IDC published its new Innovators report recognizing five software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) vendors with revenue under $100 million. The five vendors profiled as IDC Innovators are CloudGenix, Cybera, VeloCloud, Versa, and Viptela.

SD-WAN leverages hybrid WAN and centralized control functionality to assign prioritization of network connectivity on a per-application basis. SD-WANs typically also include analytics for application and network visibility, a software overlay that abstracts and secures underlying networks; and an optional routing capability.

Among the named vendors, CloudGenix's SD-WAN product eliminates the need for complex routers and routing protocols and features a hybrid WAN to govern application delivery. Cybera's offering emphasizes security, availability, scalability, and ease of provisioning and deployment for distributed enterprises.

VeloCloud has a versatile cloud-based SD-WAN platform for "DIY" enterprise IT shops and enterprises that prefer to work with Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Versa's platform integrates SD-Security to enable a "perimeter-less security" architecture, functioning as a virtual UTM solution. Viptela's SD-WAN solution provides security, routing, and policy management to on-premise vEdge routers which is well suited for SP deployments.

"Enterprise IT has been given a mandate to reduce operational complexity and costs, while ensuring that branch and remote sites are configured to optimally and securely connect users to a diverse mix of cloud-based and traditional on-prem applications," said Rohit Mehra, vice president, Network Infrastructure at IDC. "These five vendors each take an innovative approach to allow enterprise IT to do just that."