Liberty Living
Focus Group manages a hosted phone system for this busy accommodation provider, to ensure seamless communication.
SD-WAN
Powerful multi-site networks delivered by Focus Group. Take advantage of a secure, reliable and flexible software defined wide area network (SD-WAN) that provides network connectivity, which dynamically allocates network capacity and resources whilst launching new digital transformation initiatives.
Harness the power of SD-WAN no matter your business size
Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) gives businesses of all sizes the ability to manage connectivity across multiple sites from a single dashboard while enabling cloud connection with greater speed, reliability and efficiency. SD-WAN will deliver unrivalled performance across your organisation, no matter your industry.
With over 20 years of award-winning experience in connectivity services, our ISP relationships are unrivalled. We ensure the best service across all connectivity providers across all your sites, for all businesses, big and small.
We regularly benchmark our providers, and only the top 5 make it into our SD-WAN solutions. Plus, we'll handle the complex migration process, with no downtime and excellent customer experiences and support throughout.
Get agile – make the move to fully managed software defined WAN
Until now, legacy WAN connections have traditionally been complicated, with low bandwidth and expensive maintenance making it challenging to change. With SD-WAN, those problems are history.
Adding a flexible software overlay on top of existing WAN hardware infrastructures instantly alleviates WAN complexity, making it easy for IT to manage services over the network.
Benefits of deploying SD-WAN
Deploy applications in minutes
SD-WAN greatly accelerates application deployment, allowing your business to set up, launch and utilise applications in a matter of minutes. This rapid deployment can enhance operational efficiency and ensure quicker access to essential tools and services.
Automated deployment
Wave goodbye to manual configurations and human error. SD-WAN automates deployment processes, streamlining network setup and updates. Automated deployment means your IT teams can focus on big-picture issues, like strategic tasks and reliable network performance.
Create hybrid environments
SD-WAN uses the internet to augment - or completely replace - MPLS through any form of connectivity. Switch carriers, mix and match using leased lines, broadband and cellular networks to bring your private and public cloud connections securely onto the WAN.
Simplify branch connectivity
SD-WAN simplifies branch connectivity by providing centralised management and automated network configurations. This reduces the complexity and enhances network performance across all your sites, allowing your business to scale quickly and efficiently.
Portal-based automations
Through portal-based automation, SD-WAN allows for single, centralised control of network operations and management. Utilising a user-friendly interface, SD-WAN simplifies configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting whilst enhancing the overall reliability of your network.
Secure cloud connectivity layer
SD-WAN provides a secure cloud connectivity layer, ensuring encrypted data transmission whilst protecting against cyber threats. This enhanced security offers reliable and safe access while maintaining high performance and compliance with regulatory and industry standards.
Why should multi-site organisations adopt SD-WAN?
Our SD-WAN solutions will allow your business to:
- Stabilise: Eliminate common issues, keep stores operating for longer, identify root causes, deploy the best connectivity available at each store, create store operational independence and improve security
- Standardise: Create a common blueprint, enable zero-touch deployment, have predictable expenditure, centralise security and reduce cost of maintenance
- Optimise: Implement automation, have access to real-time data and reduce 1st line support tickets
- Enhance: Deliver new customer experience requirements, adapt to new challenges and do the unexpected.
SD-WAN architecture for enterprise
For over two decades, Focus Group has been at the forefront of Cisco technology, delivering some of Cisco’s most complex and first ever deployments worldwide. In 2022, our unique SD-WAN deployments using DevOps and Code won us Cisco’s Partner of the Year award for API and Innovation.
Specialists in Cisco SD-WAN connectivity
Our long-standing SD-WAN work speaks for itself:
- We’re a specialist Advanced Cisco Partner, 1 of 20 Cisco Elite Partners in the UK and a Cisco Premier Managed Services Provider.
- We are a trusted pair of hands for Cisco, Meraki and Fortinet SD-WAN deployments.
- We build and manage hybrid cloud and multi-cloud environments that are secure, stable and easy to scale.
- We were the #1 UK Meraki Commercial Partner in 2021, and were ranked in the TOP 10 Cisco Meraki SD-WAN Partners across EMEA.
- As a Cisco Managed Service provider, we support over 31,000 Meraki Devices globally and are the only Elite Partner working with Cisco Globally on Cisco’s Managed Service SD-WAN offering
- Our Cisco Customer Satisfaction rating is 5 out of 5 (100%).
Experts in SD-WAN architectures and more
Focus Group is an accredited Cisco Viptela and Meraki SD-WAN Managed Service Partner. But that’s not all! Our in-house carrier division means you’re able to take advantage of any ISP and carrier to enable the best API-driven SD-WAN solution for your infrastructure or geographic coverage.
In other words, wherever your users and apps are located, we can connect and secure them in the most cost and performance-optimised way.
