VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN Reviews

We are installing edge to support the service providers' enterprise customers. There's a standard hardware edge.

I like that I can combine some different internet connections and resources. For example, MPLS VPN, internet, and 4G. You can combine it all together. Before, we could only use an MPLS VPN only.

The initial setup is very easy.

It is stable. The solution is reliable. 

It's scalable. 

Technical support has been very helpful. 

The product has a very good user dashboard that is simple to navigate.

I'd like them to improve their mobile parts. I want them to get faster in this field.

The cost is a little bit high. We'd like it if it was less expensive. 

We'd like to see more security added to the solution. It would be good if it had firewall functionality.

I've been using the solution for one year. 

This is a stable product. the performance is good and it is reliable. There aren't any bugs or glitches that I have seen and it does not crash or freeze. 

The solution scales well. It's simple to expand. 

Technical support has a lot of expertise. They are knowledgeable and responsive. 

We found the setup to be straightforward and simple. It is not overly complex. 

I'd rate the ease of setup a five out of five.

It's competitive, yet it's a little bit more expensive than other brands.

We pay about $500 USD, or 700,000 Korean won.

I'd rate it a two or three out of five in terms of affordability.

Compared to Fortinet or Cisco, VMware is quite easy to set up, and the management dashboard is intuitive. 

We are a reseller and distributor. 

I would give the solution a rating of eight out of ten.

VMware SD-WAN can be deployed on the cloud and on-premise. We use Microsoft and AWS as our cloud services.

The most valuable feature of VMware SD-WAN is the virtualization platform. You can use the software on any hardware. Additionally, the solution is easy to use.

VMware SD-WAN can improve on the security features.

In a future release, VMware SD-WAN could improve by adding a VPN without IPsec.

I have been using VMware SD-WAN for approximately three years.

VMware SD-WAN is a stable solution.

The scalability of VMware SD-WAN is good.

We have under 100 people using the solution in my organization.

We have vendor support from VMware SD-WAN and the service they provide is of a medium level.

Neutral

The initial setup of VMware SD-WAN is straightforward. The time it took to implement took weeks. We tried to implement the solution slowly and securely over time.

We did the implementation of VMware SD-WAN in-house.

We have approximately 10 to 15 people that maintain and support the solution.

The return on investment has not been achieved. It is taking longer than anticipated.

The solution's price combines the license and the bandwidth you used.

I rate the cost of VMware SD-WAN a four out of five.

My advice to others is that not every SD-WAN solution fits every customer or requirement. If the requirements work with the solution, I would recommend using VMware SD-WAN. It's a good solution.

I rate VMware SD-WAN an eight out of ten.

One of the solution's most valuable features is the VMware core automation stack at an SDDC. It includes NSX, the VMware virtualization layer for the networks (the LAN virtualization), which works extremely well with the VMware SD-WAN solution and is the primary advantage over all the others. None of the other vendors could integrate with the virtual LAN, making it quite complicated and virtualized to be fully automized.

The other extremely nice function from some vendors is that VMware has been integrating VMware SD-WAN with the cloud vendors or software-defined networking. Microsoft Azure is the most important because I work mostly with Azure customers. So far, VMware is the only SD-WAN solution that integrates with Azure Virtual WAN. 

Furthermore, if you want to fully utilize the cloud vendors' hardware networking, as in Azure Virtual WAN, Azure backbone, Microsoft and VMware support everything. No other vendors provide those two. An important element for my customers was their use of different hardware stacks for networking and security. If you go for a software-only product, like VMware, you don't need to replace your firewalls and routers immediately. This is where Fortinet and Cisco differ significantly from VMware.

To improve the product, the company, alone or with a good partner, should manufacture their own hardware brand with boxes to make the product more shippable.  

Implementing VMware is much more difficult, time-consuming, and expensive than implementing Fortinet or Check Point. With Fortinet, you pay a couple of hundred dollars for hosting and a low-cost firewall, there's only one box to ship to each site, and it's much easier to manage.

Moreover, it would be easy for the large telecom operators and system integrators to sell the solution. It would also be a good fit for customers with multiple small offices, who I currently advise to choose hardware-vendor SD-WAN solutions over VMware.

