SD-WANs changes traditional WAN value chains significantly. Typically, WAN solutions were sold as devices to both service providers and enterprises by networking companies. Service providers served enterprise clients with managed services. SD-WAN alters this value chain by enabling pure-play SD-WAN solution providers to sell directly into enterprises, delivering cloud managed SD-WAN services. This poses a threat for service providers, hampering traditional sources of revenue. However, this shift from traditional forms of WAN management to SD-WAN poses a unique opportunity for service providers as well. MSPs and CSPs across the world can offer managed SD-WANs as a cost-effective alternative to traditional MPLS and embrace this shift to onboard new SMB clients. With SD-WAN, service providers can also create value enhancements to their enterprise clients and further strengthen their competitive positions.

SD-WANs are a strategic extension to Hybrid WANs by including a tactical set of software-defined tools and techniques. These include centralized, application-based policy controllers, network analytics, software overlays to abstract underlying networks among others. The application of these tools in tandem with physical and virtual appliances at the base and branch networks combined with the implementation of cloud-driven services helps enterprises and users to design and deploy enhanced intelligence at the WAN. Apart from delivering improved technical WAN capabilities, SD-WANs also come with lower hardware delivery costs coupled with the ability to perform faster and automated deployments.

SD-WAN solutions are set to disrupt the WAN ecosystem and are pulling in critical momentum for mainstream market adoption. With over 3000 companies having already deployed SD-WAN solutions, the results from the early adopters are positive and enables solution and service providers to create best practices for enterprises across multiple industries. The disruption of traditional networking and security industries through software defined methodologies has been happening over the last 5 years and the current year is a critical phase where SDX will start to become the preferred model for technology deployment across enterprise IT. The market opportunity for SD-WAN across the globe is significant and offers a new value-driven opportunity for communication service providers, managed services providers, SD-WAN solution providers, resellers and distributors. Arcluster forecasts the worldwide SD-WAN market to reach $7.53 billion in revenues in 2021.