SD-WAN & Wireless LAN
Data Networks: The Backbone of every Business Operation
With buzzwords like Cloud, Unified Communications and Mobile Responsive Design all over the media, it’s easy to forget that there are certain technologies that are at the heart of everything you do. That means that sometimes the easiest improvements in business communications can be achieved by going back to the basics and making sure that your data connections are up to speed.
For the modern business environment, there are two areas that you should focus on first.
What is SD-Wan technology?
Basically, the acronym stands for Software-Defined Wide Area Network. To help make this a little bit easier to understand, it’s best to look at where WAN technology was in the past.
If you have more than one business location, e.g., branch offices, corporate headquarters and data centres, then those would have to be connected using what is called WAN technology.
This setup uses the Internet and specialised hardware to make geographically separate locations seem like they have a direct private wire link.
SD-WAN does the same, but it does so without the need for specialty hardware. It’s entirely software based, providing far greater flexibility and cost savings.
How can your business benefit from SD-Wan?
There are several areas where your business operations will benefit, but let’s start with the most obvious.
Cost Savings
The cost of specialised WAN equipment can quickly spiral, especially when you have multiple locations that require interconnection to one central point. While these systems are very effective, they aren’t necessary anymore.
Software-based solutions are able to compete on both reliability and security, meaning that the cost saving doesn’t come at a risk.
Reliability And Security
You simply cannot afford to risk service interruptions when it comes to your multi-site connections. And in many ways, software solutions provide more reliability because the hardware they run on is not specialised to one function.
Any potential failures are much easier and less costly to rectify.
More Flexible Installation And Scalability
Business expansions are never an easy undertaking, but technology should not be the deciding factor. Nor should it be a critical point of failure when you expand beyond certain limits set by your hardware.
With an SD-Wan it is far easier to scale it to more locations and users as and when needed.
What is Wireless LAN Technology
A Wireless Local Area Network is basically what most people have at home these days to connect phones, tablets, laptops, and TVs to the Internet. While these WLAN routers for home use are pretty basic, there are options available for small, medium and large enterprises.
While there used to be very valid security concerns over the commercial use of WLANs, technology has advanced enough to solve for those risks. This means that forcing people to hook up to a physical wire is neither needed nor efficient.
Why should you consider a wlan for your business?
If you don’t already have wireless systems in place, then consider these 3 reasons and how they would impact your operational efficiencies.
Increased Connection Flexibility
Whether you’re expanding existing office space, or there are difficult to reach areas in your premises, WLAN offers a simple and very flexible solution. It means that you’re not forced to contract with a service provider to expand your office cabling which can be very disruptive to your business.
Expand And Grow With Ease
Any business expansion into a larger office area, or by adding more employees will not have to wait for physical network expansion. With the installation of additional wireless routers, you will be up and running much faster and at a fraction of the costs.
Create A More Flexible Work Environment
With modern agile work environments, you don’t want to tie your employees to physical locations. The more flexible your office space is, the more likely staff are to interact in a spontaneous and highly productive way. Being able to pick up a laptop and move to a meeting room, conferencing facility or just a quiet corner of the office makes it so much easier for employees to adapt to challenging tasks with fewer restrictions.
Contact Fixtel Today
Our business communications team at Fixtel has been working on WAN and LAN technology for over 20 years. Whether you’re running a small start-up, a large multi-national enterprise with global offices, or anything in between, our team has the experience to bring you the best solutions. By partnering with us, you will be able to take all the hassle and worry out of making the necessary upgrades. Our trained engineers will fully assess your needs and current operations to ensure you have an optimum configuration with the least amount of disruption.
Contact one of our advisers today and get all the advice you need to create a reliable, effective and highly flexible workspace.