I have been familiar with this solution for about four years. I was familiar with it when the name was VeloCloud, the company VMware acquired.

Customer support is very responsive to important issues. VMware has multiple support models. Basic support is rubbish, but real companies never rely on basic support. Production support is the basic model VMware offers, and it's pretty good. I would rate the service between seven and eight out of 10.

Mission Critical and Business Critical support for the larger companies are excellent. They are the best on the market. Of course, this support is an expensive extra, but VMware support probably deserves a rating of 10 out of 10.

Customers running all data centers on VMware definitely receive Mission Critical support.

Positive

Overall pricing could be lower. It is much more expensive than traditional hardware vendor pricing.

The question of licensing costs is slightly different because, in the VMware case, it's fairly rare for customers to buy a license without implementing VMware data center facilities or something similar. If you compare it to just buying a license per site and checking how much it is with Fortinet when you implement the software, it depends on how large a firewall you have. For a very small firewall, the Fortinet licensing is around 200 euros, but if your firewall is huge, it could be 5,000 to 7,000 euros per year.

From that perspective, it's pointless to evaluate VMware at a similar level because if you have VMware SD-WAN and NSX, then it's quite reasonable. It's more like a license for the data center. This process differs from the firewall vendors' because you don't need to buy a license for every firewall you have. However, you can do that in the case of VMware.

So think of it as the customer having data centers. Connectivity between the data centers will have two aspects. The first is the big costs for bandwidth and connectivity. The second is the software cost. The VMware environment is more about customers with different departments in different locations.

In these scenarios, customers with data centers should use a VMware stack. For customers with no data center who have everything on the cloud and are only looking for connectivity, Fortinet costs for 10 sites might be between 10 and 12, whereas VMware costs would be more than 20,000. But again, I would emphasize that the implementation is much, much more expensive on VMware in the case of virtual licenses.

It's an excellent product. The only small disadvantage is it's a bit difficult.

I would rate the product as nine out of 10.

Regarding the number of people working with VMware SD-WAN in our customers' companies, these companies have around 7,000 employees; they all work with VMware SD-WAN, including some 300 people in IT, a networking team of 12, and around 20 cloud guys. Less than 20 actually do product administration.

For people who want to implement VMware SD-WAN, I strongly suggest checking out the VMware SASE offering because there is a big difference in the approach. If you want something that combines all your VMware data centers into one with everything virtualized when you implement NSX, etc., VMware is a good solution. 

On the other hand, if you are primarily looking to replace FPS connections, VMware SASE is totally different from the big three security players, which mostly offer transfer capacity, bandwidth, and bandwidth transfer capacity as part of their SASE solution.

You should then check the combined operation of VMware and Microsoft's Azure Virtual WAN because it beats Fortinet for pricing and performance.  

If you choose Fortinet, which might be slightly more mature than the VMware solution, you'll need to replace all your network equipment in every branch. Some customers can't do this. It's laborious and incredibly expensive. In China, for example, network equipment is extremely hard to replace. The only approved vendor is China Telecom, which uses its own devices. With VMware, you have the boxes and old VeloCloud routers. But if you want a physical device or a small office, you can buy it. On the other hand, if you implement a software solution, you won't have to touch any of the existing network hardware.

Regarding overall performance, if you compare SD-WAN, all vendors provide high performance; that's not under question. The crucial factor is routing. Although SD-WANs all go through the same "public" internet, not everyone gets the capacity they want. Capacity doesn't only depend on having an internet connection. You also need to have a fixed bandwidth.

Buying IP transit capacity and using it with SD-WAN is much more effective, whether using VMware, Fortinet, Check Point, or implementing it like Azure Virtual WAN using Microsoft Backbone. It has much more effect on performance than doubling investment in SD-WAN hardware.

In short, the bottleneck is not due to the SD-WAN provider but IP connectivity between sites.

I am an infrastructure architect and I use SD-WAN to connect sites for clients. My client is a bank and they are planning a wireless connection where you put SIM cards on the SD-WAN.

My client saved money because SD-WAN is more cost effective compared to MPLS.

