Software-defined wide area networking, or SD-WAN, is the next frontier for the network edge. Multiple analysts report that the SD-WAN market is in the billions of dollars, with an annual growth rate in the 25% to 35% range. Managed service providers and carriers globally are increasingly deploying managed SD-WAN services to reach new markets. Almost all networking and security vendors have SD-WAN offerings, complicating the decision when choosing an SD-WAN solution.
Security and WAN connectivity decisions have become a collaborative decision between the security and networking teams. Prior to this, enterprise networking teams were responsible for setting up connectivity to major company locations, while connections to branches and remote offices fell to the enterprise WAN manager. In the meantime, dedicated security teams were tasked with procuring, deploying, and managing firewalls.