When purchasing vehicles, most buyers base their final choice on the vehicle feature set that best adheres to their needs and wants. One person might prefer a car that has a backup camera, heated seats and in-car Wi-Fi. Another buyer might opt for an SUV with a sunroof, four-wheel drive and extra seats. The decision ultimately comes down to which option ticks the most boxes on the checklist — and which one has the right price tag.

This strategy applies to most buying decisions, including those in the software-defined WAN market. Potential buyers should create a list of desired SD-WAN features that fulfill both their network and business requirements.

These requirements vary for each buyer. One company might deem granular management capabilities a crucial SD-WAN feature. An enterprise that frequently adds new locations might require SD-WAN software that offers scalability. And a financial company might be more concerned about choosing an SD-WAN option with security features that meet certain regulations.

This handbook explores a handful of SD-WAN features, including traffic management and built-in analytics, and describes how users can filter their options. It also discusses areas where vendor differentiation is lacking and where SD-WAN could use some help.

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