This is a summaryof an article written for Channel Partners Online by Fortinet's VP of Channel Sales, Jon Bove. The entire article can be accessedhere.

Today's organizations require business-critical SaaS applications, unified communications, and rich media services be made available to every user, including those located at branch offices, without escalating connectivity overhead, overburdening connections by backhauling unnecessary traffic, or introducing IT complexity in locations without local IT staff on-site. And given the complex nature of today's digital networks, traditional WAN connections can no longer keep up.

However, moving these solutions to the branch over the public internet requires a wide range of sophisticated functionalities, such as load balancing, remediating noisy or unreliable WAN connections, and maintaining high-integrity connections to support latency-sensitive applications. To achieve this, SD-WAN has become the WAN connection replacement solution of choice.

"SD-WAN is now the fastest growing networking technology segment, projected to grow at a 40.4% CAGR through 2022. In addition, according to one survey, more than 85% of companies report that they're actively considering adopting SD-WAN to increase security and reduce sprawl." 

- Jon Bove, Channel Partners Online, 17 May 2019

Because of its rapid growth, however, a growing number of vendors are now marketing a new SD-WAN device or service - not all of them are created equal.

"And to complicate matters further, there is little guidance available to help organizations wade through the marketing hype. While third-party testing labs like NSS Labs have begun to establish some baseline parameters around SD-WAN solutions, there are still a number of issues that organizations face in selecting, deploying and managing a solution that meets their current and evolving needs."

- Jon Bove, Channel Partners Online, 17 May 2019

Providing Critical SD-WAN Guidance

As a result of this vendor sprawl, customers considering a move to SD-WAN are overwhelmed with the options available to them. As a trusted advisor, partners have a unique opportunity to guide them through this transition, from selecting solutions to deploying, managing, and optimizing a solution rollout. Here are a few areas to focus on, which could be helpful in assisting customers to select the best solution for their business, while helping you grow your business:

• Efficiency.Automated Multi-Path Intelligenceselects the most efficient route for business-critical traffic, and WAN Path Remediationis able to overcome poor or noisy links, enhance data reliability, and deliver a better user experience.
• Performance. Tunnel Bandwidth Aggregation enables per-packet load balancing to maximize network capacity and performance, while advancedApplication Awareness can identify applications on the very first packet and then prioritize routing across available network bandwidth based to accelerate delivery.
• Interconnectivity. Public networks raise eyebrows when it comes to security. Specialized VPN functions, such asmeshed overlay VPNs,securely interconnect branch devices, applications, and resources so data and applications can quickly across the extended network without overwhelming VPN management systems.
• Security. SD-WAN solutions need to provide a full range of advanced security features while operating at SD-WAN connectivity speeds. This requires that security providenative integrationinto the SD-WAN solution for faster performance and simplified management; deep inspectionof encrypted VPN traffic at digital speeds; a full range of security protection, including NGFW, IPS, web filtering, anti-virus, and sandboxing, andseamless integration with enterprise securityto ensure consistent security enforcement.
• Management. Managing WAN optimization and security functions through two different interfaces can create visibility and control gaps.Single-pane-of-glass managementallows remote administrators to manage network topologies and security devices and policies. This simplified approach should be extended across the entire distributed network so branch deployments aren't treated as a separate and isolated networks.

Selecting a Complete Secure SD-WAN Solution

Most IT teams are not only stretched thin, they are also unfamiliar with the complexities involved in choosing and deploying the right SD-WAN solution for their organization. To overcome this challenge, they need help from a trusted adviser that understands requirements of deploying an effective, scalable, and secure SD-WAN solution. As a result, partners are in a unique position to provide the help and guidance they need - just at a time when SD-WAN is not only a top of mind issue for organizations, but when cybercriminals have also increased their focus on targeting the WAN edge.

This is a summary of an article written for Channel Partners Online entitled, "Expand Revenue Opportunities Through SD-WAN Services," written by Fortinet's VP of Channel Sales, Jon Bove. It was originally published on 17 May 2019. 

Fortinet's Secure SD-WAN solution includes best-of-breed next-generation firewall (NGFW) security, SD-WAN, advanced routing, and WAN optimization capabilities, delivering a security-driven networking WAN edge transformation in a unified offering.

Read these customer case studies to see how Warrior Invictus Holding Co., Inc. and the District School Board of Niagara implemented Fortinet's Secure SD-WAN to alleviate network complexity, increase bandwidth, and reduce security costs.