Shulou(Shulou.com)06/01 Report--

There is no doubt that SD-WAN is a big vent in the current enterprise market.

Since the concept of SD-WAN was formally put forward in 2014, it has been widely recognized in the market. The vigorous development of SD-WAN in recent years reflects the strong demand of the market. According to the Gartner report, the proportion of companies deploying SD-WAN has risen rapidly from 1 per cent in 2015 to 30 per cent in 2018, and the global SD-WAN market will grow at an astonishing 70 per cent CAGR in the coming years.

Today's SD-WAN market has flooded into hundreds of enterprises, it can be described as noisy and flashy, bustling, gathering not only traditional router companies, cloud service providers, but also a large number of entrepreneurial companies, security companies, and even telecom operators hope to get a piece of the market. Because of this, who is the first to see the SD-WAN market, abandon flashy, landing value, who will be able to occupy the first opportunity in the future market.

The rapid transformation of enterprises and the release of network value behind the strong rise of SD-WAN is a strong demand for the release of network value. In the past few years, the wave of cloud computing has opened a change in business model, operation model and use mode, in which the traditional WAN network architecture appears to be stretched; in addition, with the accelerated pace of enterprise digital transformation, the integration of artificial intelligence technology into the business has become a general trend, and the enterprise network is facing more and more uncertainty. Because of this, as an important support of the enterprise's future development strategy, the value of the network in the era of cloud computing and digital transformation is being enlarged as never before.

How to release the value of the network has become one of the most important challenges in the era of digital transformation.

Huang Hang, an expert in SD-WAN technology, believes that the rapid rise of SD-WAN mainly comes from the four major demand drivers of enterprises.

First of all, user applications are undergoing great changes, and new high-bandwidth services and applications based on AI and high-definition video are being adopted on a large scale. And with the gradual commercial use of 5G, the growth rate of enterprises' demand for network bandwidth will be more obvious. "for example, in the financial industry, applications related to face recognition have been adopted on a large scale. In addition, applications such as retail store robots and high-definition video also bring obvious demand for bandwidth."

Second, enterprises are accelerating to the cloud, with applications such as ERP, OA and CRM gradually migrating to the cloud, increasing the demand for SD-WAN. "Cloud computing is one of the biggest driving forces of SD-WAN. At present, the pace of cloud adoption by domestic enterprises is accelerating. According to the data, 40.3% of Chinese enterprises have adopted cloud services, while industries such as retail are much faster than 40.3%."

Third, more and more Chinese enterprises begin to go out, the global business layout leads to new business growth, and at the same time brings the direct demand for SD-WAN.

Finally, a growing number of security threats and escalation of regulatory compliance are driving the growth of SD-WAN demand.

Driven by these requirements, enterprises hope to achieve a more intelligent and automated network connection through SD-WAN, organically connect mobile, edge, cloud and other workloads, and distribute network services as needed to achieve the effective release of network value.

* in the intertwined SD-WAN market, it is well known that most of the technologies contained in SD-WAN are not new, but a combination of technologies based on network transmission, routing, security and so on. However, SD-WAN is like a beautiful combination of punches, which can bring better network experience, more visual and convenient management, more perfect security and other advantages for the business. Therefore, SD-WAN has begun to have a huge impact on traditional routers, firewalls, WAN acceleration, dedicated lines and other markets.

This also makes traditional enterprise router companies, operators, WAN acceleration vendors, security vendors and other market participants have a complex mentality and strategies that need to be weighed repeatedly for SD-WAN. In addition to the entrepreneurial SD-WAN company hoping to make every effort to attack in the rising market of SD-WAN, most of the market participants are in the situation of attacking and defending in the market, hoping to seize the first opportunity in the SD-WAN market on the basis of ensuring the previous business.

Take the traditional router equipment company as an example, it usually occupies a dominant position in the traditional router market and has a large router user base. While SD-WAN is gradually causing a significant impact on the branch router market, most traditional router companies are taking the initiative to accelerate the pace of market layout. Take Cisco as an example. In recent years, Cisco has acquired SD-WAN-related technologies and products by acquiring SD-WAN start-ups such as Viptela and Meraki.

However, the SD-WAN idea of traditional router companies can not escape the mode of large integration, integrating the acquired product and technology stack into the previous router software. The advantage of this model is that existing router users can quickly have SD-WAN functions, while the disadvantage is that the product is easy to cover multiple code blocks and management framework, so it is very difficult to achieve integration, which is not conducive to the long-term reliability and continuity of the product.

