The implications of SD-WAN solutions in manufacturers

Manufacturers in Asia Pacific are increasingly turning to software defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) solutions to modernize their networks and improve their operations. This trend is driven by the adoption of Industry 4.0, or the "smart factory," which requires advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and IoT at scale. SD-WAN is an essential component of this modernization process, as it allows for central orchestration and management of all locations, improves infrastructure, and enhances resiliency. According to IDC, over 70% of organizations in the region have already deployed or will be deploying SD-WAN in the near future.

The importance of a unified architecture in enterprises cannot be overstated, as it streamlines management, simplifies the implementation of security and data policies, and makes it easier to adopt technologies such as SASE and zero trust. As more and more workloads move to the cloud, the network architecture has to change and transform to provide direct, fast, and reliable access to cloud-based applications. SD-WAN facilitates this process, and improves the quality of experience for users. Additionally, a unified infrastructure allows for the adoption of IoT at scale and secure IoT at scale, which is crucial for manufacturers.

When sourcing for SD-WAN solutions, manufacturers should look for providers with a long track record of providing best-in-class solutions, and who can support them during the delivery phase. The solution should be able to scale from a few sites to hundreds or thousands of sites, and should integrate easily into the SASE framework, allowing for the implementation of zero trust. Overall, SD-WAN offers a number of benefits to manufacturers, such as improved reliability, resiliency, and security.