Gartner, a leading technology research and advisory firm, recently released its 2021 Magic Quadrant for WAN Edge Infrastructure, offering insights into the SD-WAN market for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and larger enterprises.
According to the report, SD-WAN has become a mainstream technology for businesses of all sizes, with an increasing number of enterprises adopting it for connectivity, cloud migration, and network security. SMEs, in particular, have found SD-WAN to be an effective alternative to traditional MPLS networks, helping them to reduce costs and enhance network performance.
The report highlights key benefits of SD-WAN for businesses, including improved reliability, flexibility, and scalability. With SD-WAN, businesses can streamline network management and automate configurations, reducing the need for manual intervention and allowing IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives.
SD-WAN solutions also offer enhanced security capabilities, protecting businesses against cyber threats and ensuring data privacy across multiple locations. The Gartner report notes that security is a top concern for SMEs, and SD-WAN provides a cost-effective approach to securing enterprise networks.
Another advantage of SD-WAN is its ability to support digital transformation initiatives, such as cloud adoption and IoT deployments. As businesses increasingly rely on cloud services and applications, SD-WAN can optimize network traffic and ensure fast and reliable access to cloud resources.
Large enterprises are also turning to SD-WAN to modernize their network architectures and improve agility. According to the Gartner report, SD-WAN is becoming a standard technology for enterprises, with over 60% of organizations expected to adopt it by 2024.
The report has identified some of the leading SD-WAN vendors, including industry giants such as Cisco, VMware, and Fortinet, as well as smaller firms such as Silver Peak and Versa Networks. As the SD-WAN market evolves, businesses have a wide range of options to choose from, based on their specific needs and requirements.
In summary, Gartner’s 2021 Magic Quadrant for WAN Edge Infrastructure reinforces the growing trend of SD-WAN adoption across businesses of all sizes, driven by its potential to deliver significant benefits, including cost reduction, improved network performance, and enhanced security. As SMEs and larger enterprises alike continue to embrace digital transformation, SD-WAN is set to remain a crucial technology for modernizing network infrastructures and supporting business growth.