Operators have also been actively participating in and laying out the SD-WAN market in recent years, somewhat similar to the layout of the cloud computing market a few years ago. Operators have natural advantages in network resources and hope to transform their roles with the help of the period of technological change. In the SD-WAN market, operators always occupy an important position, with a large number of high-quality backbone network resources, but the ability of software control and optimization is relatively weak, and it needs to be improved to meet the diversified and differentiated needs of customers in SD-WAN. In addition, operators also need to weigh the impact of SD-WAN on traditional dedicated line network services.

However, operators can cooperate deeply with SD-WAN product manufacturers on products, solutions and even business models, thus having a significant impact on the SD-WAN market.

Wan acceleration vendors are another important player in the SD-WAN market. SD-WAN has also had an important impact on the WAN acceleration market. "like traditional × × services, which can no longer meet the needs of enterprises with large bandwidth, high reliability and cloud access, SD-WAN can realize the function of pooled WAN links, and can access Direct Connect, MPLS and LTE, perceive WAN network conditions, and provide differentiated quality of service for different services." Huang Hang, a technical expert, said so.

For some market participants who do WAN acceleration and network security, they do not have the burden of the traditional router market, and have a huge WAN acceleration and × × user base, as well as strong WAN optimization software capability. to meet the needs of basic networking, it can also provide WAN acceleration, security protection and other functions, as well as a perfect customer service system. This type of market participant needs to focus on ensuring that the previous user base is upgraded to SD-WAN at the product and solution level.

Who will be the dark horse of the market the current SD-WAN market is in a period of rapid growth, the market pattern is far from determined, it can be said that all market participants have huge opportunities. So, who will be the big dark horse in the market?

From the author's point of view, after the initial development of the SD-WAN market, the market competition has entered the next stage. In addition to products and technology, the competition among market participants also needs to be supported by business models and service capabilities that are closer to the market.

First of all, SD-WAN product features will pursue a more secure and better business experience. In particular, the potential security problems of SD-WAN have become increasingly prominent, and the application of SD-WAN has created a new face for people such as blackmail viruses, APT, worms and so on. At present, most SD-WAN solutions only support IPSec × × and basic state security, which is powerless to face new threats and application layer complexity. In terms of business experience, SD-WAN is not only required to have business intelligent traffic scheduling, but also how to carry out × × and optimize the data transmission over the WAN to further enhance the business experience.

Second, SD-WAN will be more closely integrated with artificial intelligence technology and become more intelligent. Artificial intelligence technologies such as machine learning will be more and more integrated into SD-WAN, so that SD-WAN can accurately, dynamically and intelligently convert, adjust and bind network paths in real time, and further realize the automation and intelligence of SD-WAN management. At the same time, in order to cope with the escalating means, how to combine artificial intelligence, machine learning and external intelligence threats to build a three-dimensional security protection system of SD-WAN intelligent router is also the research direction of many manufacturers.

Finally, SD-WAN 's business model needs to be more in line with the market, and SD-WAN solutions need to adapt to changes in user needs. Therefore, for some small and medium-sized users, SD-WAN needs to provide operational services to meet the needs of this type of users on a rent-and-on-demand basis; for example, combined with the trend of business cloud, SD-WAN solution needs to complete support and adaptation with mainstream cloud, and so on.

Among the many SD-WAN companies, convinced is undoubtedly a company worthy of long-term attention, and is likely to become one of the dark horses in the future market. "convinced wants to be an attacker in the SD-WAN market." Huang Hang called a spade a spade.

Convinced in the SD-WAN market, the strategy is to focus on five major business application scenarios: multi-WAN routing, cloud-network convergence, global access acceleration, chain networking and security networking, focusing on expanding medium and large enterprises, finance, government, retail and other fields, fully meet the needs of the SD-WAN era in products and business models, and help enterprise users build new WAN capabilities in the SD-WAN era. Acquire network value and capability in the era of digital transformation.

