Nokia Nuage Networks SD-WAN vs Open Systems SD-WAN

Nokia Nuage Networks SD-WAN, also called VNS, links branch locations with private data centers, public clouds, provider-managed VPNs, and SaaS services. A central policy repository applies business and application requirements to WAN links and routes, with the aim of meeting performance, cost, security, and policy criteria. Listed transports include IP/MPLS, internet, and LTE/5G. Nokia says automated site or VPN setup can take a few minutes rather than several weeks. The SD-WAN 2.0 architecture adds application-level visibility and control across branches, private data centers, and public clouds, with traffic details such as source, destination, type, and rates. It can orchestrate third-party virtual network functions on uCPE and chain functions in data centers or clouds. Security capabilities include web filtering, application control, segmentation, stateful Layer 3–4 security, and intrusion detection and prevention; some features require add-on licenses. It supports Linux, web, and self-hosted environments. Pricing is on request.

Open Systems SD-WAN is a cloud service for enterprises with global operations that depend on cloud and mobile connectivity. It prioritizes business-critical applications and uses available bandwidth. Application-level policies select network paths, balance traffic, and define fallback order when connections degrade or fail. Administrators can control bandwidth by application, location, and connection. Application Optimization uses caching, compression, and protocol optimization to reduce bandwidth use and improve application performance. Traffic between sites is automatically encrypted and authenticated across public or private networks, including internet and MPLS. A single-pass architecture decrypts and analyzes VPN traffic for per-application visibility and consumption trends. Open Systems describes AI-run automation and Level-3 engineers operating network and security operations. Access is through web and API, with integrated security and cloud on-ramps. Pricing is on request. The service was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Zürich.