< Previousbusiness continuity 50 www.networkseuropemagazine.com Delivering business through resilient and reliable SD-WAN connectivity Ollie Wallington Head of Business Development Wireless Logic The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated the shift to digital platforms and fundamentally shook up the IoT landscape. Companies were left with no choice but to embrace digital transformation and reassess business configurations in the wake of lockdowns and social distancing guidelines across the globe.business continuity 51 www.networkseuropemagazine.com For many businesses, the only option is to expedite their adoption of flexible and cost-efficient network options to complement their cloud operations, delivering business continuity in what continues to be an uncertain market. Working with Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), or directly with IT Resellers, organisations can maintain efficiencies across their increasingly intricate and distributed network. Traditional WAN is becoming less prevalent as it can often restrict growth and agility requirements, due to its limitations in cloud environments. As a result, businesses are deciding to refresh their WAN and consider SD-WAN to help manage an increasingly distributed workforce across a wide area network. SD-WAN is a network that is abstracted from its hardware to create a virtualised network overlay that can span across large geographical distances and connect several locations to a central network. The technology relies on different forms of underlay communication, such as MPLS or ADSL. As well as fixed-line connectivity, we are seeing more and more projects now incorporating 4G and 5G as part of the SD-WAN connectivity piece, as a backup for improved security, network resilience and real-time connections. ness continuity ble SD-WAN connectivitybusiness continuity www.networkseuropemagazine.com 52 End-to-end network resilience While it’s been around since the early 2000s, it wasn't until recently that SD-WAN’s adoption has spiked, which has led to organisations working with MSPs, ISPs and IT Resellers to ensure connectivity solutions that were rapidly deployed at the beginning of the pandemic are sustainable in the long term. SD-WAN provides WAN simplification, bandwidth efficiency and lower costs, plus improved resilience and performance by using agnostic bearer services that minimise single points of failure across a wide area network. Retailers, in particular, are turning to SD-WAN and 4G as a failover solution to ensure uptime, and that they are always alive to transact in-store when a fixed-line goes down. SD-WAN’s efficiencies are also beneficial to smaller deployments, Any SD-WAN security strategy that is developed and implemented must be flexible and scalable enough to meet the organisation’s future infrastructure requirementsbusiness continuity www.networkseuropemagazine.com 53 such as satellite offices, and with critical applications such as voice and video. It can help choose the best path depending on latency, jitter and packet loss, and less critical applications can then be load balanced across multiple lines in order to optimise bandwidth. In addition, SD-WAN enables ISPs, MSPs and IT Resellers to take advantage of uniting public internet, cellular, private and now 5G across a single, virtual and high-capacity network offering. Cellular plays an important role in these deployments, acting primarily as a back-up to a fixed-line, in addition to providing the ability to rapidly deploy a connectivity solution where a fixed-line is not available. Confronting SD-WAN challenges SD-WAN is a game-changer for distributed networks to address the demands of digital transformation within organisations. Nevertheless, SD-WAN migration requires careful planning to overcome potential challenges. One of the biggest considerations for businesses and their IT partners is SD-WAN security. Cloud firewalls are no longer sufficient in today’s increasingly connected marketplace, meaning that companies need to ensure tighter security features are deployed, configured and consolidated to restrict potential cyber threats and ensure employees can continue working securely. What’s more, any SD-WAN security strategy that is developed and implemented must be flexible and scalable enough to meet the organisation’s future infrastructure requirements. ISPs, MSPs and IT Resellers can also show commitment to IoT security, through regular training, monitoring and auditing for their customers. Accreditations like the ISO 27001 information security management certification also demonstrates that the company takes the management of its customers’ data seriously. Businesses and their IT partners are also faced with the choice of selecting a network provider. Network resiliency and reliability are an important value proposition of SD- WAN, and they need to select providers that are best suited to their needs. To navigate these challenges, ISPs, MSPs and IT Resellers can partner with a specialist IoT connectivity provider as they deliver connectivity across multiple mobile networks under one platform and bill. These experts have the relationships, knowledge and experience to effectively manage such processes, as well as minimising the complexity of providing multiple mobile network profiles to customers. Future of the network SD-WAN brings businesses much-needed ROI in today’s unpredictable and fast-paced marketplace, by improving operational agility, efficiency and performance in the longer term. Additionally, with cellular connectivity integrated into the solution, it gives business leaders peace of mind with a backup solution to ensure uptime, and that networks can be monitored or redirected as needed to improve application availability. For ISPs, MSPs and IT Resellers, SD-WAN allows them to bolster their network proposition by adding a simple, secure and flexible 4G or 5G connectivity solution as a failover or as primary rapid deployment connectivity where a fixed line is not available, with help from an IoT managed service provider with expertise in the industry. While companies and their IT partners can reap the benefits of this technology, they also need to consider the security risks associated with deploying SD-WAN, in addition to choosing the right network for their business. Still, with the help of an IoT connectivity provider and as more companies move to SD-WAN, the migration process should become increasingly streamlined and less complex in the future. nsustainability in a digitally connected world www.networkseuropemagazine.com 54 Sustainability is the buzzword of our generation, leading to businesses and economies around the world considering how best to reduce or prevent emissions linked to human activities. In fact, a study by IMD stated that 62% of executives considered a sustainability strategy necessary to remain competitive, while 22% believed it was needed for the future. Today, organisations are taking this one step further by aligning their long term business strategy and green efforts, as it has become increasingly evident that sustainability needs to become a core part of modern business. What’s more, the events of 2020 have accelerated sustainability trends that were already starting to emerge across different sectors. Despite being one of the most unprecedented years in history, the global pandemic helped create a greater awareness of sustainability and highlighted the impact that we are having on the environment. Consumer