UPDATE 18/10

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Vodacom was the first telecommunications company in South Africa to launch an SD-WAN product when in fact it is one of the first companies to launch such an offering. Local telecommunications firm Saicom has offered SD-WAN services since 2016. The story has been amended.

A Software-Defined Wide Area Network – or SD-WAN – has become something of a staple in enterprises, and now Vodacom has launched its own offering.

Through Vodacom Business, the network operator has become one of the first telecommunications firms in South Africa to launch an SD-WAN product.

It’s not so much that Vodacom offers an SD-WAN now but rather that it took so long. Our confusion aside, it’s actually rather refreshing to see a local company giving local firms, a local solution.

An enterprise usually makes use of an SD-WAN when it needs to connect remote offices. The technology allows these firms to connect branches over the internet without succumbing to the pitfalls of public internet such as packet loss, network congestion and the like.

“World-wide the requisite for cutting-edge business networks is growing. Vodacom, through its business unit, will be playing a leading role in helping enterprises to build and secure robust next generation communication platforms to drive the business into the digital world,” says Vodacom Business managing executive, Fatima Hassim (pictured above).

Two customers have already signed up for Vodacom’s SD-WAN and the firm expects to see more sign-ups as more enterprise’s learn of the offering.

As an SD-WAN implementation differs from firm to firm if you company has been looking for a local provider or if you just want to compare pricing it might be worth contacting Vodacom Business for more information on its SD-WAN.