Category: Featured Blog

13 Ways To Onboard Happy Employees and Increase Retention

Amanda Nardi

A good onboarding process can help you increase retention and make sure new hires get up and running quickly. Get our favorite tips for better onboarding.

The onboarding experience is a crucial first impression for your new hires. As an employer, it offers the opportunity to set people up for success within your company, and feel that they’ve made the right choice in joining your team.

In this way, onboarding is also helpful for employee retention. A great onboarding process helps new hires become effective employees sooner, which builds their confidence and helps them grow.

Read more.

For further inquiries please contact Melissa Putterman: [email protected] || w:929-236-9750

The Next-Gen Technology Landscape of the Healthcare Sector

Amanda Nardi

Contributed by Cigniti Technologies.

The healthcare sector is expected to touch $390.7 billion by 2024. Let us discuss the next-gen technologies that are going to impact the healthcare sector.

  • Internet of Things (IoT): Sensor-embedded devices exchanging information over the internet (IoT devices) are finding their way across technology landscapes. These have found usage in the healthcare sector and are making a profound impact on the health of users. By redefining or reshaping diagnostics, disease management, and preemptive care, IoT devices, including the wearables, will become more common in future. To ensure the success of these devices so that they are able to manage life threatening conditions, healthcare software testing should be the norm. Let us understand how IoT devices can be of help in the healthcare sector in the days to come.
    • Tracking locations in real-time: One of the major challenges the healthcare staff needs to grapple with is locating medical devices in real time. For example, portable devices like nebulizers, scales, defibrillators, and ECG devices, among others, are often moved across the healthcare facility. They are often left at places where finding them can become a challenge, especially when there is an emergency. However, should these devices or apparatus be equipped with IoT sensors, they can be easily monitored in real-time. This can help the stakeholders to monitor and manage the healthcare environment.
    • Share health data: Physicians are often challenged by the lack of data concerning the vital parameters of patients. These may include blood pressure, heart rate, and calories burnt, among others. In the absence of such data, carrying out correct diagnosis can become difficult leaving the patients in limbo. However, wearable IoT enabled devices can allow the sharing of vital parameters of patients leading to a quicker and accurate diagnosis. To make sure these devices perform to their optimum and do not suffer from glitches, conducting healthcare application testing becomes a critical requirement.

As IoT based devices capable of providing real-time data become commonplace, efficient diagnostics and care will increase. They will help healthcare professionals in saving lives with the help of data, analytics, and better decision making.

  • 3D Printing: This technology is used to create physical objects from digital data. The examples of 3D-printed prosthetics and human heart model are helping amputees and medical professionals, respectively. The global market for this technology is expected to reach $2,319.5 million by 2020. Let us discuss the latest innovations in 3D printing.
    • Prosthetics: One of the major challenges amputees face in wearing prosthetics is a lack of customization. Prosthetic devices made in the assembly line are made as per general measurements. This is where 3D printing has come as a godsend for physically-challenged patients. Here, patients’ exact specifications concerning the body part(s) are obtained digitally and personalized variants of prosthetics are built. These provide greater maneuverability to the patients, helping them lead their lives with ease.
    • Tissue engineering: The technology helps to recreate damaged tissues and intricate body parts – printed ears, hands, livers, eyes, or hearts. This can be of great help in trauma cases where patients have lost a body part, organ, or tissue. Tissue engineering helps to create functional constructs for damaged tissues or organs. Here, engineered materials combined with stem cells can create the required cell type.
    • Surgical tools: Surgery is becoming more precise with less incisions to be made. This calls for personalized surgical tools to help surgeons in making precise incisions and implanting medical devices. 3D printing with its disruptive application can bring about greater personalization and cost benefits.
  • Artificial Intelligence: This is defined as machines induced with intelligence having the ability to mimic human brain functions. The healthcare sector can benefit immensely by embracing AI. It can drastically improve patient outcomes with medical professionals leveraging AI-enabled medical knowledge. AI-enabled systems can help medical professionals with real-time, relevant, and quality information to derive suitable inferences. These can help in reducing the cost of treatment, elimination of unnecessary procedures, streamlining workflows, and building patient-centric treatment protocols.

AI systems can help in diagnosing chronic health conditions like diabetes, coronary heart disease, and cancer, among others, within minutes. They can do so by analyzing the vital parameters of patients saved in electronic records. Thus, the systems can reduce the need for unnecessary biopsies or even surgeries to diagnose a condition. However, these systems must be subjected to intense healthcare compliance testing to ensure they function as per the expected outcomes.

