN is a really useful tool. It has a “DIA,” which helps keep your data safe. It also works with Cisco Umbrella to give your data extra protection.
- Customization with two colors is very easy.
Cons
- Users expecting some more innovations in Cisco
- The report needs more visibility
- Need to simplify the configuration and SD-WAN
- Some users find it a little costlier
Supported industries
- Cities and Communities
- Education
- Financial Services
- Government
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
- Mining
- Oil and Gas
- Retail
- Smart Buildings
- Sports, Media, and Entertainment
- Transportation
- Utilities
User opinion
Cisco SD-WAN is a good networking solution. Cisco SD-WAN elegantly combines IaaS, SaaS, data centers, and the internet to pave the way for a futuristic SASE-based architecture.
Conclusion
This post has provided you with many great SD-WAN providers. However, each has its strengths and weaknesses and will be a better match for certain businesses than others.
Ultimately, the best SD-WAN provider for you depends on your unique business needs – whether that is cutting costs, ensuring strong connections, or maximizing scalability.
However, if you are ready to review your options and research, you should be able to find the perfect SD-WAN provider for you.