SD-WAN and AI are the perfect fit, delivering enhanced network resiliency, responsiveness, and efficiency.
Gartner predicts by 2027 that roughly 70% of network operators will use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) for Day 2 SD-WAN management. In early 2024, that figure only totaled 5%. Together, those numbers paint a very clear picture.
AI is a game-changer, and people now see the writing on the wall. They recognize the potential inherent in AI-driven network operations, which means they will increasingly seek AI-focused SD-WAN vendors.
But what sort of capabilities will those vendors offer? Learn more about how SD-WAN is embracing the latest AI capabilities to deliver best-in-class network performance.
Streamlined network management
Remember when enterprise networks were simple? You had a few workstations, a firewall, and maybe a server or two. Modern SD-WANs aren’t like that.
Instead, they’re sprawling ecosystems filled with multiple endpoints, users, applications, and data flows. The traffic alone is too much for a network operator to track unassisted, never mind alongside everything else.
The human brain simply isn’t built to process such a massive volume of information. That’s where AI-powered SD-WAN excels.
An AI-driven SD-WAN platform can ingest data from across an organization’s entire network to employ proactive traffic management. It can predict spikes and automatically adjust routing, resources, and policies to compensate.
The platform can also apply the same functionality for predictive maintenance, ensuring human operators only need to get involved when the AI encounters something it truly can’t handle.
Improved network security
What does the human body have in common with an AI-driven SD-WAN? More than you think.
Similar to how our bodies possess an autonomous immune system designed to ward off bacteria and viruses, AI-powered SD-WAN can automatically identify, analyze, and remediate potential security threats.
AI can also dynamically apply and enforce policies around security models like Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), introducing an additional barrier for threat actors.
AI-driven security also operates 24×7, keeping everything safe even when an attack happens outside regular business hours. For security teams, this means less time spent investigating and remediating attacks and more time exploring new ways to keep their organization’s people, systems, and data secure.
Effortless troubleshooting
Artificial intelligence is revolutionary, but it’s not infallible. It also does not replace human expertise. Even the most sophisticated AI-driven SD-WAN will occasionally require human intervention.
But that intervention doesn’t have to be painful.
Instead, an AI-driven SD-WAN pairs extensive network telemetry with AI-powered analytics to provide operators with comprehensive insights into network performance and aid in root cause analysis. Some solutions even propose recommended remediation and troubleshooting steps.
Zero-touch provisioning
SD-WAN configuration and deployment no longer needs to be a timesink.
Artificial intelligence allows administrators to simplify and automate both deployment and configuration. Instead of logging in and configuring each device, admins can create templates that automatically apply the correct settings to each newly-provisioned system.
A deployment process that may have previously taken hours, possibly even days or weeks, can now be reduced to only a few minutes.
What does the future hold for AI-powered SD-WAN?
The capabilities described all have one natural endpoint: Fully autonomous SD-WANs.
Dynamic, self-directed virtual networks are designed to enable and empower your people, requiring far less human intervention.
This future is closer than you think. Near the end of last year, Tsinghua University in Beijing launched the world’s first Level 4 autonomous network, a full decade sooner than anyone expected. An L4 telecommunications network is also expected to be launched in China within the next three years.
Plus, there’s already technology like Juniper Mist, the industry-leading cloud-based AI networking platform that powers our flagship SD-WAN solution. Leveraging sophisticated artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science, Mist gives operators unprecedented visibility into and control over their networks.
Embrace smarter SD-WAN with Momentum
Thanks to artificial intelligence, SD-WAN technology has evolved. Gone are the days of basic network abstraction and manual optimization. AI-driven SD-WANs will power the next generation of networking.
Thanks to innovations like zero-touch provisioning, they’re easier to deploy and configure. They’re also self-healing and self-optimizing, making them more reliable and cost-effective. Most importantly, they can autonomously protect themselves against ever-changing security threats.
Advanced technology like Momentum’s AI-powered SD-WAN is only the beginning. As more organizations rely on AI-driven networking, innovation in the field will only accelerate.
Are you looking to integrate AI-powered SD-WAN into your networks? Schedule a meeting to see how we can help.
