The world has been talking a lot about the “new normal” that’s coming our way post-pandemic, and it’s not limited to masks and social distancing. Organizations are evolving to the point where the network perimeter is highly dispersed. Fixed office locations are giving way to remote and mobile users; applications and servers are quickly moving to cloud services and security threats have increased. In essence, there’s no longer a safe corporate network or a dangerous Internet—there’s only “the network.” And if you’re still operating on a single-threaded MPLS network, your business continuity, security and profitability are at risk.
Network upgrades don’t have to be daunting
Businesses continue to operate with outdated network components because they just can’t find the right time to disrupt their business while transitioning services. Add to that the uncertainty of this new post-pandemic economy, and you might think upgrading won’t happen this year. But not so fast! As your tech-partner-in-arms, we’re able to identify opportunities with your existing network and can suggest easy solutions that will improve the way you do business. And that alone could make transitioning worth it this year. Here’s why:
Get ahead of the curve
A lot of network providers will sunset their products over the next few years. And waiting until the last minute to upgrade means you’re using technology that is not providing the resilience and agility to meet your current needs—not to mention the trouble you’re having trying to band-aid any issues that pop up in the meantime. A proactive upgrade to a next-gen, SD-WAN technology—either as a replacement or complementary service—better positions your business to meet evolving demands and thrive in today’s environment.
Remote and mobile workforce
In these times of social distancing, it’s clear that the way your workforce supports your business will never be the same. Working from home, or from anywhere in the world, is not only doable, it will become the preference for some organizations. And that opens up a world of opportunities for talent and collaboration. But your business won’t benefit from it unless you have the tools that can handle moving at the speed of business. A next-gen SD-WAN network coupled with Unified Communications means the sky’s the limit when it comes to remote work capabilities.
Cloud cover
Let’s face it; you can’t run bandwidth-chewing cloud-based apps on copper T1s. And given the current environment, cloud-based computing is the new normal for businesses. As you enable more and more cloud-based apps to run your business, ensure you have the software and network you need to get the job done.
Network solutions for today…and tomorrow
If you think of an upgrade to SD-WAN technology as an investment in your business’ future, it’s really an easy decision. Paired with active-active connectivity, it allows for seamless failover, the needed resiliency and up to 100% uptime for critical applications, so you can deliver a superior customer experience. But it’s not just about connectivity and scalability. Managing your network is an important consideration and having the right tools to do it makes all the difference.
Our own SD-WAN ConciergeTM is a high-touch, white glove service, providing you full visibility and co-management to run your entire network—in real-time from a single pane of glass—from virtually anywhere and any device. You’ll find our award-winning WE Connect portal especially helpful, as it offers the benefits of an onboarding tool, a ticket management system, and a powerful Insights Engine that highlights the most important actions front and center in your view. Other benefits include:
- View all applications across the network
- Control all business and security policies
- Check Quality of Experience (QoE) scores
- Observe and manage latency, jitter and packet loss
- Rate limit or block unauthorized applications
- Establish priorities for every app, user and device
- Implement changes across all locations at once
- Leverage advanced reporting capabilities
- Utilize diagnostic tools for testing and troubleshooting
Try a demo and see for yourself
If you’d like to make a proactive upgrade to a next-gen, cloud-based technology to better position your business for collaboration, Windstream Enterprise is a partner you can trust. So why not give it a try? Reach out to our team and request a live demo today.
