Software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) is a technology that allows you to manage and control your wide area network (WAN) using software, rather than hardware.

This is different from traditional networking models, which typically rely on dedicated hardware devices to manage and control the network.

While SD-WAN technology has been around for a while, it’s grown increasingly attractive in recent years as companies shift into the cloud, and embrace more complex, agile communication processes.

In recent years, demand for this technology has increased, accelerated by the rising adoption of UCaaS and collaboration tools. Experts predict the SD-WAN market will be worth around $19 billion by 2032.

SD-WAN essentially gives IT experts and business leaders a convenient way to manage the stress of managing the modern workplace, defined by countless crucial applications and software tools.

One of the key features that SD-WAN vendors should offer is the ability to dynamically route traffic across the network. This allows the SD-WAN to use algorithms and policies to automatically determine the best path for traffic

The benefits of SD-WAN include everything from better centralized control of bandwidth subscriptions to a wider variety of network options and dynamic path selection. Used correctly, SD-WAN helps to better synchronize and synergize teams in a collaborative environment.

With SD-WAN, companies can improve employees’ interactions with latency-sensitive collaboration applications or VoIP platforms.