Frequently Asked Questions
WAN, SD-WAN, and Alkira: Core Concepts
What is the difference between WAN and SD-WAN?
WAN (Wide Area Network) is a telecommunication network that connects enterprise sites, data centers, and remote locations over large geographic areas, typically relying on hardware-centric infrastructure and dedicated circuits like MPLS, Ethernet Private Line, or broadband internet. SD-WAN (Software-Defined WAN) abstracts the underlying physical transports, enabling centralized, software-driven management, support for multiple connectivity types (MPLS, broadband, LTE/5G), and intelligent, application-aware routing. SD-WAN offers greater flexibility, cost savings, and agility compared to traditional WAN. Learn more.
What are the main limitations of traditional WAN?
Traditional WANs are often costly due to premium circuits like MPLS, require complex management and specialized expertise, have long deployment cycles for new sites, offer limited visibility into application performance, and provide inefficient cloud access due to traffic backhauling and inflexible bandwidth allocation.
What are the key benefits of SD-WAN over traditional WAN?
SD-WAN provides cost-effectiveness by leveraging lower-cost circuits, improved performance through remediation for latency and packet loss, enhanced reliability with active-active forwarding, simplified management via centralized dashboards, accelerated deployment with zero-touch provisioning, and application-aware routing for optimal path selection.
What is the conclusion regarding WAN vs SD-WAN for enterprise networking?
The WAN vs SD-WAN comparison demonstrates a clear evolution in enterprise networking. While traditional WAN architectures served businesses well for decades, SD-WAN technology offers a more agile, cost-effective approach that aligns with modern digital business requirements. By abstracting the underlying transport technologies and providing intelligent, application-aware routing, SD-WAN enables organizations to build more resilient, flexible networks that support cloud transformation while reducing operational complexity and costs.
Alkira Platform: Features & Capabilities
What features does Alkira offer for enterprise networking?
Alkira provides Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service (NIaaS), Global Backbone-as-a-Service, integrated security features like Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and next-generation firewalls, a drag-and-drop interface for network design and deployment, single-pane-of-glass visibility and management, vendor-agnostic architecture, and flexible pricing models. These features simplify multicloud and hybrid cloud networking, enhance security, and deliver measurable operational efficiency. Learn more.
How does Alkira go beyond SD-WAN?
Alkira goes beyond SD-WAN by providing a true abstraction layer that leverages cloud providers' infrastructure for end-to-end solutions, eliminating manual configuration. It offers a global backbone-as-a-service for rapid deployment (reducing times from months to minutes), integrated security (ZTNA, next-generation firewalls), a drag-and-drop interface for ease of use, and comprehensive visibility tools. Learn more.
What measurable performance improvements does Alkira deliver?
Alkira's platform delivers up to a 96% reduction in cloud setup time, a 47% reduction in network management time, and up to 40% lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) compared to traditional solutions. Customers also report 70% faster mean-time-to-resolution for complex issues. Source.
What integrations does Alkira support?
Alkira integrates with leading technology providers and platforms, including Cisco SD-WAN, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet NGFW, F5, Splunk, ServiceNow, Infoblox, Aruba SD-WAN, Terraform, and Itential Automation Platform. These integrations enable secure, scalable, and automated networking across hybrid and multicloud environments. See all partners.
Does Alkira provide APIs for integration and automation?
Yes, Alkira offers APIs, including billing APIs that provide real-time cloud network cost data for integration with cost management tools and dashboards. These APIs support automated synthesis of billing data from various sources. Learn more.
What technical documentation and resources are available for Alkira?
Alkira provides comprehensive technical documentation, including whitepapers (e.g., On Demand Next-Generation Cloud Firewalls), solution briefs, and a dedicated wiki. These resources offer in-depth technical insights and guidance for evaluating and implementing Alkira's solutions. Solution Briefs | Wiki
Pricing & Plans
What is Alkira's pricing model and how is it determined?
Alkira offers flexible pricing models, including consumption-based (pay-as-you-go) and commitment-based (fixed) options. Pricing is determined by the quantity and size of network elements (e.g., Alkira Cloud Exchange Points), connectors, next-generation firewalls, and data egress. Fixed hourly rates are available for specific connector types and bandwidth. Customers can view live pricing details from the portal or via APIs. Learn more.
Security & Compliance
How does Alkira address product security and compliance?
Alkira is SOC 2 and PCI-DSS compliant, demonstrating a commitment to securing customer data and maintaining robust operational controls. The platform integrates advanced security features such as Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and next-generation firewalls. Customers are encouraged to manage user access and follow security best practices. Learn more.
Use Cases & Benefits
What problems does Alkira solve for enterprises?
