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The past five years have been a whirlwind for manufacturers. From pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions to geopolitical tensions, economic shifts, and rapid digitalization, the industry has faced challenge after challenge. Yet, these disruptions have also paved the way for a more resilient, agile, and technology-driven future. For IT leaders in manufacturing, 2025 is shaping up to be a year where digital investments will no longer be optional—they will be essential for staying competitive. As technology continues to redefine industrial operations, the focus is shifting from experimental implementations to full-scale digital transformation.

Reliable, high-performance connectivity is essential in manufacturing and construction, where real-time data, IoT devices, cloud applications, and AI-driven systems are becoming the norm. However, traditional wireless connectivity has struggled to meet the rigorous demands of these industries, often falling short in terms of reliability, security, and performance.

The tech industry has been rocked by Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware, bringing sweeping changes to licensing models and pricing structures. Businesses that have relied on VMware for their virtualisation infrastructure are now facing significantly higher costs due to the elimination of perpetual licences in favour of a subscription-based model. With reports of price increases reaching up to 700%, IT managers must urgently seek alternatives to avoid budget overruns.

In the manufacturing industry, connectivity plays a critical role in powering operations, managing supply chains, and enabling advanced technologies such as IoT and automation. However, achieving reliable, high-speed internet access in remote or industrial areas has historically been a challenge. Traditional broadband solutions often fall short, leaving manufacturing facilities in connectivity dead zones.

In the manufacturing industry, connectivity plays a critical role in powering operations, managing supply chains, and enabling advanced technologies such as IoT and automation. However, achieving reliable, high-speed internet access in remote or industrial areas has historically been a challenge. Traditional broadband solutions often fall short, leaving manufacturing facilities in connectivity dead zones.

In today’s fast-evolving manufacturing landscape, connectivity is a crucial driver of productivity, efficiency, and innovation. The integration of advanced manufacturing systems, IoT devices, and real-time analytics platforms has placed unprecedented demands on enterprise networks. Manufacturers are no longer just factories—they’re highly interconnected ecosystems where speed, reliability, and seamless access to cloud and on-premises applications are non-negotiable.

In the fast-evolving world of enterprise networking, Software-Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN) have become a cornerstone for organizations seeking agility, security, and performance in their networks. The 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SD-WAN identifies six key Leaders that are driving innovation and adoption in this space: Broadcom (VMware), Cisco, Fortinet, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Palo Alto Networks, and Versa Networks.

The manufacturing industry relies heavily on seamless and reliable global communication, especially when it comes to coordinating operations, supply chains, and production lines spread across different regions. For manufacturers with operations in China, establishing high-performance network connectivity is crucial for ensuring that everything runs smoothly. However, connecting branch offices and factories in China with headquarters or supply chain partners in Europe, the United States, or other regions presents several unique challenges.

When it comes to providing secure and reliable remote access for a distributed workforce, organizations are often faced with choosing between legacy VPN solutions like OpenVPN Access Server or more modern alternatives like VMware VeloCloud SD-Access. While OpenVPN has been a popular choice for many businesses due to its simplicity and open-source nature, VeloCloud SD-Access stands out as a more powerful, scalable, and cost-effective solution tailored for today's evolving enterprise needs. Let’s dive into the key benefits of VeloCloud SD-Access over OpenVPN and explore why it's the better option for businesses looking to future-proof their remote access infrastructure.

SD-WAN is a relatively new technology that is being adopted by many organizations in order to improve their WAN performance. SD-WAN offers a number of advantages over traditional WAN solutions, including improved performance, lower costs and easier deployment. One of the main benefits of SD-WAN is its ability to improve video performance. Video is one of the most demanding applications when it comes to network bandwidth.

SD-WAN is a relatively new technology that is being adopted by many organizations in order to improve their WAN performance. SD-WAN offers a number of advantages over traditional WAN solutions, including improved performance, lower costs and easier deployment. One of the main benefits of SD-WAN is its ability to improve video performance. Video is one of the most demanding applications when it comes to network bandwidth.

There are various technologies used for Wide Area Networking (WAN) connectivity. Two of the most popular technologies are Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN) and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). While there are some similarities between the two technologies, there are also key differences that make them well-suited for different use cases. SASE is relatively new, while SD-WAN has been around for a few years. However, to understand the similarities between SASE and SD-WAN, it is important to understand both the technologies and their evolution out of traditional WAN.