preferences are now strongly impacted by sustainability, while investors are looking for ethical investments and job seekers want to work for socially responsible companies. As a result, strong, clear and concise strategies need to be communicated to these stakeholders to demonstrate that the business is committed to long term sustainability. Alan Hayward Sales & Marketing Manager SEH Technology Achieving sustainability a digitally connected worldsustainability in a digitally connected wor;d www.networkseuropemagazine.com 55 ability in cted worldsustainability in a digitally connected world www.networkseuropemagazine.com 56 Benefits of becoming a sustainable business It has become increasingly evident that sustainability has real business benefits when implemented into an organisation’s operations. Firstly from a brand perspective, many consumers now consider a company’s impact on the environment when choosing where to invest and purchase products or services. By promoting sustainability and going green, businesses will see an improvement in brand awareness in the longer term. Developing sustainable business practices can also help to establish more efficient operations, that streamline efforts and protect resources while enhancing employee productivity and reducing overall costs. In addition to improved business operations, integrating sustainability into the company’s strategy will also mean that business leaders are in a better position to meet changing regulations. There are a number of new regulations that have been introduced by governments across the world in recent years, so ensuring that businesses are able to comply with this is paramount. Not only can sustainability be used to lower costs, but it can also result in increasing profit. Organisations can drive value from their green efforts, attracting investors, stakeholders and new customers. Digital technology and environmental sustainability From the automotive and aviation sector to the technology and manufacturing industry, there is a clear global focus on limiting emissions. And these sectors all have one thing in common: digital technology. Digital technology and environmental sustainability are mutually reinforcing, as without new technologies it is often more difficult for companies to reduce their impact on the environment. Bringing emerging technologies and sustainable practices together needs to be at the forefront of the business' strategic thinking, not only as a way to meet changing consumer demands but also to differentiate itself from its competitors in the marketplace. Today, technologies like AI, IoT and Big Data play a significant role in combining digital expertise and sustainability. For example, PWC reported that AI technologies could be used to provide a myriad of benefits to the environment across urban, agricultural, industrial and mobility contexts. This highlights the opportunities for organisations to better understand and utilise digital technologies to drive their sustainability strategy to create business value. Furthermore, businesses are improving their data capture to bolster organisational processes and customer service, but also to better understand the lifecycle of their products and services. This understanding can be used to increase efficiencies, encourage innovation and enhance sustainability efforts in the long term. Developing a long term strategy It’s clear that businesses are facing increasing pressure to have a positive and active role in protecting people and the From a brand perspective, many consumers now consider a company’s impact on the environment when choosing where to invest and purchase products or services. By promoting sustainability and going green, businesses will see an improvement in brand awareness in the longer term.sustainability in a digitally connected world www.networkseuropemagazine.com 57 environment. As a result, a growing number of companies are taking action as sustainability is no longer optional in today’s marketplace. Understanding how to create a successful business strategy is vital in ensuring lasting organisational value. The first step is prioritising focus areas based on the organisation’s specific markets and value chain, before proactively setting targets and working in partnership to accelerate sustainable business innovation. Businesses then need to select the right metrics to ensure the strategy stays on track over time. Finally, communication plays an essential role in any sustainability plan. Businesses that share their key learnings both internally and externally with stakeholders are perceived to be more transparent in their sustainability efforts. Developing a sustainability strategy takes dedication and commitment from business leaders, employees and partners. However, once it's a success, there are a significant number of benefits that businesses will be able to gain in the long term. By taking advantage of emerging technologies in today’s digital economy, companies will be able to take this to the next level and bolster business value with improved efficiencies for their bottom line. nA three-step strategy to drive data centre performance sustainability datacentre performance www.networkseuropemagazine.com 58However, amid rising rack and power densities, there’s never been a better time to find a balance between the two, and right now, innovative engineering from hyperscalers, in addition to the impact of new GPU and processor technologies offered by the supercomputing community, is taking data centre performance to entirely new levels. Such is their impact within the sector, that one might argue, in fact, that right now legacy data centres present one of the biggest threats to the industry’s sustainability ambitions. And while growing interest and commitments from the industry’s largest brands is a step in the right direction, beginning with a focus on newly deployed facilities may not actually be the smartest way to achieve ‘data centre sustainability’ in the rest of the industry. Hyperscale influence When it comes to the deployment of energy efficiency programmes, there’s a definite divide between modern facilities and the vast majority of legacy data centres. On the one hand, hyperscalers, and indeed many colocation providers such as Kao Data, are designing and building ultra-efficient digital infrastructure systems, which are ingrained in energy efficiency and sustainability best practices. They have access to resource, scale and are constantly under the watchful eye of the market, meaning they have to stay one step ahead of the curve and become ‘early adopters’. Yet on the other, many legacy enterprise data centres were constructed before the current focus on sustainability and potentially without adherence to industry standards. So one might argue that, due to the time in which they were designed and built, they have now become inefficient and wasteful, at least when compared to the latest facilities. PUE and performance According to the Uptime Institute global data centre survey 2020, average PUE’s globally sit around 1.59. However, when we break it down by region it’s not quite as simple, and many variables – especially where the data trategy centre ce and nability Today there’s a common misconception that the pursuit of sustainability objectives demands a compromise – especially where data centre performance and reliability are concerned. Andy Connor Channel Director Subzero Engineering EMEA datacentre performance www.networkseuropemagazine.com 59Next >