Chief Infrastructure Architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Plenty of features, reasonably priced, and high level quality
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features are the orchestration layer, plug and play capabilities, and also the fact that you can either configure it as a full mesh or hard install."
  • "There are a number of customers we have that require a fully mashed SD-WAN on VeloCloud that is not available currently."

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are the orchestration layer, plug and play capabilities, and also the fact that you can either configure it as a full mesh or hard install. Even though fully meshed is limited, it is still a good feature.

What needs improvement?

There are a number of customers we have that require a fully mashed SD-WAN on VeloCloud that is not available currently. If you compare the reporting tool to all other tools that you use for customers for MPLS, they are not as granular. Additionally, the security could be better and increasing the capabilities for fully meshed architectural typology would be beneficial.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for approximately two years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is scalable, most of our clients are enterprise size companies. 

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How are customer service and support?

The technical support is there if we need them. We are a premium partner to VMware, if there are issues that you cannot resolve internally, we reach out to them and they give us the help we need.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We currently use a few solutions other than this one such as Meraki. When picking the best solution for our clients, the best depends on the use case. It depends on the customer requirements, what they are looking for and then we will recommend the best fit based on our offering.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price is reasonable for this solution, but the only challenge for us is that the Rand currency fluctuates to the dollar and provides some complexities. The price might go up just because the Rand has actually lost value.

What other advice do I have?

This solution is at a very high level, and quite good. However, it is not one platform that fits all, it depends on the use case and what the customer looking for. You might find customers that want security or other UTM based features, which VeloCloud does not offer. It weighs heavily on the customer requirements, but if security is what they are after then I would not generally recommend the VeloCloud offering.

I rate VMware SD-WAN an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
Senior Technical Consultant at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Exceptional performance on the cloud, but weak as an in-house solution
Pros and Cons
  • "The cloud gateway is a very good feature for scaling purposes, etc."
  • "They should provide us with the flexibility to scale up."

What is most valuable?

There is a cloud gateway feature that centrally locates every space, which you don't get with Cisco. The cloud gateway is a very good feature for scaling purposes, etc. It's a very simple feature. In fact, everything about VeloCloud is quite simple, including the concept of the circuits, and, from a  technical perspective, it's not as challenging as Cisco VPNs. They have VPN 0, VPN 1, VPN 2, VPN 3, but they're very simple in that approach — the concept of circuits. Overall, I think both products are good. 

Cisco has begun to push its SD-WAN code within all of its ISR routers. This has made deployment quite challenging. With VeloCloud, deployment is much easier because they include all of their own hardware.

What needs improvement?

Cloud-based, it's okay because they roll up the device and provide you with a link for access. In regards to in-house, when you want to deploy the orchestrator, it becomes very difficult. Currently, I don't see any such good documentation compared to their competitors, like Cisco, etc.

Also, If you look at Cisco, just Google it and you'll get every detail: what to do, what specific system, what server, how much RAM, how much storage, all the details — it's just much easier.

If a customer has an optimization solution within their network, then you have to be very careful when designing — optimization and all. This can make your design very complex. If the customer has an existing optimization solution, then you have to be very careful when designing any part of the SD-WAN solution — Cisco or Velo.

They should provide us with the flexibility to scale up.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for two and a half to three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

VeloCloud is very stable — it's a very good solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have not done a scale with something like 6,000 to 7,000 sites; however, if you look at the pure design, phase-wise, then you have to be very particular about new designs. Velo is purely based on design. I don't think the SD-WAN is that new and scaling that amount of sites requires a simple design rather than a complex solution.

With Cisco, we were working on a huge scale — I think it was around 1700 sites for that customer. After 900 sites, it started having problems. The controller was not sending the new site updates to the hub and it was not reflecting in the routing table; however, in the end, it scaled, but there were some challenges that we had to overcome.

How are customer service and technical support?

There are not enough people within their support team. I would give them a rating of three out of five.

