Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) and firewall deployments are often touted for their ability to reduce costs, improve network agility, and enhance security. Organizations are drawn to these technologies for their potential to replace expensive MPLS circuits with cost-effective broadband connections, streamline network management, and provide robust security through integrated firewalls. However, the Return on Investment (ROI) calculations commonly used to justify these deployments frequently overlook a critical factor: the engineering time required for configuration, implementation, and ongoing management. This oversight can lead to a skewed understanding of the true costs and operational burden, particularly when service providers charge additional fees for support and maintenance. Solutions like Nepean Networks’ Antares portal, with its true separate management plane and zero-touch provisioning (ZTP), offer a compelling alternative that addresses these hidden costs.

The Misleading ROI of SD-WAN & Firewalls

SD-WAN and firewall deployments promise significant cost savings, primarily by reducing reliance on expensive MPLS circuits and enabling centralized management. Research from Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) highlights that SD-WAN can reduce network connectivity costs by up to 20% while increasing bandwidth, and firewalls can enhance security through integrated encryption and policy enforcement. However, these ROI calculations often focus on capital and operational expenditure (CapEx and OpEx) savings, such as reduced circuit costs or hardware consolidation, while glossing over the labor-intensive engineering efforts required.

Engineering Time | The Hidden Cost Driver

Configuration Complexity: Deploying SD-WAN and firewalls involves intricate configuration tasks, including setting up routing policies, security rules, and Quality of Service (QoS) parameters. For SD-WAN, network engineers must configure controllers, edge devices, and overlay tunnels, often tailoring settings to specific branch requirements. Firewalls require detailed rule sets, intrusion prevention configurations, and integration with existing security frameworks. These tasks demand skilled engineering resources, and manual configuration increases the risk of errors, which can lead to security vulnerabilities or performance issues.
Implementation Challenges: Traditional deployments often require on-site engineers to physically install and configure devices, especially for branch locations. Even with partial automation, such as one-touch provisioning, additional manual steps like registering serial numbers or verifying IP addresses are often necessary. These steps consume time and resources, particularly for organizations with distributed networks across multiple regions.
Ongoing Management and Support: Post-deployment, managing SD-WAN and firewall infrastructure is an ongoing commitment. Network teams must monitor performance, troubleshoot issues, apply updates, and adjust policies to align with evolving business needs. Service providers typically offer support through retainer-based models, charging additional fees for any configuration changes or maintenance beyond the initial “as-built” setup. This creates a recurring cost that is rarely accounted for in upfront ROI calculations, skewing the perception of long-term savings.

The cumulative effect of these engineering demands can significantly erode the anticipated ROI. For example, EMA research notes that while SD-WAN can yield productivity gains of 3-4x for network operations staff, the initial setup and ongoing management still require substantial engineering hours, particularly for large-scale deployments. Organizations that fail to account for these costs may find themselves facing unexpected expenses, negating the promised financial benefits.

The Service Provider Trap | Retainer-Based Costs

A critical issue in traditional SD-WAN and firewall deployments is the reliance on service providers for ongoing support. Most providers offer maintenance only for the “as-built” configuration, meaning any additional requirements—such as policy updates, new branch deployments, or troubleshooting—incur extra charges. This retainer-based model can lead to:

Unpredictable Costs: Organizations may face escalating fees for routine tasks like firmware updates or policy adjustments, which are not included in standard support contracts.
Limited Flexibility: The “as-built” support model discourages changes to the initial configuration, as modifications often require additional engineering services, reducing network agility.
Vendor Lock-In: Proprietary management platforms and limited automation capabilities tie organizations to specific vendors, making it costly to switch or integrate new solutions.

These factors create a skewed view of the total cost of ownership (TCO), as the engineering time and associated service fees are often excluded from ROI projections. For enterprises with complex or rapidly expanding networks, these hidden costs can quickly accumulate, undermining the financial justification for SD-WAN and firewall investments.

