More and more organisations around the world are learning about the disruptive technology of Software-Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN) and its numerous performance and operational benefits compared to legacy technologies, such as MPLS. But what about the costs? How do you know if this rapidly evolving technology will be cost-effective for your organisation?
For many companies, the main priorities surrounding any new IT solution are:
Today, we’re focusing on the price, but you can learn more about the performance and security of Australia’s best Secure SD-WAN provider here.
When it comes to the cost of SD-WAN, there are many factors to consider. Every vendor is different, but they generally share common metrics when it comes to pricing and TCO considerations.
Choosing the right SD-WAN solution saves time and money by offering a variety of network and security services in a centrally managed, homogeneous solution. However, like any new project or system, there are always costs to consider.
Here’s a breakdown of the areas you need to consider when looking to transition to SD-WAN.
The most significant factors that influence the cost of your SD-WAN infrastructure are:
As with any IT solution, one of the main factors to consider when implementing SD-WAN is growth. It is important to consider a vendor that can allow you to scale easily as your organisation grows. Choosing the right vendor will not only make scaling easier, it will also make it more cost-effective.
Here are some of the ways your bandwidth and sites can alter the cost of SD-WAN:
Security and privacy are crucial for any business. Some vendors offer Secure SD-WAN solutions that include basic security in the upfront costs. Other vendors will charge an additional, ongoing fee for basic or advanced security features.
Security costs can be influenced by the following factors:
When considering how much SD-WAN costs, management and staffing cannot be ignored. However, there are certain factors that may mean you’ll need to budget for more management and staffing. These costs can be eliminated or mitigated by choosing the right SD-WAN provider.
If you are a large organisation with complex requirements, it is often beneficial to choose a Fully Managed Service Provider to deliver and manage your new Secure SD-WAN. Choosing the right provider to assist with deployment and on-going management can make a large difference to your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) since your IT support staff will not need to spend time developing additional skills and managing the network.
If you are a smaller organisation with less complex requirements and a “Lean IT” team, i.e. small, core team of IT support staff, you can look to vendors who offer user-self-serve solutions with simplified setup and management options. This can be an ideal choice while still offering advanced SD-WAN functionality and Security.
At its core, SD-WAN lets you optimise your network with improved performance, efficiency, stability and security. This is made even more attractive by the significant cost savings that a Secure SD-WAN solution can bring.
Tangible Technology Networks offers the most Secure SD-WAN solutions, powered by the only Versa Networks cloud-based Secure Cloud IP platform hosted in Australia. Browse our Secure SD-WAN solutions today and learn how we can help you to increase network efficiency, security and application consistency and save.