  • Liquid biopsy: Today, the diagnosis and monitoring of cancer are costly, time-consuming, painful, and invasive. With liquid biopsy, cancer cells can be extracted from a blood sample without having to conduct costly and painful recurring biopsies. The technology will help to monitor tumors in a non-invasive manner even better than a CT scan.

Conclusion

The healthcare industry is going to face disruption thanks to the advent of advanced technologies. To ensure these technologies perform to their optimum and deliver expected outcomes, they should undergo healthcare QA testing. Moreover, since technology is not always flawless and can engender a number of glitches, even driven by human factors, healthcare tech QA can be of help. It can ensure continuous testing of the devices or built-in software as part of the delivery pipeline. Healthcare tech QA can lead to reduced technical errors, better compliance with regulations, and save lives.

 

How To Choose A Mobile App Development Company That’s Right For You

Amanda Nardi

Contributed by Curotec.

According to the Pew Research Center in a report from June of 2019, 96% of Americans now own a cellphone, and 81% have a smartphone. For an entrepreneur, that’s a huge potential audience for a mobile app.

If you’ve got an idea for a mobile app – whether it’s to promote your brand, provide mobile access to an e-commerce experience, or offer a charitable solution to a community challenge – you’ll likely find yourself needing help bringing your vision to life. Finding the right mobile app development company is as important as coming up with a great idea.

How do you choose the right development company? Here are a few tips on making your search as productive as possible.

First, get your ducks in a row

One of the most important steps needed in finding the right mobile application development company for your idea is to flesh out the idea first. Knowing what you want to create, and what you need help with to do that will narrow your search.

If all you have is the initial concept and the goals you’re hoping to achieve with the mobile application, that’s ok. Your search should include full-service companies that can help you carve out your requirements and define the features, as well as design and develop the product. You may need to go as far as to find an organization that can help with marketing and testing, but you’ll also need to be prepared to pay for that kind of end-to-end product development.

If you have the product well defined, you may be looking for a development firm that can help with design, usability, and development. If you have a design or have worked with a designer to outline the look and feel and user interface, you may only need a partner that can execute the development work.

Whatever stage you’re at with your application, be honest with yourself on where you need help. Understanding where you’re short in planning and development will guide you in choosing the right partner or partners to build what you envision.

Locating the right company

Once you know what help you need, you can better identify the right firm. There are a few ways to go about that.

Ask your network

If you’re an entrepreneur, you’ve likely got a network of like-minded individuals who have explored similar projects. Reach out to your trusted network and ask for recommendations. Your network can steer you to – or away from – companies they have worked with or those that they have networked with.

Referral Sites

A boon to entrepreneurs who don’t know where to start, referral sites like Clutch.co can help uncover highly qualified companies with the capabilities you need. Many of these sites allow you to filter results by ratings and reviews. If you’re looking to work with a local company that you can meet with face to face, you can also filter by zip code or location.

Online Search

Telling you to “Google it” might seem like obvious advice, but it’s less about searching and more about what you search for. Again, if you’re looking for a local firm that you can meet face to face, you’ll want to try searching for something like “mobile application development in Philadelphia”. 

Another thing you can try looking for is something like “web application development in Philadelphia”. Many web development companies have capabilities in mobile development as well. However, as we’ll discuss in the next section, you’ll want to be sure that they have actually created mobile apps and not just mobile-ready websites. The upside is that a web development company with mobile development capabilities should also be able to help you with a marketing site to support your mobile app’s release.

Ask the right questions

Once you’ve found a few mobile development companies to consider, it’s time to talk to them and ask the hard questions. At this point, you’ll want to share specifics with them, so it’s best to have an NDA ready to go that will allow you to share details of your application without the fear of losing your idea.

Before talking to anyone, prepare a list of questions that will uncover their experience in the areas most important to you. Don’t shy away from subjects like cost and cost containment. Here’s just a few potential questions to start with:

Have you built mobile apps from the ground up?

What is your application design process?

Once started, what will the development process look like for me?

How do you set feature priorities?

Talk about your experience with two very different mobile applications you’ve developed.

What is some of the most challenging features you’ve needed to develop?
How do you ensure that you stay close to your estimate?

How do you handle cost overruns?

What other services do you offer that would compliment my project?

How will you scope the project?

 

You should also request customer referrals. If available, follow up and talk to their former customers to find out what their experience was like. While a provided customer referral is likely to give a positive review, it will also give you the opportunity to dig into what it’s like to partner with the company.

