Government agencies across the country are facing unprecedented technology challenges. Decades-old IT infrastructure often hinders efforts to support growing numbers of remote workers while also meeting increasing constituent demand for expanded online services. In a 2021 Accenture study, 75 percent of public-sector leaders agreed that outdated technology was holding them back.
Software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) solutions create a path to IT modernization with flexible connectivity options, improved traffic optimization and increased automation. In several recent posts, we’ve described how Aruba’s EdgeConnect SD-WAN solution increases network efficiency and supports IT modernization in the healthcare, retail and legal industries. It is equally valuable for government IT operations.
EdgeConnect delivers all the connectivity and automation benefits of other SD-WAN solutions but also incorporates intelligent routing, WAN optimization, network segmentation and application visibility features in a centrally managed platform. Artificial intelligence and machine learning functions not only automate many tasks but contribute to a self-learning network that continuously adapts to network conditions and triggers immediate adjustments.
Here are five ways EdgeConnect helps government agencies address IT modernization efforts:
1. Application Optimization
EdgeConnect is application-aware, which means it can identify and classify apps based on a variety of characteristics and then apply optimization techniques to ensure optimum performance. The ability to choose transport mechanisms based on bandwidth requirements and other workload characteristics helps ensure reliable application performance.
2. Multicloud Connectivity
The use of multiple clouds helps agencies support employees and constituents across broad geographic areas, but there are challenges. Connecting on-premises applications with cloud resources from multiple providers with different configurations and standards can be quite difficult. EdgeConnect’s multipath connectivity and intelligent routing capabilities simplify connections with applications hosted by AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and other cloud infrastructure providers.
3. Secure Remote Access
Remote work and multi-cloud computing expand an organization’s attack surface. EdgeConnect boosts security with end-to-end encryption and integration with services such as Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Zero-Trust Network Access (ZTNA). With support for network segmentation and application-aware routing, SD-WAN helps reduce the attack surface for highly sensitive data and systems.
4. Edge Computing
Edge computing supports increasing numbers of network-connected devices by pushing data processing closer to data sources in order to minimize latency and preserve bandwidth. That’s hard to do with traditional WAN routers, which require frequent configuration changes to prioritize and segment traffic. With EdgeConnect, agencies can centrally manage and automate edge router configurations with simple policy updates, eliminating the need to reconfigure individual devices.
5. Increased Automation
EdgeConnect’s artificial intelligence features allow agencies to maintain the highest levels of application performance by automatically assigning application and security policies across hundreds or thousands of sites. Provisioning, orchestration and cloud security can also be automated.
We Can Help Your Agency
PKA Technologies holds multiple government contracts and is an authorized reseller of HPE and Aruba networking. Additionally, our team of network architects has deep experience with designing and implementing Aruba and HPE networking products. Contact us to learn if EdgeConnect is right for your agency.