Our specialist SD-WAN expertise includes:
- Traffic control and security
- Dynamic multi-path optimisation and routing
- Load balancing and traffic prioritisation
- Secure cloud and branch-to-branch connectivity
- Automation and orchestration
- Bandwidth/end-user experience monitoring
- Virtualised security
SD-WAN deployment process
Network as a service
Our unique API deployment and orchestration methodology automates network deployment, so you can reach your networking ‘destinations’ quicker and at less cost. We recently enabled a major retailer to roll out SD-WAN to 640 sites in just over 5 hours!
In total, we enabled over 3,000 wireless access points, 100 cellular gateways, 944 switches, 700 Meraki MX security and SD-WAN appliances.
Management and support services
We’ll monitor the status, performance and health of your SD-WAN solution, proactively resolving any incidents and problems. That includes remediating any security threats and incidents as they happen. We’ll also keep your environment constantly updated with the latest releases, ensuring it's tuned to your evolving business, application and security requirements.
SD-WAN professional services
We’ll create detailed designs for both overlay and underlay services, including transitions from and interoperability with your current solutions, after which we’ll migrate your locations and users and take care of deployment.
Brewers
Brewers, with over 150 retail locations, streamlined its network services in order to provide an enhanced customer experience.
Sussex County Cricket Club
While the team focus on their performance on the pitch, Focus Group focus on providing essential technology services to the club.
Frequently asked questions
What is SD-WAN?
SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) is a network management solution that uses software to control connectivity, management, and services between data centres, remote branches, and cloud instances.
By detaching network hardware from its control mechanism, SD-WAN simplifies the management and operation of a WAN. Ultimately, SD-WAN enhances performance, reduces costs, and increases flexibility by enabling dynamic path selection and centralised control over network traffic.
What is SD-WAN used for?
Legacy WAN connections are complicated, expensive to maintain, offer low bandwidth, and can be painful to change, in turn halting innovation and growth. SD-WAN is the answer and puts you in control - making it possible to leverage cutting-edge network technologies and easily manage services over a multi-site network.
What does SD-WAN replace?
At Focus Group, we’ll help you plot your path to software-defined ‘everything’ – connecting physical locations, public and private networks, plus cloud environments to enable optimal digital flexibility to your organisational infrastructure.
Our SD-WAN expertise covers traffic control and security, dynamic multi-path optimisation and routing, load balancing and traffic prioritisation, secure cloud and branch-to-branch connectivity, automation and orchestration, end-user-experience monitoring and virtualised security.
What are the key benefits of SD-WAN?
SD-WAN allows companies to build higher-performance WANs using lower-cost and commercially available internet access. It enables businesses to partially or wholly replace more expensive, private WAN connection technologies such as MPLS.
What is Cisco SD-WAN?
Cisco SD-WAN is a highly secure, cloud-scale architecture that is open, programmable and scalable, with integrated capabilities for multi-cloud, security, unified communications and application optimisation – built on a SASE foundation. It’s used to connect data centres, branches, campuses and colocation facilities to improve network speed, security and efficiency.
What is the difference between SDN and SD-WAN?
The main difference between a software-defined network (SDN) and SD-WAN is how they are used. While SDNs address the modern networking needs of managing local area networks (LANs) or operator-managed networks, SD-WANs are used to connect geographically distributed locations and remote users.
How reliable is SD-WAN?
SD-WAN has proven to be a flexible, robust and reliable alternative to traditional private network connections. A Cisco SD-WAN doesn't require a backhaul to a data centre, which allows branch offices to connect more easily to the internet. This translates into better performance, lower latency and higher-performing connectivity. In addition to this, business IT support services will constantly monitor for faults in the network, rectifying any issues before they occur.
How is SD-WAN different from a VPN?
SD-WAN and VPN both provide secure connections, but SD-WAN offers more advanced features. SD-WAN uses software-defined technology for dynamic path selection, centralised management, and enhanced performance across multiple locations. It optimises traffic and reduces latency. In contrast, VPNs primarily create secure point-to-point connections over the internet without the advanced traffic management and optimisation capabilities an SD-WAN provides.
What are the benefits of API-driven SD-WAN?
Unlike traditional router-centric WAN architectures, SD-WAN is designed to fully support applications hosted in on-premises data centres, public or private clouds and SaaS services such as Salesforce.com and Microsoft 365. In a nutshell, SD-WAN delivers the highest levels of application performance and better quality of experience for users. Plus, organisations can instantly deploy the right security in the right place, all from a single dashboard, protecting end users from a multitude of security threats, while safeguarding the business against data exfiltration and insider threats.
What is SD-WAN architecture?
SD-WAN architecture allows businesses to leverage any combination of services – including MPLS, LTE and broadband internet services – to securely connect users to applications. The technology centralises network control, creating a network overlay that enables IT to remotely configure, manage, monitor and secure most aspects of the WAN including edge devices and traffic flows.
Do I need a firewall with SD-WAN?
While SD-WAN optimises and manages network traffic, a firewall provides critical protection against cyber threats by monitoring and controlling incoming and outgoing network traffic based on security rules. Integrating a firewall with SD-WAN ensures comprehensive security, combining optimised performance with robust threat protection and compliance.
