As we all known, SaaS application has made it easier for IT to distribute, manage, and update software for the global enterprise – but the simplicity of the technology does not come without caveats. With applications moving outside of data center and into the cloud, IT now must figure out ways to optimize connectivity and performance over the enterprise WAN.
Office 365, which is delivered as-a-service, has replaced Microsoft Office. It is one of the most popular SaaS applications for enterprises worldwide and still growing each day. End users, however, can connect only via Internet, which cannot guarantee performance. Though this is such a business-critical application (especially the “Skype for business” feature), companies often vastly underprepared their network to optimize application performance. So what’s an enterprise IT team to do?
Connecting Your Client to SaaS directly by MPLS ?
There is only a few SaaS providers allow customer to connect their HQ/Office to SaaS DC to accelerate the application performance. Companies like Microsoft make their SaaS applications available through its public cloud platforms – in this case, Azure – and allow customer connect from site to Azure DC with Direct Connection (ExpressRoute). But it can’t solve the connectivity issues as bellowing scenarios:
- Mobile users outside the location which direct connect to Azure.
- Customer has global brunch sites
In addition, SaaS applications -- especially Office 365 -- Require a WAN with WAN Optimization and adequate bandwidth. Office 365 users expect to be able to collaborate on Document/Files hosted in SharePoint in real time or host online video meeting in Skype for Business, All these applications require a stable network connection to remain productive. MPLS, however, isn’t not inherently WAN Optimized, which means IT departments have to implement WAN Optimization Hardware over MPLS and expend the resources to maintain them. They must also cut into the budget for additional bandwidth, which is both expensive and time-consuming to deploy.
When the connection is bad, due to latency, packet loss or jitter, the application performance will be affected for sure, which will reduce working efficiency a lot.
A good SaaS deployment starts with first recognizing that MPLS and/or the public internet will not lead to optimal outcomes for your global workforce, and then deploying smart, next-generation solutions that were built with this particular cloud environment in mind. (Such as AXESDN SD-WAN)
Choosing a proper connectivity Solution for your Saas Deployment
When you’re considering a SaaS deployment, here are the questions you must ask yourself and your strategic business partners in the feasibility study stage:
- Where the SaaS end client locate, or will locate? Are we going to test the connectivity to SaaS from each of the location? How to record and measure the connectivity and SaaS application performance?
- Do we have to spend time and money to build up a global MPLS private network with reserved redundant bandwidth to optimize the SaaS application performance and also deal with the burst traffic?
- Is WAN optimization hardware is necessary, and, if it is, do we have to postpone the SaaS deployment until we finish the WAN optimization hardware deployment?
If the upon questions give you pause, then you might want to try answering them with AXESDN’s global SD-WAN instead.
AXESDN’s global SD-WAN is the only SD-WAN which build by telco-carrier class SDN/NFV technology, global private network with 32 POPs (by the end of Mar. 2019).
NaaS (Network as a service) is a product we build on the global SD-WAN platform, you can connect all your global sites (Public Cloud VPC, SaaS, IDC, Headquarter, Branch Office or Mobile Client) together via encrypted tunnel over internet for last mile. NaaS solution can ensure your SaaS application performance anywhere in the world by its global private network and embedded TCP and application optimization features.
AXESDN’s NaaS for SaaS acceleration has bellowing unique advantages:
- Box-less (no need to implement hardware in the workspace)
- Pay-as-you-go (no need to do accurate bandwidth estimation)
- Can be deployed in days
- Embedded WAN optimization and QoS
- Embedded security
- Support dynamic routing protocol (OSPF, BGP etc…)
- Visibility (real-time bandwidth statistic)
- Custom alarm/notification
If you do need to scale (upgrade/downgrade) your bandwidth, it only takes a few hours to do so. We scale to meet your needs in different geographies. We’ve also already peered with major SaaS (Office365, Salesforce, Dropbox…etc) access points. That means users on the AXESDN network already have a pre-existing route into these SaaS access points, AXESDN will maintain the route table while SaaS operator do changes.
When it comes to deploying a SaaS application, you do have to think differently – not about how you might optimize your legacy WAN for a new technology, but about how you can employ next-generation WAN technology to improve your end users’ experience, productivity, and, ultimately, results.
AXESDN’s Global SD-WAN really provide the IT management an alternative/better solution for global WAN connectivity in the Cloud stage.
Contact us: sales@axesdn.com to get more info.