The key to finding a great mobile application company in Philadelphia or anywhere else is to keep your eye on the ball. Understand what you’ve got and where you need help, and don’t be afraid to ask hard questions. A skilled mobile development company will be able to show you their work and speak confidently about your challenges and what to look forward to as you watch your vision become a reality.

How to Prevent Costly Financial Reporting Mistakes Align processes, systems and people to ensure compliance and peace of mind

Amanda Nardi

Written by Sridhar Kuppa, CPA, MBA | Director, Transaction & Regulatory Advisory Services @ SolomonEdwards

Flawed financial reporting is an all too common quandary for accounting and finance teams at companies of all sizes. From an incorrect figure on a cash flow statement, to an overlooked deadline, to technical glitches and misunderstood regulations, opportunities for error abound.

Despite the risk of potential negative market reaction, government inquiries, investigations and enforcement actions including civil and criminal penalties, many companies continue to struggle to release consistent, accurate financial statements.

What are the root causes of reporting errors?  Inadequate processes, faulty systems and human error. Shoring up these deficits – and aligning them to function holistically – can prevent missteps and their painful repercussions.

Inaccurate financial reporting is a slippery slope. What starts as a small blunder can cause steep consequences. Mistakes take a toll on everything from a company’s reputation to its ability to raise capital, and could even cause a drop in share price as shareholders lose confidence in the organization’s ability to produce accurate reports. Errors can sour lenders on financing critical projects or cause discord with a potential merger or acquisition.

What causes accidental financial reporting errors? While the markets are tracking the company’s value and performance, regulators are watching for compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Accounting and finance departments are under great pressure to keep up with a dynamic regulatory landscape while minimizing costs. This can cause issues when preparing and presenting financial statements, from revenue and expense recognition problems, to faulty valuation, missing or insufficient disclosures, and other failings.

Legislative and regulatory confusion. As regulations evolve, companies need to understand new rules, requirements and deadlines to ensure U.S. GAAP compliance.

Human error and outdated technology. In an era of new and improved technology and modern models of accounting, many mistakes can be systematically avoided. With the widespread implementation of rapid, adaptable, efficient and customizable technology solutions, it is no longer necessary to manually extract data from multiple sources using antiquated technology.

The solution: Align processes, systems and people. Companies can avoid errors by evaluating, upgrading and fine-tuning processes and systems and putting the right people in place. Set a plan in motion now so you can reduce the risk of costly mistakes. Learn more by reading the full article here.

Sridhar Kuppa, CPA, MBA, is a Director in the Transaction Regulatory and Advisory Services Practice at SolomonEdwards. He helps clients identify problems and find strategic solutions in accounting, financial planning, analysis, and reporting.

Qualified Opportunity Zones- an Executive Summary

Amanda Nardi

Written by Mark Sloan, CPA, Director, CFO Consulting Partners

There has been much discussion regarding Qualified Opportunity Zones (“QOZ”), the tax benefits of investing in a QOZ and how it should fit into a strategy of minimizing taxes on long term capital gains. This newsletter will provide an overview as to the rules governing QOZ and some practical considerations regarding investing in QOZ.

BACKGROUND:

As a result of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) passed in late 2017, a taxpayer may elect to recognize certain tax deferrals and exclusions on the gain realized from the sale or exchange of property to an unrelated party if the gain is reinvested in a qualified opportunity zone fund within 180 days from the date of the sale or exchange and the gain remains invested for a defined period of time. 

Opportunity zones are eligible low-income census tracts that had either poverty rates of at least 20 percent or median family incomes no greater than 80 percent of their surrounding area’s, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2011-2015 American Community Survey.  Such tracts have been nominated by governors and certified by the U.S. Department of Treasury for designation as an Opportunity Zone. There are over 8,700 such tracts located throughout the United States. 

A qualified opportunity fund (“QOF”) is the vehicle to which gains must be invested in order to qualify for the tax benefits of the program.  In order to achieve the tax benefits, the taxpayer must invest in a QOF and not directly into qualified opportunity zone property.  A QOF is a corporation or partnership organized with the specific purpose of investing in opportunity zone assets.  The entity must invest at least 90% of its assets in qualified opportunity zone property.

Qualified opportunity zone property can be in the form of direct ownership of business property, or into opportunity zone portfolio companies through either stock ownership or partnership interest.  Certain businesses are precluded for consideration as property to be held by opportunity zone portfolio companies and these include golf courses, country clubs, massage parlors, tanning salons, hot tub facilities, racetracks, casinos or any other gambling establishment and liquor stores.  These limitations do not apply when a QOF is investing into the Qualified Opportunity Zone directly.

