As the CEO of Cloudbrink, I'd like to address the recent Gartner report on SD-WAN and its implications for SASE and the future of enterprise networking. The question "Is SD-WAN dead?" is provocative, but the reality is more nuanced. Let's dive into Gartner's perspective and what it means for the industry.
The Evolution of SD-WAN
SD-WAN has been a transformative technology in enterprise office networking, offering improved performance, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional WAN solutions. However, the landscape is rapidly changing, and SD-WAN must evolve to meet new challenges.
Gartner's recent report highlights a significant shift in the market. By 2027, they predict that 70% of network operations personnel will rely on generative AI for Day 2 SD-WAN management, up from less than 5% in early 2024[1]. This forecast underscores the growing importance of AI in network management and operations.
The Rise of AI in Networking
The integration of AI, particularly generative AI, into SD-WAN management is not just a trend but a necessity. As networks become more complex and distributed, AI-driven solutions offer the scalability and intelligence needed to manage these environments effectively. At Cloudbrink, we've long recognized this trend and have been at the forefront of incorporating AI into our networking solutions.
SD-WAN's Evolving Role
While some may interpret Gartner's report as a death knell for SD-WAN, we at Cloudbrink see it differently. SD-WAN isn't dying; it's transforming. The technology is being reimagined to address the needs of a work-from-anywhere generation and the increasing demand for secure, high-performance access from anywhere.
Our approach at Cloudbrink has been to develop what we call Personal SASE (Secure Access Service Edge), which integrates SD-WAN functionality within a broader security framework[3]. This aligns with Gartner's prediction that by 2027, nearly two-thirds of new SD-WAN purchases will be part of a single-vendor SASE offering[4].
The Future is Personal SASE
The future of enterprise networking lies in solutions that can provide the benefits of SD-WAN - improved performance, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness - while addressing the security and mobility needs of modern workforces. Our Personal SASE solution embodies this future, offering:
- Ultra-low latency access
- Integrated security and networking policies
- Centralized visibility
- Complete zero-trust security stack
These features enable what has become known as "coffee shop networking," where users can enjoy secure, high-performance access to applications from any location including the branch or head office[3]. This redesign of branch and head office networks provides a simplification that increases security and has a fantastic ROI that reduces both CapEx and OpEx.
Addressing SD-WAN's Limitations
Traditional SD-WAN solutions have faced challenges in performance, latency, security, and mobility, especially in the context of remote work. At Cloudbrink, we've tackled these issues head-on:
- Performance: Our preemptive accelerated packet recovery technology ensures enterprise-grade performance on any device.
- Latency: By leveraging edge networks, we've reduced latency to under 20 milliseconds, compared to 70-100 milliseconds with traditional vendors[2].
- Security: Security is built into our solution, not added as an afterthought.
- Mobility: Our software-only approach eliminates the need for specialized hardware, making the network truly mobile[2].
SD-WAN and SASE are Evolving, Not Dying
SD-WAN isn't dead - it's evolving into something more comprehensive and better suited to modern enterprise needs. As Gartner's report suggests, the future of SD-WAN is intertwined with AI, security, and cloud-native architectures.
At Cloudbrink, we're leading the evolution of SASE with our Personal SASE solution, which reimagines SD-WAN, and therefore SASE, for the era of hybrid work. By integrating SD-WAN functionality into a broader, AI-driven security and networking framework, we're not just keeping SD-WAN alive - we're propelling it into the future.
The question isn't whether SD-WAN is dead, but how it's being reborn to meet the challenges of tomorrow's digital landscape. And at Cloudbrink, we're excited to be at the forefront of this transformation.
