According to Craig Lojewski (CEO), SD-WAN has made C2 Computer Services a hero in the eyes its customers who are struggling with internet reliability.

Coral Springs, Fla.-based managed services provider began deploying software-defined wide-area networking around a year ago in order to provide redundancy for customers and increase internet speed and performance. “Some customers had their internet go down every week or once a month. Now those problems are gone.” Lojewski says that C2 solved that problem; they are the hero in this scenario. It’s been a great tool for our managed service provider stack.  

Lojewski is jumping on a growing market that is expected to grow at a 30% CAGR worldwide between 2023 and $5.25 billion according to IDC. SD-WAN is a different type of WAN technology than traditional routers. It uses multiple connections such as MPLS and broadband internet. This optimizes performance and management.

Rohit Mehra (Vice President of Network Infrastructure at IDC) says that it was obvious that the market required a shift from a traditional point-to-point routing market to more flexible and agile delivery-focused connectivity. “That’s what SD-WAN brought to the table. More intelligence in the routing of applications, greater agility in adapting to the needs of the application, and providing a better user experience.

SD-WAN allows for routing optimizations based on business priority and cost. Andrew Ballema is vice president of sales at Chicago’s managed services provider MNJ Technologies. Ignyte, a vendor-neutral provider of managed SD-WAN and connectivity services, says that SD-WAN “frees up other resources that make your network more efficient.” Implementing an SD-WAN in your network will help you reduce bandwidth costs significantly.

Implementing SD-WAN is more than just saving money. Application optimization is key to improving customer and employee satisfaction. Ballema said that he can think of applications that he has used and where they are slow to load and don’t load. It just stinks. It could be because the connection is not right.

Mehra said that the “sweet spot” for early adopters in a market is around five years old. It was midmarket to larger companies that were “inherently distributive in nature.” Mehra cites two drivers for SD-WAN adoption: MSPs increasing their SD-WAN skills in selecting and deploying the appropriate solutions for customers and solutions themselves. Mehra states that it is not an all-inclusive approach, unlike the early stages. You have multiple options from different vendors so you can choose and balance your need to be simple with your need to have advanced functionality.

Vendors are targeting the SMB market by offering solutions like the Untangle SD-WAN Router, ADTRAN’s 934 SD–WAN edge appliance, and FortiGate_ appliance.

SD-WAN is especially beneficial for businesses with multiple locations. Mehra states that SD-WAN is more valuable for businesses with multiple locations because they can be more spread out.

The 2019 SMB IT Security Report by Untangle shows that 40% of SMBs have at least five employees and that 24% have or plan on implementing an SD-WAN solution. Research shows that the greatest incentives for SD-WAN implementation are secure connectivity to remote branches and easy network management.

Mehra expects SD-WAN will play a part in supporting remote workers as COVID-19’s impact lingers. SD-WAN is also working to balance work-from-home use with on-site employees.

Omdia, an analyst firm, says that market growth is partly driven by service providers offering SD-WAN solutions bundled together with other services. MNJ Technologies is an example. It designs, architects, and deploys SD-WAN solutions, as well as manages them throughout their entire lifecycle, Ballema explains.

MNJ has partnerships with SD-WAN vendors such as Cisco Meraki and Silver Peak. Customers can purchase hardware from MNJ or use it as a service. MNJ works with over 80 telecom providers worldwide to provide bandwidth and bill customers.

Ballema states that anyone can sell a box and get on their way. But, where you add value is around helping customers’ IT staff design and architect a solution that will work for their needs and then help manage it. That’s where SD-WAN really shines.

Ballema states that it is difficult to develop an SD-WAN business line and manage the SD-WAN customer relationships like MNJ. There are many moving parts. It requires partnerships with OEM SD-WAN providers, the hiring of or training of engineers to support the technology, and the ability to invoice customers for the carrier services.

C2 is another MSP that offers SD-WAN. They act as a liaison between customers and SD-WAN providers and carriers. Lojewski explains that C2 works with a telecom agency to bring in a secondary provider at customer sites. SD-WAN vendor Bigleaf preconfigures appliances based on C2 customers’ IP addresses, circuit speeds, and carriers. Bigleaf is paid directly by the customers.

C2 recently installed a Bigleaf SD-WAN with a secondary carrier to a dental surgery center. They had been having problems with their internet service. It would go down for several minutes or hours, disrupting communication with remote doctors and the corporate office. He says that if one carrier goes down, the other will continue to function without them even realizing there is a problem.

Lojewski’s SD-WAN service is not about generating more revenue, but about increasing customer loyalty and satisfaction. He says that happier customers are those who have received better service and have greater reliability. It saves me time managing customers, as we only charge a flat fee to provide unlimited support and service. The more efficient our systems are, the happier my customers will be, and the more it’s profitable for me.

Although SD-WAN is not required by every SMB, it can make all the difference. Lojewski states that SD-WAN can be a big help for those who do. It’s worth the extra cost of the secondary carrier and speed if they need it.

According to Ballema, MSPs also have a significant role in this market. “Technology is changing at a rapid pace and technology is constantly evolving that it can be difficult to keep up. MNJ is a good partner for organizations to help them assess this stuff.

He compares the SD-WAN’s trajectory to unified communication. Six years ago, there was no CIO in America willing to move their PBX to the cloud. UCaaS is now standard in every firm. SD-WAN is also included in this category. Although we aren’t there yet, this technology will eventually be everywhere. The market opportunity for companies to sell and manage this stuff is enormous.”

Read the original article here.