Upon the investment of qualified gains, the basis in the capital gains will be zero.  The gain will then be recognized into income on the earliest of the disposition of the opportunity zone property or December 31, 2026.  If the QOF is held five years, then the basis is increased by 10% of the original gain and then it is increased another 5% if held for another two years.  If the QOF is held at least ten years, then all gains attributable to the appreciation on the original gain will be excluded from income. 

BENEFITS:

There are numerous tax benefits attributable to the timely investment of capital gains into a QOF.

  • Deferral of tax on invested capital gains until December 31, 2026, at the latest;
  • Permanent exclusion of tax on capital gains of up to 15% if held for seven years, and;
  • Permanent exclusion of tax on any subsequent appreciation on the invested capital gains if held for more than ten years.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

There are other advantages to investing in a QOF that make it a more flexible option to Section 1031 as a means to shelter capital gains:

  • As opposed to Section 1031, which requires the investment of the full proceeds in order to qualify for temporary tax deferral on gains, only the gain portion of the proceeds needs to be invested, freeing up cash at the time of the original sale of capital assets.
  • Investment in a QOF can provide permanent exclusion of tax on a portion of capital gains; Section 1031 transactions will only provide for deferral of tax on capital gains.
  • As opposed to Section 1031, which requires the investment of proceeds into like kind assets, the only requirement for QOF is that the gains are invested into opportunity zone assets.  For example, if a work of art is sold at a gain, then the gain can be invested in a different class of asset such as real estate.
  • It should be noted that as a result of the TCJA, the use of Section 1031 is now limited to real estate assets and no longer other types of capital assets.

While there are significant benefits to investing in opportunity zone funds, there are certain caveats that need to be considered:

  • If the investment has not been disposed of sooner, the invested gain will be recognized in income at December 31, 2026.  This means that the taxpayer will need to provide liquidity for this event while the gain is still locked up in the investment.
  • To achieve the 15% permanent exclusion on the original gain, there must be a rollover of the gain no later than December 31, 2019 in order to achieve the 7 year holding period for this exclusion.
  • To maximize the tax benefits attributable to this program, the strategy is to lock up the invested gains for a period of ten years.  This could result in a lower IRR over the life of the project.
  • Although the census data used to designate tracts as opportunity zones is dated and there may be some areas that have gone through improvement, there can still be a higher risk attributable to investing in areas that are opportunity zones.
  • An investor may not contribute appreciated property directly into the opportunity zone fund.  Such property must be first sold (and begin the clock running for the recognition of a portion of the gain) and the amount attributable to the gain invested into the fund.
  • The regulations impose limitations on the amount of cash and intangible assets that can be held at any time by an opportunity zone fund.  This limitation can be mitigated through a structure where the QOF invests into an opportunity zone portfolio company (either through stock ownership or partnership interest).  Under this structure, the portfolio company can hold intangible assets that are used in an active trade or business and cash in an amount for reasonable working capital needs.
  • The investment in opportunity zone funds should be evaluated on the overall economics of the fund and its strategy, and there should not be disproportional weight given to the tax deferral/exclusion feature of the program as the basis for investing in the opportunity zone.

This newsletter is meant as a broad overview on Qualified Opportunity Zones.  There are many other details concerning the structure of funds, limitations on the type of assets that can be held by a QOF fund, determination of original use and subsequent improvements, etc.  CFO Consulting Partners has been following developments in this area and we stand ready to provide you with guidance in navigating through this new and challenging area.  In addition to helping you understand the details and advising you if this program can fit into your investment strategy, we also have relationships with various sponsors and service providers who can offer you opportunities with various funds that they have established.  We also have relationships with law firms who can evaluate that the funds are structured in accordance with Treasury regulations.

PACT Summer 2019 Playlist

Amanda Nardi

Do you have a summer song?
Is there a tune you love blasting in your car, while on a run, or just for fun?

We all need a way to keep things moving and shaking, especially during hot summer days. The PACT Team assembled a playlist of personal favorites to keep you motivated!

Here are 8 PACT Favorites to add to your Summer Playlist:

1. Dean Miller’s Pick

“Talk” by Khalid

Why: “It was cemented as my summer song on a recent trip to Southern CA.  Love the beat, lyrics and Khalid’s range!”