SD-WAN is cloud-based and you can manage multiple sites within one single pane of glass.

If you don't have an Internet connection, you can’t control it. It is also not that cost effective because it is a subscription.

I’ve been working with SD-WAN for a little under a year.

The solution is easy to scale because it’s on the cloud, but the hardware could be difficult to get because it's made to order. That or the client’s stocks of hardware will be limited. We currently work with a large enterprise client.

Customer support is good. They are helping with most of my requests.

Positive

The initial setup is easy if you have a background working with networks or connections. The initial setup will be much easier with support. Depending on the size of the network, SD-WAN takes about seven days to deploy. Maintaining the solution can be easy if you know the technology and you have the background and training. But if you have no idea about the product, you will have a hard time because it will be new to to you.

Price would be a challenge for customers, because it is expensive. We only had to pay for a license that included support and maintenance.

I rate SD-WAN a nine out of ten because most of the necessary technology is there. But there is room for improvement.

Our customers are using VMware SD-WAN based on their specific requirements. One of the main use cases is for WAN connectivity and disaster recovery connections. They need secure connections and database synchronization between primary sites and disaster recovery sites. That's why we introduced VMware SD-WAN.

We primarily deal with VMware SD-WAN, and we handle services, configurations, and technicalities related to it. Our customers are quite satisfied with VMware SD-WAN, and they haven't encountered any problems. The operations are running smoothly.

One of the main reasons customers appreciate VMware SD-WAN is its comprehensive set of features. It covers network software services, starting from the underlying hardware and creating a virtualized network overlay. As a result, many customers find VMware SD-WAN to be highly beneficial for their networking needs.

VMware SD-WAN Orchestrator provides centralized enterprise-level installation, configuration, and real-time monitoring. Additionally, data flows through the cloud network, enhancing performance. The solution offers simplified operations with RapidZERO Touch provisioning and cloud management, optimizing application performance.

Security is one area where the solution is comfortable and reliable for us, especially in managing on-prem and cloud adoptions and accelerating performance through bandwidth optimization. So, it's very beneficial for us. 

There is room for improvement in the pricing. 

Another area of improvement is in terms of security. It could be better. 

Approximately, I have been working with VMware SD-WAN for the last few months. I don't have the exact timeframe since I'm new, but I know that my company has sold a significant number of SD-WAN solutions.

The stability is a hundred percent. It is a stable solution. 

Most customers are satisfied with the scalability. So it seems to be quite manageable and without problems as of now.

Most of our customers are SMBs. 

Customer service and support are good. If a customer needs support, they can open a support case through the Customer Connect portal. Our team will then work with the customer, discuss the issues, and collaborate with VMware engineers to address and resolve the problems.

Positive

The initial setup is not troublesome at all. The initial configuration and deployment are quite easy. There haven't been any issues with deployment and configuration.

We have a dedicated implementation team that takes care of deploying the solution for various events, including cloud-related setups.

For the deployment of virtualized networks, storage of servers, and clouds, we usually have a team of 10 to 15 engineers involved, so it's a collaborative effort.

The pricing can vary depending on the features and the cloud resources utilized. It may seem a bit costly when considering cloud resources, but in terms of quality and configurations, it offers significant value compared to other products.

There are additional costs to the standard license because the licensing model can vary based on the customer's deployment and preferences.

For example, there may be additional costs depending on the customer's requirements. If a customer needs 24/7 support or other specific features, we will tailor the solution accordingly to fulfill their design and requirements.

VMware SD-WAN offers competitive features and benefits for various requirements. It is especially effective for customer branch offices, remote offices, and scenarios where seamless connectivity is crucial for voice and video-sensitive applications like Salesforce, Google Mail, AWS, and Office 365. The product is highly customizable and can provide a solid foundation for networking needs.

Overall, I would rate the solution a ten out of ten. 

The platform's use cases extend to various industries, including retail, where it helps security policies around POPs and implements SASE. It also enhances network visibility and the endpoints.

VMware SD-WAN is easy-to-use and provides many different analytics, showing latency and anomalies. It has an excellent security aspect.

There is still room for improvement in support and security, especially in enhancing the SASE aspect of the platform. They could include more functionalities similar to Fortinet.