Around the strategy, we are convinced that there are two directions to attack in the SD-WAN market: one is that SD-WAN replaces traditional direct connect routers, and the other is that SD-WAN replaces traditional × × devices. "convinced that there are more than 20, 000 users in the × × market and have a very good user base." In addition to providing × × users to switch to the SD-WAN path, I am convinced that we will further expand the Red Sea market to replace traditional Direct Connect routers. "the WAN requires easier deployment and more intelligent operation and maintenance, while traditional routers are indeed inconvenient in deployment, use and operation and maintenance, and it is difficult to meet the demand for a better business experience. Especially under the general trend of enterprises on the cloud, it is difficult for traditional routers to meet the needs of easy deployment and easy operation and maintenance on the cloud. "

In order to ensure the market attack, we are convinced that we have made adequate preparations in terms of products, technologies, solutions and business models.

First of all, at the product level, we are convinced that SD-WAN products meet the needs of branch panoramic adaptation, providing miniature routing and switching integrated SD-WAN gateways for small branches, SD-WAN devices with acceleration for medium and large branches requiring higher business access experience, cloud vCPE software deployment for enterprises, and secure converged SD-WAN gateways for branches with security protection and acceleration requirements. Meet all business scenarios such as chain stores, medium and large branches, data center, cloud, etc.

Secondly, at the technical level. We are convinced that we have launched a secure SD-WAN 2.0 solution, which is closer to the needs of users in terms of application experience and deployment operation and maintenance management.

1. In terms of application experience:

Multi-WAN intelligent routing to improve bandwidth utilization: SD-WAN achieves load balancing of multi-link traffic through intelligent application identification and intelligent load scheduling mechanism, increasing bandwidth utilization to 100%.

Wan acceleration technology to enhance business experience: SD-WAN built-in efficient WAN acceleration module, through link optimization, data optimization, application optimization, video optimization, packet load and other technical means to accelerate end-to-end business access. The technology has been well verified in many customers, with an average compression ratio of 40%, 50%, and a 3-fold increase in access speed.

Fault second switchover ensures business experience: it is difficult to avoid link failure or link congestion in the process of service transmission. Through SD-WAN preset failover and fault QOE detection of the best line technology to achieve second handover, achieve business awareness and greatly ensure business experience.

two。 Headquarters visual monitoring to improve the efficiency of operation and maintenance:

Branch minute deployment online: SD-WAN implements branch minute deployment online through two innovative technologies: email opening and AUTO × ×. Through the central controller to send branch network configuration, IPSec × × configuration, access center management configuration, security configuration, etc., greatly shorten the launch cycle and reduce the complexity of the launch, and truly achieve branch zero IT.

The monitoring of the whole network can be visualized by displaying branch health, link congestion and application QOE status through the large image on the home page of the central management platform and the big image of × × topology. Through the management platform, we can achieve unified distribution of network policies, unified upgrade, remote access and so on, achieve rapid fault location and policy adjustment, and greatly improve the efficiency of operation and maintenance.

3. Strengthen the application of AI and security technologies:

Integrate more AI technology and security technology into the SD-WAN solution to achieve application self-awareness and scene self-awareness, and combined with the deep accumulation of conviction in the security field, through machine learning to achieve security situation awareness and policy self-adjustment.

Third, at the solution level, we are convinced that SD-WAN provides corresponding solutions for government, enterprise, financial and other industries, and introduces solutions for business scenarios such as Hybird WAN scenario, global business layout, business cloud, and multi-DC interconnection, to meet the multi-faceted needs of users.

Finally, in the business model, I am convinced that the previous product-based SD-WAN delivery mode has been adjusted to a product + service-oriented dual mode, and a new operational SD-WAN service has been added. In this way, we can not only provide product-based SD-WAN delivery for customers with WAN self-building and self-maintenance capabilities, but also benefit cost-sensitive enterprises through operational SD-WAN services.

Convinced also actively participated in the standard-setting work related to SD-WAN. It is reported that Shenxin has repeatedly participated in the discussion of relevant standards in the SD-WAN white paper of the China Institute of Information and Communication, and has become the first trusted cloud through SD-WAN. Product type certification of SD-WAN manufacturers.

In the end, the biggest change brought about by SD-WAN is to shift the WAN from network-centric to user-centric. Therefore, the key to determine the outcome of the market is how to be closer to the real needs of user applications for the wide area network in terms of products, technologies, solutions and even business models.

Every change of technology means a huge market opportunity. The rise of SD-WAN will inevitably bring about the reorganization and replacement of the market pattern of WAN routers. Whether it is traditional router companies, cloud service providers, or entrepreneurial companies, WAN acceleration companies, telecom operators, we all have huge opportunities, but their business starting points and strategies are different.

The second half of SD-WAN has just begun. Let's wait and see how the market will be in the future.

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