2. Diane Strunk’s Pick

“In The Summertime” by Mungo Jerry

Why: “Carefree and Chh chh-chh, uh, chh chh-chh – ‘nuf said!”

3. Jennifer Cohen’s Pick

“Southbound” by Carrie Underwood

Why: “This song gets me up, moving and smiling. It makes me happy it’s summer!”

4. David Shin’s Pick

“New Light” by John Mayer

Why: “It’s a great song to listen to while driving or while taking the subway because of its retro and upbeat vibe.”

5. Amanda Nardi Di Filippo’s Pick

“Crocodile Rock” by Elton John

Why: “While growing up, driving down the shore was not complete without Sir Elton John! My family and I would rock out to his greatest hits on our way to Cape May.”

6. Danielle Pinto’s Pick

“The Weakest Shade of Blue” by Pernice Brothers

Why: “This has been on a heavy playlist rotation for me since the mid-2000’s. It makes me think of the ocean, the summer sky, and summer love – in a sort of melancholic/nostalgic way. Summer has always felt like a blending of joy and melancholy for me. The happiness you feel is fleeting, as you become increasingly aware of time moving faster the closer you get to the end of August.”

7. Kim Tuski’s Pick

“All Summer Long” by Kid Rock

Why: “When I hear this song it motivates me to get moving regardless of the time of day.”

8. Cheryl Jarvis Johnson’s Pick

“Promenade” by Peter White

Why: “My song for the summer is a jazz tune called:  Promenade by Peter White – when you have no energy to make that deadline, wash those clothes or get out of bed in the morning, this jazz piece has such melody and spirit you can only get up and just dance…any dance!”

How IoT Testing Will Make Telemedicine More Credible?

Amanda Nardi

Contributed by Cigniti Technologies.

Healthcare industry was a late bloomer in terms of digital transformation – but, once it took the plunge, it is going ahead with full swing. As per a Business Insider Intelligence report, this digital transformation is triggered by the changing consumer demands and the need for reducing costs. The key players which initiated this shift are the digital solutions such as Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Telehealth, AI, wearables, and blockchain.

Jason Krantz – CEO, Definitive Healthcare – emphasized on the proliferation of Telehealth with the support of Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in a recent webinar on “Top Healthcare Trends in 2019”. Growing at an exponential rate, global telehealth industry is expected to hit $130 Billion by 2025 while the IoMT market will rise to $409.9 Billion. As of 2018, funding for U.S. digital health sector has touched $6.8 Billion. There is an increase in the adoption of telemedicine, with technology-driven smart insights gaining momentum. As of now, nearly 1800 hospitals use mobile applications to monitor and interact with patients. These devices are generating massive amount of data, which must be dealt with effectively. With AI and deep learning, the collected data can be utilized in real time to deliver efficient care.

The Blessings of Telemedicine

The focus of Telehealth or Telemedicine is on improving access and saving costs. It paves a two-way street, which ensures convenience for both care providers and receivers. The number of deaths occurred annually, due to delayed medical assistance, is staggering. Even if 911 delivers assistance on time, many-a-times the nearest hospitals do not have the required expertise to treat the incoming patient. In such cases, crucial time is wasted in transporting the patient to the expert facility. Telemedicine equips hospitals, big or small, to accept and treat an emergency patient irrespective of the availability of in-house specialists. It essentially facilitates remote connectivity, eliminating the need to physically cover the distance.

It is not that easy, or is it?

The idea of getting healthcare delivered to you at the comfort of your home, when you can barely get out of the bed, seems tempting. But, presence of a screen removes the magic of doctor’s touch. Majority of the population still prefers physical examination over an algorithm’s analysis. This apprehension is a huge obstacle to a wider adoption of telehealth.

While hospitals are involving predictive analysis for a more accurate assessment, there is a dark side to AI that they need to consider. At the end of the day, AI is a machine, which depends on data to learn patterns and make decisions. Even the slightest error in the data may prove to be of dangerous consequences, especially in healthcare. Additionally, there is also a high possibility of data breaches. Healthcare industry traditionally works in silos, where patient privacy is of utmost concern as the stakes are high. The 18 data breaches happened in 2018 compromised over 1 lac healthcare records, driving the attention to the cybersecurity aspect of Telemedicine.

Why AI, ML, and IoMT are in the picture?

Because, they are the picture!

