Don’t Give in to “Un-Fortunate” SD-WAN Tactics

SD-WAN is the talk of the town these days. And rightly so – it’s a fantastic technology that improves application performance by allowing enterprises to broaden the use of faster, less expensive broadband Internet services in addition to private MPLS connections while delivering superior end user quality of experience.

Unlike traditional router-centric approaches, managing WAN connections is extremely simple – and automated – with SD-WAN. This means less time spent executing complex CLI commands and troubleshooting network impairments. Having said that, if a vendor tells you that this impressive technology is “free,” it raises eyebrows. If it doesn’t, it should. If you are not wondering what’s their endgame, beware, as you could be in for the ride.

To me, the word “free” comes with a fair bit of caution. At first blush, it sounds attractive. But from experience, if something feels too good to be true, it often is. Coming back to SD-WAN, some vendors have started quoting SD-WAN for free. But the real question is, “is it?” And the answer is, “not really.”

Some of these vendors are old-school hardware companies that want to lock customers into their proprietary solutions and take away the flexibility today’s digital innovation brings. The tactical way to do it is by using a two-phased approach. First, increase unnecessary dependence on hardware platforms that may need to be replaced every 18 to 24 months to keep up with the latest software upgrades. And yes, hardware isn’t free. Second, overwhelm customers by packaging their complex software in premium bundles. These bundles are often confusing and are a way to increase the final sales price.

Moreover, because these vendors include multiple software offerings in such bundles, they charge heavily for training and support. That’s how vendors trick prospects into their technology for the long haul, because at the end of the day, it’s free, right? But then again, free isn’t always free.

An advanced SD-WAN platform provides compelling operational and financial benefits over SD-WAN solutions that only offer basic capabilities. For a detailed, quantitative evaluation of your organization’s strategic and operational rationale for investing in Aruba SD-WAN, please reach out to the Aruba Value Management team at valuemanagement@hpe.com.