SAS ITWhat is SD-WAN?
SD-WAN intelligently manages connections between multiple office locations using software, mixing different connection types (fibre, 4G, broadband) and optimising traffic automatically.
SD-WAN vs Traditional MPLS
| Feature | MPLS | SD-WAN |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost per site | AED 3,000 to 15,000 | AED 800 to 3,000 |
| Setup time | 4 to 12 weeks | Days |
| Cloud optimisation | Poor | Excellent |
| Failover | Manual | Automatic sub-second |
SD-WAN typically delivers 40 to 60% cost savings over MPLS.
When SD-WAN Makes Sense
Good fit: 3+ locations in UAE or GCC, heavy Microsoft 365 or Zoom usage, MPLS contract expiring, unreliable inter-site connectivity.
Less suitable: Single-site businesses, fewer than 5 users per site.
Fortinet SD-WAN
Built into FortiGate firewalls — if you already run FortiGate, you can enable SD-WAN without additional hardware. Application-aware routing, automatic failover in under 1 second, centralised management.
SAS IT deploys Fortinet SD-WAN for UAE multi-site businesses. Free assessment | +971-526716178
Related: Networking & Security Dubai | Managed IT Services Dubai
Tags
About the Author
Reviewed by Mustafa Husain, Founder of SAS IT Services, with 10+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, networking, and security — alongside the same engineers who design, install, and support the work described on this site. SAS IT Services was founded on 22 February 2020 in Dubai and has since delivered 500+ projects for businesses across the UAE.
We specialize in Fortinet, Cisco, and Microsoft, among 17 vendor product lines we regularly install, configure, and support across networking, cybersecurity, CCTV, and cloud infrastructure — hands-on experience that informs the technical guidance in our articles.
Our work is independently rated 5.0 out of 5 from 17 verified Google Reviews. Every article is reviewed internally for technical accuracy before publishing and reflects practices we apply on real client deployments in Dubai and the UAE.
SAS IT Services — Dubai
Need expert IT support?
Our experienced engineers cover all of Dubai & UAE with same-day response and 24/7 support contracts.