With the rise of consumerism in healthcare, the tech-savvy, price-sensitive patients now prioritize convenience above everything else. The market is proliferating with IoMT devices and wearables. These devices are used to maintain the flow of data between patients and doctors. They also provide easy accessibility to existing health records for reference purposes and offer a platform to maintain an open communication channel. Due to the physical absence, AI and ML are critical in reading reports, analyzing data, and presenting a final diagnosis, based on which the doctors can take a call and make the necessary prescriptions.

How Does IoT Testing Bring It All Together?

IoT Testing of medical devices ensures a seamless execution of this “Virtual healthcare” strategy. As IoMT devices offer a platform to establish a dialogue between the patients and caregivers, it is extremely important that it functions smoothly. Also, the sensitivity of data involved requires that the cyber-walls are fortified with apt reliable solutions. IoT testing becomes imperative in making the whole system immune to threats and preventing data leaks.

Telemedicine, Telehealth, or mHealth has set out to revolutionize the way healthcare is received or provided. With the incorporation of technology, the modern healthcare industry will significantly improve the average quality of life.

SD-WAN: Its Officially here – your basic guide for adoption of the technology.

Amanda Nardi

Written by Gregory Black, Senior Account Manager, Premier Technology Group

WAN connectivity has transformed from Frame Relay to MPLS to today’s newest hot topic…SD-WAN. At Premier Technology Group, we are asked about SD WAN frequently in our client meetings. Here is an insider’s guide to what you should know about the latest trend in WAN Edge Infrastructure technology.

SD WAN Benefits

There are many benefits to rolling out a SD WAN network during your next network refresh which include Cost Savings, Business Flexibility as well as optimizing cloud architectures.

Cost savings is always a big benefit and comes up quite a bit in our line of work. Internet connectivity is widely available across most geographies. Many DIA (Dedicated Internet Access) and Broadband options such as fiber, ethernet (or even wireless) are easy to procure and deploy. More importantly, they are more cost effective when compared to a complex MPLS network. This brings up another point, complexity adds time and the need for skill which also drives up cost. Overall limiting the need for MPLS creates cost savings.

SD WAN also lends a hand to business operations with flexibility in deployment. Many SD WAN solutions come fully configured. There is no need to send an IT staff member to a branch location to help test and deploy MPLS nodes. It also eliminates the time and resources needed to configure the routers required at each end of an MPLS network. Also, by using easier to deploy internet technologies like broadband, the time needed to deploy a location is drastically cut down from months to days or hours. All this making life much easier for IT staffs that are already overtaxed and underfunded.

Optimizing a business’s cloud architecture is also a huge plus. SD WAN eliminates the backhaul of traditional MPLS networks called the “Trombone Effect”. Instead SD WAN uses DIA to provide a similar level of performance and security when connecting from branch to cloud or HQ to branch. For instance, the movement of enterprise traffic from the company owned date center to the cloud, with that change comes the need for a different architecture that provides visibility to application performance to cloud platforms. Which also bringing those cloud applications closer to the edge and easier for your users to engage. These are just a few of the more important benefits.

SD WAN deployment options

Now this is where preference as well as situation come into play. We help companies all the time to decide what may be the best choice for their business during this part of their SD WAN journey. Mainly because there are numerous ways to deploy the technology. Some of the options out there today include traditional ISPs that are afraid of losing their MPLS wallet share. They are going to market their own versions of SD WAN to try to retain their clients anxious to test the waters. There are also companies that are solely “managed” SD WAN providers that will deploy and manage the equipment and/or cloud for you, all you need to do is “bring your own” bandwidth. There are also some IT orgs that currently manage their own routing equipment and do not want to give that control up, thus they decide to deploy their own SD WAN equipment and manage the solution internally. All can be good options and really depend on business preference. Premier Technology Group can always help with the decision as well as the sourcing of the vendors when you get to that point.

If venturing out and starting your first look into SD WAN, here are some deployment gotchas to consider when making your choice in the proper SD WAN vendor. Below are some items that really should be included in any offering:

  • zero touch provisioning
  • can measure latency and packet loss
  • ability to reroute application flows based on granular network performance
  • Encryption and segmentation as well as advanced security services included
  • Visibility into the entire network from a single pane of glass

In closing, SD WAN is gaining more and more ground in business infrastructures. Gartner notes that by 2021, more then 65% of WAN edge infrastructure refresh initiatives will be based on SD WAN vs routers. Adoption of cloud managed network by businesses of all sizes has been doubling on average every two quarters. This points to a massive jump in adoption in a relatively short period of time. The question to ask now is not if you will adopt SD WAN technology but as to when and how.