From steering wheels to SD-WAN: Adaptive tech for better experiences

This blog has been written by Darren Hogan, Director of Portfolio, at Nasstar.

I have, until recently, always considered myself a "steering wheel snob". Let me explain. 

In my head, a steering wheel snob chooses a car based on the badge. This might stem from an affinity with the brand, loyalty built over time, or simply a desire to impress others. In simple terms, it’s about the satisfaction of looking at the badge on your steering wheel and feeling reassured by your choice. 

So, about a year ago, I decided to go for a Hyundai Tucson. It was a close decision between the Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sportage, in the end, the Tucson’s looks ultimately won me over. 

But what does this have to do with SD-WAN and "Adaptive SD-WAN"? Let me explain. 

During my year with the Tucson, I’ve discovered features I didn’t realise I’d value - like adaptive cruise control. It’s an incredible feature that goes beyond standard cruise control. Here’s how it works: A sensor at the front of the car monitors the distance between your car and the one ahead. If the car in front slows down, your car automatically adjusts its speed to maintain a safe following distance. When the car speeds up and the road ahead is clear, your car resumes the preset speed, all without your intervention. 

This got me thinking about SD-WAN. (I know. This is how my head works). Traditional SD-WAN solutions monitor network conditions and adjust traffic accordingly. But what if we could take this concept further, much like adaptive cruise control takes driving assistance to the next level? 

The concept of adaptive SD-WAN 

Taking the basics of adaptive cruise control, I'd love to see "adaptive SD-WAN". Just imagine if SD-WAN could dynamically respond to user experience issues instead of just network conditions. 

Think about a typical branch or head office where several users are accessing cloud-based applications. Now let’s imagine one user starts to experience problems using a video conferencing application; audio becomes clipped and video stops working.  

In today’s world, that user might try to self-remedy, exit and rejoin the call, or some other intervention. Another option is to log a ticket with the corporate helpdesk to investigate the situation. This, however, could take hours or days to resolve and, of course, it isn’t real-time. By the time the helpdesk responds and tries to troubleshoot, the problem may no longer be prevalent. 

Much better, I feel, is to use real-time data and have the system act on the user’s behalf to remedy the situation. This is where Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM) comes in...  

Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM) tools are becoming popular for assessing the quality of user interactions with applications. These tools typically report data to a dashboard for IT teams to analyse. But what if DEM tools could directly inform the network infrastructure and trigger real-time adjustments? 

How could it work?  

Each endpoint (like a user’s laptop) measures its quality of experience through a piece of software called an agent. In our scenario, instead of the user needing to contact a helpdesk to remedy the poor experience with the video conferencing application, the DEM agent could automatically signal the SD-WAN controller which could then take action to improve the quality of experience for the user through automation.  

However, to avoid overreacting to isolated issues such as an issue with a user's device, a voting system could be implemented. Every end user agent signals to the SD-WAN controller and once a predefined number of votes is reached, the SD-WAN controller intervenes automatically. 

This adaptive approach mirrors the logic of adaptive cruise control. Just as the car adjusts to maintain a safe distance, adaptive SD-WAN could adjust to ensure optimal user experience. It’s proactive, responsive, and centered on real-time conditions. 

"Adaptive SD-WAN" could revolutionise employee experience by taking action based on user experience - not just network conditions measured at the branch SD-WAN device. It’s a feature I’d love to see in the real world. 

By the way, I’m genuinely enjoying my Hyundai Tucson. While it’s not perfect - a bit noisy at high speeds and slightly rolly in corners - it’s packed with features that have pleasantly surprised me. Adaptive cruise control has become my favorite. Can we have the same innovation in SD-WAN?