The IT environment is increasingly distributed thanks to remote work and the Internet of Things (IoT). Hundreds or even thousands of devices are now accessing the network from outside the corporate data center, making it difficult to ensure performance, reliability and security. These challenges have contributed to the rise of the edge computing model.
Connectivity
In a recent global survey, almost 80 percent of remote workers reported difficulties connecting to company IT resources. Many of these challenges are related to legacy WAN architectures that don’t support today’s connectivity requirements.
Organizations are increasingly reliant on WAN connectivity for branch locations and remote sites. Employees need a reliable and secure network to access corporate IT resources and cloud services. Bandwidth demands are growing due to the rise of latency-sensitive applications such as video conferencing.
Software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) adoption has been driven by a need for greater agility, reliability and performance. Legacy WAN architectures are complex, expensive, and difficult to provision, maintain and support. SD-WAN creates a more intelligent network that reduces telecom costs and simplifies remote connectivity.
Communication and collaboration tools have been a lifeline for employees working from home. Voice and video conferencing, chat and instant messaging, presence, and document sharing have enabled remote workers to stay in contact with colleagues and streamline workflows.
