HPE's Aruba has announced its Software-Defined Branch (SD-Branch) solution, a new approach designed to help customers modernize branch networks for evolving cloud, IoT and mobility requirements.
The integration of new cloud-managed SD-WAN, wired and wireless networking solutions, secured with context-based policy enforcement, significantly advances IT professionals’ ability to deliver improved network availability and application performance, while dramatically reducing management time and operational and capital expenditures.
The influx of mobile and IoT devices, greater reliance on cloud-based applications, and shrinking IT budgets are having a profound impact on IT organizations. Branch operators also face increased complexity and inefficiencies with a multiplicity of different tools for managing the network and security from different vendors.
Aruba’s SD-Branch solution integrates new Aruba Branch Gateways with Aruba’s enhanced Aruba Central cloud management platform to provide a single point for SD-WAN, wired and wireless networking and policy enforcement.
The solution is designed to offer advantages over pure-play SD-WAN offerings including a reduced device footprint, streamlined deployment of large-scale distributed installations, and lower WAN connectivity costs for branch customers.
“Retail, hospitality, and healthcare organizations with multiple locations need to manage a lot of complexity in their branch environments with a limited IT presence,” Aruba senior director and general manager of Southeast Asia and Taiwan Justin Chiah said.
“This is exacerbated by cloud services that impact the WAN infrastructure, as well as new IoT devices that are straining IT security and management capabilities.”
Chiah went on to explain that Aruba’s Software Defined Branch solution brings together SD-WAN with WLAN, LAN, and security under a single, software-defined framework for policy and segmentation.
“This simplifies IT operations as organizations can now manage their entire branch network from Aruba Central cloud management while enabling non-technical teams to onboard new networks,” he said.
First published in NetworksAsia