SD-WAN deployments show the power of software-defined networking and virtualization to improve bandwidth efficiency and deliver application performance, and now this software-centric approach is being applied to the unique requirements of branch offices.

Known as SD-Branch, this next step in the evolution of branch technology can be defined as a single hardware platform that supports SD-WAN, routing, integrated security and LAN/Wi-Fi functions that can all be managed centrally.

Other SD-Branch benefits include:

• The ability to right-size hardware requirements for each branch thanks to software virtualization.
• A smaller hardware footprint, which is ideal for space-constrained branches.
• Network performance scalability.
• Lower power consumption because one power-efficient platform replaces many appliances.

Read the report by Lee Doyle, Simplifying the Branch Network to see how IT can optimize resources and reduce overall branch costs.