They have to improve, they have to be quicker and understand the types of problems customers face. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. The initial setup is very simple compared to Cisco. Cisco claims to be Zero Touch Provisioning, but I think they have a lot of complexity surrounding that Zero Touch. With VeloCloud, you can generate and send emails, and the receiver just has to connect to the device, open up the email and the configuration improves. In this way, I think Velo is good with Zero Touch Provisioning.

Deployment time really depends on what you deploy. If you want to roll out a small site on a single device, then the designing and the policies are all done — it's a really quick job. Your circuit and site will rollout quickly, everything will be up and running roughly within two to two and a half hours. If you're looking at a complex site, then of course, the complexity increases.

What other advice do I have?

VeloCloud is a good solution. They are only lacking in regards to the in-house version. 

On a scale from one to ten, I would give VeloCloud a rating of seven.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
PeerSpot user
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VMware SD-WAN
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about VMware SD-WAN. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
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Real User
Top 20
Top solution with good ISP support
Pros and Cons
  • "I love the solution because of its many features like cluster and cloud VPN."
  • "The solution needs improvement on security features and should include two firewalls. Cloud VPN can’t support any link. The solution needs to also improve the availability of centralized internal management. It needs to have debug detection and Deep Packet Detection features as well. The documentation for VMware is also hard to find."

What is our primary use case?

The solution offers ISP support for customers.

What is most valuable?

I love the solution because of its many features like cluster and cloud VPN.

What needs improvement?

The solution needs improvement for the security features and should include two firewalls. Cloud VPN can’t support any link. The solution needs to also improve the availability of centralized internal management. 

It needs to have debug detection and Deep Packet Detection features as well. 

The documentation for VMware is also hard to find.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with the solution for three months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I am using the solution in a virtual machine and cannot comment on its stability. However, I think that the solution is stable because, in Libya, ISP uses this technology and many customers use it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable and very important for quality view.

How was the initial setup?

I worked with the solution in virtual Azure and it is complex. However, I think in the real scenario, the deployment should be more flexible.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have evaluated Cisco SD-WAN and Fortinet SD-WAN. There is a need for more features in these solutions.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate the solution a seven out of ten. The product is intuitive and easy to use. The solution is suitable for both medium companies and enterprise ones. I would recommend it for customers who have many branches.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Eric Liao - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution Manager at DYXnet Group
MSP
Top 5
Secure, high availability, and knowledgeable support
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of VMware SD-WAN is security. Additionally, the integration and configuration are easier to do than with other solutions, such as Cisco."
  • "The initial setup of VMware SD-WAN was simple. However, it took six days to complete."

What is our primary use case?

VMware SD-WAN is used for security and virtualization.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of VMware SD-WAN is security. Additionally, the integration and configuration are easier to do than with other solutions, such as Cisco.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using VMware SD-WAN for approximately three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have approximately 200 customers using this solution.

How are customer service and support?

The support from VMware SD-WAN is knowledgeable.

I rate the support from VMware SD-WAN a nine out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of VMware SD-WAN was simple. However, it took six days to complete.

What about the implementation team?

We use a third party to deploy the solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of VMware SD-WAN is less expensive than some solutions, such as Cisco.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend this solution to others.

I rate VMware SD-WAN a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Senior Network Consultant at a security firm with 51-200 employees
Consultant
Top 20
Customizable solution that allows us to install servers and virtual appliances
Pros and Cons
  • "It can be used for load balancing and load sharing. It's easy to use and customizable."
  • "The dashboards could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use VMware to install some servers and virtual appliances.

It can be deployed on cloud and on-premises.

We have a team of five engineers.

Only one of our customers uses this solution. They're a medium-size enterprise.

What is most valuable?

It can be used for load balancing and load sharing. It's easy to use and customizable.

What needs improvement?

The dashboards could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used this solution for one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate the stability as 10 out of 10.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable. I would rate the scalability as eight out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

I would rate technical support as eight out of ten. I haven't faced any challenges.

How was the initial setup?

