Seven key developments for SD-branch in 2020

In the next few years, the connection of remote branch offices will become a key element of IT architecture. Enterprises need high-quality, reliable and secure cloud or data center-based application delivery, and enterprises must remotely establish a variety of user and IoT device networks.

Software-defined branch (SD-branch) technology can provide significant advantages in terms of deployment speed, operational simplicity and cost. By 2020, the number of vendors offering SD-branch services will increase, while the integration and management quality of existing products will improve.

Advances in software networking and virtualization have enabled vendors to package various network and security functions onto a unified platform. SD-branch simplifies network operations, consolidating wide area network connectivity -- such as software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) and routing -- as well as network security, LAN and Wi-Fi -- on a unified platform that is easy to deploy and manage. IT professionals can quickly deploy SD-branch as a complete service.

[[312802]]

Development of SD-branch in 2020

Here are seven key developments we expect in the SD-branch this year.

1. SD-branch implementation

Many network and security vendors currently offer SD-branch services, including Aruba, Cisco Meraki, Cradlepoint, Fortinet, Juniper Networks, Netsurion, and Riverbed. Other vendors are likely to launch SD-branch services by 2020.

Distributed enterprises will also increasingly deploy SD-branch for branch network refresh projects in 2020. Doyle Research expects the SD-branch market to grow from hundreds of millions of dollars in 2019 to billions of dollars in 2023.

2. Enhanced Wi-Fi capabilities

Wi-Fi will continue to be a critical technology for many branch locations, especially those that engage in customer-facing activities in retail, restaurants, and retail banks. SD-branch Wi-Fi capabilities will need to support continued technology advancements, such as Wi-Fi 6.

Many customers support multiple Wi-Fi applications, such as point of sale, employee connectivity, security cameras, guest Wi-Fi, and IoT applications. For these customers, Wi-Fi capabilities must include strong network segmentation and quality of service (QoS) capabilities.

3. 5G and 4G LTE

In most regions, cellular wireless technology has already evolved into an essential component of branch connectivity services. At a minimum, many enterprises will use 4G or 5G as a WAN backup service. However, as 4G and 5G data plans mature, enterprise customers will increasingly use wireless as an integral part or primary WAN service. Other customers will use 5G as part of their IoT connectivity strategy.

4. Improved security

Network software and network security technologies continue to merge into more comprehensive offerings. Both will increasingly rely on cloud-based intelligence. By 2020, SD-branch vendors will expand their security offerings to include endpoint, zero trust, cloud access security broker, and security information and event management capabilities.

Administrators can easily set unified security policies across Wi-Fi, LAN, and WAN. In addition, SD-branch vendors will deepen integration with leading network security vendors.

5. LAN to WAN Integration

Finally, SD-branch services should act as a network system rather than a collection of functional elements. Vendors have improved their ability to uniformly deliver QoS and security across Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and SD-WAN elements. IT managers should be able to set a policy between the LAN and WAN and easily determine which element (e.g., Wi-Fi or internet) caused an application downtime.

6. Improved management, automation, and orchestration

SD-branch should provide a consistent, unified platform for rapid deployment and centralized control of security policies, QoS, applications, users, and devices. Many SD-branch services are in the initial stages of integrated management across various service elements such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, SD-WAN, and security.

IT staff need to provide high-quality application performance on an end-to-end basis and quickly identify and correct application failures. By 2020, vendors will provide better management, automation and orchestration capabilities, better end-to-end visibility and integration of functional elements - for example, LAN and WAN.

7. Branch Office Data Center

By 2020, SD-branch services will expand beyond networking and network security to include edge computing, or data centers at branch offices. Enterprise organizations need local computing and storage to meet various application and compliance requirements, so organizations that deploy a large number of IoT devices will increase their demand for computing and storage.

Enterprises should integrate edge computing capabilities with local area network infrastructure. In addition, edge computing must be able to easily connect to relevant IaaS cloud resources - such as AWS and Microsoft Azure.

Advice for IT managers

Currently, SD-branch technology has been widely used in multiple regions and major vertical industries, including retail, financial services and manufacturing.

SD-branch has significant advantages, including rapid deployment, reduced complexity and lower management costs. In 2020, vendors will focus on improving elements of SD-branch, such as Wi-Fi and 5G, providing better management integration and adding edge computing capabilities. In addition, 2020 will see many new vendors enter the market, as well as a variety of management service products.

Enterprises should deploy SD-branch at new and temporary locations as an upgrade or replacement for smaller branch offices, stores, and other remote locations. SD-branch technology will mature in the next two to three years and may become the standard for branch network and IT deployments.