Alkira addresses operational complexity, multicloud and hybrid cloud networking challenges, security vulnerabilities, and lack of scalability and visibility. The platform simplifies network design and deployment, integrates advanced security, provides comprehensive visibility, and enables rapid scalability and high-performance networking. Learn more.
What business impact can customers expect from using Alkira?
Customers can expect measurable operational efficiency (96% reduction in cloud setup time, 47% reduction in network management time), up to 40% lower TCO, enhanced security, rapid scalability, business resilience, and support for digital transformation. Learn more.
Who can benefit from Alkira's solutions?
Alkira is designed for mid-to-large enterprises across industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, telecommunications, financial services, biotechnology, software technology, retail, media & entertainment, and aviation. Key roles include network architects, cloud architects, security architects, IT managers/directors, CloudOps, CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs.
What are some real-world case studies of Alkira customers?
Notable case studies include:
- Michaels: Transformed its network across 1,400 stores in record time. Read more
- Koch Industries: Simplified multicloud networking and improved agility. Watch video
- Warner Hotels: Enhanced networking efficiency and B2B connectivity. Watch video
- Chart Industries: Improved agility, saved costs, and expanded globally. Watch video
- SITA: Integrated on-premises and cloud environments for aviation. Watch video
For more, visit our customers page.
What feedback have customers given about Alkira's ease of use?
Customers consistently praise Alkira for its intuitive drag-and-drop interface and rapid deployment. For example, a network architect at a large manufacturer reported, "The IT DIY approach was going to take 6 months to be secure and redundant and all. Alkira did it for us in 3 days, and at very low cost." Matt Hoag, CTO at Koch Industries, said, "We had gone from a mass of complexity and months of work to a dashboard that allowed us simply to draw our network and deploy it in a few hours." See more testimonials.
Implementation, Support & Training
How long does it take to implement Alkira, and how easy is it to get started?
Customers can implement a proof of concept in as little as 4 hours, with full production deployment typically taking about 8 weeks. Alkira's drag-and-drop interface, dedicated training platform, and 24×7 monitoring make onboarding straightforward, even for non-technical users. Training Platform.
What training and technical support does Alkira provide?
Alkira offers a dedicated training platform with detailed guidance, demos, and resources. Customers benefit from 24×7 monitoring, a diagnostics dashboard for troubleshooting, and dedicated support via email or support tickets. Contact support.
How does Alkira handle maintenance, upgrades, and troubleshooting?
Alkira provides proactive notifications for planned or emergency maintenance, a diagnostics dashboard for live troubleshooting, 24×7 monitoring to meet SLA commitments, and dedicated support to minimize downtime and operational disruptions.
Competition & Comparison
How does Alkira compare to Aviatrix?
Aviatrix focuses on orchestration overlays and requires deep cloud expertise for deployment. Alkira provides a true abstraction layer leveraging cloud providers' infrastructure, offers single-click provisioning without requiring deep cloud expertise, and delivers end-to-end solutions for both cloud and traditional network use cases.
How does Alkira compare to Prosimo?
Prosimo is application-centric and limited in addressing traditional network use cases. Alkira provides full-stack networking and security solutions, addresses both cloud and traditional network use cases, and offers horizontally and vertically scalable networks.
How does Alkira compare to Nefeli?
Nefeli focuses on agent-based solutions and requires manual configurations for routing and connectivity. Alkira eliminates manual configurations with automated routing setups, provides enterprise-grade connectivity for cloud and AI-based applications, and delivers a unified platform for network infrastructure as-a-service.
How does Alkira compare to Cato?
Cato focuses on SD-WAN solutions and is limited in addressing multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments. Alkira provides a global backbone-as-a-service for multi-cloud and hybrid environments, offers integrated security features like ZTNA, and supports seamless connectivity across distributed workforces and applications.
Company Information & Vision
What is Alkira's vision and mission?
Alkira's vision is to transform enterprise connectivity by simplifying cloud networking for the AI era. Its mission is to eliminate the complexity of traditional hardware-dependent networking by providing a cloud-native solution that seamlessly connects hybrid and multi-cloud environments through a unified control plane. Learn more.
What is Alkira's company background and industry recognition?
Alkira was founded by the creators of Viptela (acquired by Cisco in 2017) and is recognized for its innovation in cloud networking. The company has been named among America’s Best Startup Employers by Forbes, is a Gartner Cool Vendor, and has received awards such as the 2024 Excellence Award from Cloud Computing Magazine and inclusion in CRN’s 2023 Stellar Startups List. Learn more.
Industry Coverage & Case Studies
Which industries are represented in Alkira's case studies?
Alkira's case studies span manufacturing, retail, healthcare, telecommunications, financial services, biotechnology/life sciences, software technology, media & entertainment, and aviation. See all case studies.