Nepean Networks’ Antares Portal | A Game-Changing Solution

Nepean Networks’ Antares portal addresses these challenges by offering a comprehensive, cost-effective solution that eliminates the need for additional engineering services and provides true automation. Unlike traditional SD-WAN and firewall solutions, the Antares portal delivers a fully separate management plane and zero-touch provisioning, enabling organizations to configure, implement, and manage deployments without incurring hidden costs.

Key Features of the Antares Portal

True Separate Management Plane: Unlike many SD-WAN solutions that claim a separate control plane but still rely on manual intervention for certain tasks, the Antares portal provides a fully independent management plane. This allows centralized orchestration of network devices without requiring engineers to access individual devices, reducing configuration time and minimizing errors.
Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP): The Antares portal’s ZTP capability enables devices to be shipped to remote locations, powered on, and automatically configured without any manual intervention. By leveraging DHCP and cloud-based configuration servers, devices can download pre-defined settings and policies, ensuring consistency and eliminating the need for on-site IT staff. This contrasts with firewall solutions, which often lack true ZTP and require manual steps for initial setup or updates.
No Additional Costs for Management: The Antares portal empowers organizations to manage their SD-WAN and firewall deployments in-house through an intuitive, self-service interface. This eliminates the need for costly retainer-based support contracts, as IT teams can handle configuration changes, policy updates, and troubleshooting directly within the portal. This approach ensures that ongoing management costs are predictable and aligned with initial ROI projections.
Enhanced Security and Scalability: The Antares portal integrates advanced security features, such as automated policy enforcement and encryption, reducing the risk of misconfigurations. Its vendor-neutral design supports seamless scaling across diverse environments, allowing organizations to deploy new branches or integrate legacy devices without additional engineering overhead.

Real-World Impact

Consider a global enterprise deploying SD-WAN across 100 branch locations. A traditional deployment might require engineers to spend weeks configuring devices, traveling to sites, and troubleshooting issues, with ongoing management handled through a costly service provider retainer. In contrast, with the Antares portal, devices can be shipped directly to branches, automatically configured via ZTP, and managed centrally without additional fees. This not only accelerates deployment timelines but also ensures that the TCO remains consistent with initial ROI estimates.

For example, a retailer using the Antares portal could deploy a new branch in minutes by simply plugging in devices, with all configurations pulled from the cloud-based portal. This eliminates the need for on-site IT expertise and reduces the risk of human error, which is a common source of security vulnerabilities in traditional deployments. Furthermore, the portal’s self-service capabilities allow the retailer to adjust policies or scale the network without incurring service provider charges, delivering true cost transparency.

Why Traditional Solutions Fall Short

Most SD-WAN and firewall solutions advertise ZTP and centralized management, but their implementations often fall short of true automation. For instance:

Firewall Limitations: Firewall ZTP typically requires pre-configuration steps, such as registering serial numbers or setting up DHCP servers, which undermine the “zero-touch” promise. Additionally, ongoing management often relies on command-line interfaces or vendor-specific portals, increasing engineering time and costs.
Partial Automation: Many SD-WAN platforms offer partial automation, such as one-touch provisioning, which still requires manual intervention for tasks like authentication or policy updates. This contrasts with the Antares portal’s fully automated approach, which eliminates manual steps entirely.
Vendor-Specific Constraints: Traditional solutions often lock organizations into proprietary ecosystems, limiting flexibility and increasing costs for integrating non-vendor devices or scaling to new locations. The Antares portal’s vendor-neutral design overcomes this limitation, supporting a wide range of devices and environments.

Wrap

The ROI of SD-WAN and firewall deployments is often overstated due to the exclusion of engineering time and service provider costs from calculations. Configuration, implementation, and ongoing management require significant resources, and retainer-based support models further inflate the TCO. Nepean Networks’ Antares portal offers a transformative solution by providing a true separate management plane, zero-touch provisioning, and a self-service interface that eliminates additional costs. By enabling organizations to deploy and manage networks efficiently and securely, the Antares portal delivers a more accurate and sustainable ROI, making it an ideal choice for enterprises seeking to maximize the value of their network investments.

The Hidden Costs of SD-WAN & Firewall Deployments | Why ROI Calculations Often Miss the Mark