I have been using VMware SD-WAN for three and a half years.

VMware SD-WAN has good stability. 

It is a scalable platform. I have scaled from 20 sites to a couple of 1000 sites.

Although the platform's service and support are improving, there are still some difficulties in obtaining specific units due to product manufacturing constraints, particularly with hardware. Getting some units can take time and effort. It's essential to set clear customer expectations regarding this aspect.

Neutral

VMware SD-WAN is easy to set up. The deployment takes two minutes and requires one network engineer. I rate the process a seven out of ten.

VMware SD-WAN provides competitive pricing. I rate the pricing a seven out of ten.

I advise others to do a POC on trial. I rate VMware SD-WAN a seven out of ten.

Initially, we had a scattered environment, but VMware SD-WAN helped us achieve centralization, which was beneficial.

I liked the stability and performance, as it facilitated different types of work under one centralized unit.

It made the event deployment easier and allowed us to see the centralization process of all virtualization places. It had a positive and real-time impact on our business and provided a centralized view.

Better price model would be appreciated.

I have been using it for two years. It's version 6.0.

The stability was 100%. It is a stable solution.

There are around six users in my organization using the solution. 

The initial setup was easy. Not complex.

It is expensive. It is a yearly payment. I would recommend opting for a quarterly license model. 

I would definitely recommend using the solution. I would rate the solution a seven out of ten. 

We use VMware SD-WAN to connect our network globally.

The most valuable features of VMware SD-WAN are the overall capabilities and ease of use.

VMware SD-WAN could improve if the hardware could integrate the interface using ICP. Additionally, if VMware SD-WAN is used with SSE providers that use tunnels there are some issues prioritizing traffic because it cannot decrypt.

I have been using VMware SD-WAN for approximately four years.

The solution is stable with the physical connectivity.

There are occasional issues with certain devices depending on the current firmware, causing them to reboot with a different configuration. Although this does not affect the operation of the devices, it is a known issue that exists in the background.

I rate the stability of VMware SD-WAN an eight out of ten.

The solution is scalable.

The solution is used daily and is an intricate part of our business.

We have approximately 3,000 users using the solution.

I rate the scalability of VMware SD-WAN a nine out of ten.

We use a third party for support.

I have not used a similar solution prior to VMware SD-WAN.

The installation is relatively easy. We only need to plug it in and it works. However, sometimes there needs some configuration but it is not difficult.

I rate the initial setup of VMware SD-WAN a seven out of ten.

There are firmware updates that require maintenance. One person can complete the task.

I rate VMware SD-WAN a seven out of ten.

We have had some issues with firmware, it is not as flexible as I would like it to be with the configuration. We have not had any critical outages and overall it has been working well.

VMware SD-WAN is nice for enterprise connectivity.

I find the application-aware routing feature to be the most valuable.

I would like to improve the tool’s cloud security features. I would like to see high-throughput hardware requests in the product’s next release. The solution should also support multiple gigs which could be around ten.

I have been using the solution for about a year. I use the latest version.

Compared to other SD-WAN vendors, the stability is good. They should be more flexible while connecting to a third-party cloud.

I would rate the scalability of the solution an eight out of ten.

The solution offers layer three high support which is also complex.

Neutral

The solution’s setup is straightforward. I would rate the setup a seven out of ten. The tool is deployed over the cloud and could take around half a day to complete.

I would rate the product’s pricing a six out of ten since the license is costly.

I would rate the overall SD-WAN an eight out of ten. The tool is cloud-native and scalable. The solution is good for mid and complex environments.

We use VMware to install some servers and virtual appliances.

It can be deployed on cloud and on-premises.

We have a team of five engineers.

Only one of our customers uses this solution. They're a medium-size enterprise.

It can be used for load balancing and load sharing. It's easy to use and customizable.

The dashboards could be improved.

I have used this solution for one year.

I would rate the stability as 10 out of 10.

It's scalable. I would rate the scalability as eight out of ten.

I would rate technical support as eight out of ten. I haven't faced any challenges.

Deployment took two hours.

I would rate this solution as eight out of ten. I would recommend it.