Transform Networking with Software-Defined Technology

Over the last few years, transformative leaps in technology have changed our approach to business operations. From brick-and-mortar warehouses, data storage has moved to the cloud.  

On the other hand, networks have traditionally been hardware-dependent with multiple firewalls, routers, service providers, and architectures. This creates an enormous amount of clutter, requiring extensive maintenance and causing frequent downtimes. Clearly, network transformation is critical to this new, software-driven landscape. 

Network technology is now racing to catch up 

For businesses to maximize resources and boost productivity, networks must be reimagined with a focus on efficiency. That’s where SDN or Software Defined Networking plays a major role.  

Software-defined technology allows networks to be hardware and connectivity-agnostic. Businesses could opt for public or a private IP, adopt dedicated or shared networks, or employ any combination of systems. SDN seamlessly integrates this into one solution platform. 

What does this imply for modern-day businesses?   

·       More control, better visibility 

SDN is designed for complete visibility across network environments, whether it is limited to one location or dispersed across geographies.  

Consider a single-site company with all its data hosted in a warehouse, accessed by multiple employees, customers, or vendors. SDN allows IT teams to view and control KPIs such as app performance, connectivity speeds, and UX levels. With a single dashboard, these can be monitored on the go. 

·       A paradigm shift for multi-site businesses 

Indian businesses are rapidly embracing digitization, adopting inventory management tools, CRM software, HRMS platforms, or payroll apps to address productivity and efficiency challenges. However, they are unable to transition effectively due to inadequate network support.  Requirements vary widely across industries, from warehouses in the commodities segment, office spaces for service providers, or multiple stores in retail. As a result, businesses struggle to select the right network solution, in alignment with their individual parameters.  

SDN allows deployment of the locally available network solution, regardless of the provider, and connects it to a pan-organisation system with integrated governance. 

·       Discover centralised, appliance-agnostic networks 

There’s no denying that the Indian connectivity landscape has evolved significantly over the last few years. The market comprises several national providers, hundreds of local cable operators, private IP providers, as well as new and emerging players. The question is: Can technology combine all these networks, creating a vast, yet centralised, business connectivity ecosystem?  

SD-Wide Area Network or SD-WAN (a component of SDN) brings together geo-specific needs, with centralised management. Localised security firewalls mean each site is governed individually, with policies defining network and data access.  

The possibilities are virtually endless – that’s why leading network services providers worldwide are now rolling out SDN capabilities as part of their portfolio.  

Besides eliminating common pain-points around costs, speeds, and timelines, SDN also lets businesses choose if they want to manage networks in-house or adopt a shared network management model. Companies can work with us on a Managed Service Provider model, where we take ownership of core functions, even if the customer is using local broadband or other internet services.  

·       Minimal-efforts and assured uptimes with Managed Network Services 

The emergence of SDN has two significant impacts on service providers. First, we re-productize our offerings and deliver comprehensive solutions, spanning connectivity as well as LAN-side requirements. Second, beyond our immediate network reach, we enable businesses in any location on any active network, to adopt our Managed Network Services.  

The future is smart, cost-efficient, and software-defined 

Traditional network architectures or private VPN solutions are expensive and are unable to support high bandwidth demand. With SD-WAN, businesses could opt for even a 100 MBPS connection, combining security with high speeds. Over 3 to 4 years post-implementation, operational savings could reach up to 50%. 

Today, SDN is positioned as a gamechanger, significantly transforming network upgrades at minimal investments. The future is poised to be envisioned around this consolidated platform, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity and enhanced productivity at every location. 

The SDN transform the way we look at network today from pure bandwidth capacity to application performance-driven lanes that segregates the traffic in such a way that every application takes different lanes uninterrupted. The network that adjusts elastically as per the application performance requirements without wasting even a bit of capacity resources is going to yield the best cost economics and performance combination.