Deployment took two hours.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution as eight out of ten. I would recommend it.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Principal Sales Engineer at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Offers dynamic multipath optimization and it is easy to set up with zero-touch provisioning
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the dynamic multipath optimization."
  • "There is no security included, which is something that should be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use VeloCloud as our SD-WAN solution.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the dynamic multipath optimization. This is something that other competing products do not have.

Zero-touch provisioning makes it very easy to set up.

The single path optimization features are useful.

What needs improvement?

There is no security included, which is something that should be improved. For example, they should at least include basic firewall capabilities.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using VeloCloud for six months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of VeloCloud is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability-wise, this is a good solution. We have a large company but our group makes up just a small part of the network, with perhaps 50 users. This includes regular business owners and home users.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Prior to VeloCloud, we used Fortinet. However, the SD-WAN is not as good, which is why we switched over.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is really easy.

Once you connect the appliance to the internet, you manage the policies and that enables SD-WAN.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is very comparable to Fortinet.

What other advice do I have?

This is a product that I like. For anybody looking for an SD-WAN, this is a really good option, and probably one of the best. My only real complaint is about the lack of security. If security is their primary goal, then I would suggest implementing Fortinet instead. On the other hand, if SD-WAN is the primary concern then choose VeloCloud.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Mohammed Gawas - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Real User
It's simple to deploy and automate, reducing the number of employees needed on the IT team
Pros and Cons
  • "I like VMware SD-WAN's automation and zero-touch provisioning. Its main advantage is simplicity. Anyone can use this gateway."
  • "Security is a challenge. I would like to see VMware add things like IPS, IDS, and web filtering. These features are the future of security, and most competing firewalls have them."

What is our primary use case?

VMware SD-WAN is a layer 7 firewall.

How has it helped my organization?

We're doing POCs and getting a lot of good feedback from customers about VMware. They see how simple it is to deploy and how it reduces the number of employees needed on the network team. 

What is most valuable?

I like VMware SD-WAN's automation and zero-touch provisioning. Its main advantage is simplicity. Anyone can use this gateway.

What needs improvement?

Security is a challenge. I would like to see VMware add things like IPS, IDS, and web filtering. These features are the future of security, and most competing firewalls have them. We already have layer 7, but that is not enough for a headquarters. Maybe it's okay for a branch office.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been a VMware partner for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

VMware SD-WAN is highly stable. We haven't had any complaints about lost connections or the need to restart devices. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

VMware's scalability is good so far. We have 100 devices. 

How are customer service and support?

We opened many tickets with VMware support in the last month. It's good, and they usually respond in under 24 hours. I rate VMware support five out of five.

How was the initial setup?

Setting up VMware SD-WAN is simple and smooth. I would rate it four out of five for ease of deployment. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate VMware SD-WAN eight out of 10. If you are looking for automation and want to free up your IT to focus on other things, I recommend VMware SD-WAN.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior Manager at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Effective solution for increasing bandwidth across different sites while ensuring no loss in connectivity
Pros and Cons
  • "If one circuit crashes, we are able to switch to a second circuit without any disruption in connection."
  • "In the future, we would like to have more capacity using this solution as there are limitations on the VCE. For example, only 50 tunnels can be supported currently but we would like to have 200 tunnels using the VeloCloud VCE device."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution to increase our network bandwidth between sites in our company. For example, there are two internet lines and one NPOS network in Taipei and one SD-WAN solution in Poland. The VCE connects these lines and networks to our LAN switch which increases our bandwidth.

What is most valuable?

If one circuit crashes, we are able to switch to a second circuit without any disruption in connection. 

What needs improvement?

In the future, we would like to have more capacity using this solution as there are limitations on the VCE. For example, only 50 tunnels can be supported currently but we would like to have 200 tunnels using the VeloCloud VCE device.

The security function on the VCE could be improved as we need to purchase another device to protect our setup. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable solution. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a scalable solution. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used the FortiGate SD-WAN solution. When using this solution, we experienced application disconnection if the network failed. This does not happen with VeloCloud. 

What about the implementation team?

A vendor assisted us with the setup of this solution. 

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free VMware SD-WAN Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free VMware SD-WAN Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.