Why SD-WAN Technology Is a No-Brainer for UC

If your business operates a unified communications (UC) system, investing in a software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) is a no-brainer. From cost savings to rock-solid UC performance, the SD-WAN architecture lets you take control of your network, and reap the benefits.

Your network is fast becoming the driver and enabler of the next wave of technological change: digital transformation. As this transformation brings an ever-expanding number of software-based applications and services, competition for limited bandwidth increases. SD-WAN makes the task of managing and optimizing this competing traffic simple and cost effective, so mission-critical services like UC perform reliably around the clock.

Here's what your UC solution stands to gain by using SD-WAN technology.

• Uptime... All the Time
  Depending on a single Internet service provider (ISP) or connection type can leave you vulnerable to outages that will impact your UC service quality. However, using multiple concurrent ISP links from various providers without the proper technology in place can result in flaky network performance. SD-WAN lets you take advantage of carrier and network diversity while improving performance. It balances and maximizes the use of costly private circuits and affordable broadband. By running multiple SIP trunks on multiple ISPs, dynamic failover ensures you're not impacted by carrier outages.

   

• UC Takes Priority
  There's lots happening on a typical business network today, and it's difficult to know how various applications are using your bandwidth. For example, you may not know if one employee's streaming music is preventing another from making a sales call. SD-WAN gives you control over how bandwidth is used, by setting up policies and prioritization. Essentially, you're identifying which applications run on your network, and setting rules on how to prioritize them. By applying policies across the organization, UC will never be compromised by streaming -- a quality SD-WAN solution can divert less bandwidth-intensive applications to lower-cost DSL circuits, for example, so that higher-bandwidth applications (such as UC) can operate smoothly.

   

• Enough Bandwidth for UC – at a Lower Cost
  SD-WAN reduces your outlay on bandwidth. Many smaller companies delay the deployment of a UC solution that would improve their business because of the high cost of dedicated MPLS circuits. SD-WAN solutions make it possible to spend less on bandwidth, while achieving better results. The freedom to mix and match network technologies and ISPs gives you more control over your costs as well -- you're not dependent on one provider.

   

• Always Optimizing for the Best Experience
  SD-WAN will behave according to the policies you've set for your organization. However, it can also make the best and most speed-effective decisions on the fly, processing low-priority packets in different ways to ensure the reliability of the UC solution. A resilient infrastructure with managed SD-WAN services monitors the health of each ISP and distributes the required bandwidth accordingly. All SD-WAN solutions aren't created equal here: With the best solutions today, when a link fails to respond, it's removed from the available list but continues to be tested until ready. As a result, you can take full advantage of ISP diversity knowing that you'll always have a healthy outbound link when your UC system needs it.

Adopting an SD-WAN solution will make your UC system perform better with more control over your network. Looking to the future, building a scalable, flexible, and affordable network infrastructure will position your business to accelerate digital transformation initiatives. If you let SD-WAN do the work of optimizing your network, you can focus on building the future. Find out more.