A Network of the Future: SD-WAN/Why We’re Implementing SD-WAN

OIT is upgrading our network to software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN) technology.

So what is SD-WAN?

Think of it like managing traffic on the road. If one route becomes blocked, all vehicles would be automatically rerouted down the same path, creating bottlenecks, similar to what our network, or traditional wide-area networking (WAN), does now.

Now think of traffic as information. With SD-WAN, if one route within the network slows down, data is intelligently managed and rerouted based on available bandwidth. Large files go in one direction, other files or data go in another. Information and files no longer have to compete for the same lane, or “space” in the same network.

SD-WAN accomplishes this by locating alternate internet service providers using private circuits or direct internet-only circuits (DSL/broadband, cellular and satellite). The result? A smarter, faster and more secure network that benefits our customers and the Coloradans they support.