In an email with an service provider client, he said that the SD-WAN news constantly contradicted itself. Of course it does! SD-WAN has quickly become like UC – a garbage can term for a white box CPE and all the functionality we can jam into it (or around it).
There are 3 versions if you will of SD-WAN.
1. CPE like SimpleWAN or Cradlepoint. In these cases, the SD-WAN is basically just CCNA in a box doing circuit bonding and simple failover. This is stuff any CCNA could have done with a Cisco 2600.
2. The other extreme is the SD-WAN network that Aryaka, Masergy and Big Leaf push. In my opinion, you are trading in your MPLS for their version of it.
3. The Velocloud version involves the network itself being SDN. It introduces an orchestration layer between the hardware and the network that allows for management, transparency, reporting, zero touch provisioning and more. It also includes the same functions as the CPE guys.
Explaining that story still needs to be done. And it seems that Velo is following in the footsteps of BSFT by not explaining “the Intel inside” story. BSFT never explained why Broadsoft and not PBX or why Broadsoft and not open source. That boat left the dock for UC. It is ready to leave the dock with SD-WAN.
As I wrote in the last post, the Story is vital. Stop using buzz words and start discussing business outcomes and benefits.