Better constituent experiences from the network up
From elevating the quality of a community’s infrastructure, to stimulating economic growth, to maintaining vital functions in a disaster, the WAN plays a vital role in today’s state government ecosystem. Government IT leaders face increasing complexity, demand and risk, and must shift their network thinking to protect and future-proof their organizations.
Windstream Enterprise commissioned Forrester Consulting to evaluate driving factors and results for agencies transitioning from legacy networks to next-generation SD-WAN. The study confirms that government IT leaders are prioritizing security, reliability and remote access to enable effective governance in an increasingly interconnected—yet dispersed—community. And for that, they choose high-performing solutions backed by trusted technology partners.
Mounting pressure on the WAN
At a time when the quality of a community’s infrastructure and IT services directly affects the health of its economy and the satisfaction of its residents, the government ecosystem has never been more connected. Or more complex.
Today’s government IT leaders see their network as a critical component of their agency’s success. Government staff rely on the WAN to connect with constituents using a variety of communication channels, handle constituent requests and provide disaster recovery and continuity for government operations—all while keeping sensitive information secure.
Legacy networks are holding back constituent care Digital transformation requires a strong and healthy network, and yesterday’s technology can’t support the growing needs of constituents and communities or protect against harmful data breaches. WAN architectures like MPLS struggle to keep pace with traffic and access demands, creating bottlenecks and network outages.
Top 3 issues with current WANs, according to government IT leaders1
Ensuring broad network availability across locations
WAN costs are too high
Securing remote sites with Internet connectivity
Securing the WAN remains a challenge
Like other sectors, government agencies are allowing more employees to work from home or operate as a hybrid workforce.
As virtual perimeters expand beyond the boundaries of the physical network, IT leaders are challenged with effectively securing and controlling network edges.
SD-WAN drivers and roadblocks to change
Many government agencies are moving away from legacy networks in favor of secure, high-performing solutions like SD-WAN. According to government IT leaders, the leading motivator for shifting to SD-WAN is the need to improve security for rapidly expanding remote locations.1
Interestingly, the industry’s number one barrier to SD-WAN implementation is knowledge-related, specifically, understanding the relationships between SD-WAN and third-party solutions. Thankfully, a trusted managed technology partner can make the transition from legacy to leading-edge smooth and sustainable.
#1 driver
Improving security for remote locations1
#1 barrier to implementation
Understanding what third-party solutions providers support when it comes to SD-WAN1
What government IT leaders look for in an SD-WAN partner
Government organizations seek network solutions that are secure and reliable—delivered by providers with unparalleled experiences.1
Accelerate your WAN transformation with Windstream Enterprise
Windstream Enterprise offers network and security solutions that meet the needs of today’s government agencies.
Leading network and security solutions
Optimize your network for cloud-based applications and leverage unified, secure connectivity anywhere.
Award-winning digital experience
Customize and configure your services with centralized management and real-time visibility through our single pane of glass, WE Connect portal.
Unrivaled experience and service guarantees*
Benefit from an industry-leading focus on innovation and commitment to your success along with no-risk solution guarantees.
State government customer spotlight
When a state’s systems are attacked, citizens question the integrity of its leaders and their ability to protect them.
As a long-term Windstream Enterprise customer, a major state agency was experiencing network outages, but couldn’t figure out why. The Windstream Enterprise Network Operations Center (NOC) that monitors the state’s circuits began noticing distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. They met with the agency to report their findings.
After receiving a DDoS mitigation solution from Windstream Enterprise, the agency has discovered—and stopped—additional threats and prevented others. They have also been able to carry a growing amount of bandwidth securely.
"In addition to educating the agency about how DDoS attacks impacted our network, the Windstream Enterprise team demonstrated how threats could be alleviated simply and easily by the addition of DDoS Mitigation Service.”
- Director, State Government Agency
Cloud-enabled connectivity, communications and security. Guaranteed.
Windstream Enterprise drives organizational transformation through the convergence of our proprietary software solutions and cloud-optimized network to maximize government agencies’ return on technology spend. Our managed services empower employee productivity, streamline operations, enhance security and elevate the experience of agencies and the constituents they serve while safeguarding their critical data and reputation. Analysts certify Windstream Enterprise as a market leader for our product innovation, and clients rely on our unrivaled service guarantees and best-in-class management portal. Organizations trust Windstream Enterprise as their single source for a high-performance network and award-winning suite of connectivity, collaboration and security solutions—delivered by a team of technology experts whose success is directly tied to fulfilling each organization’s mission.
To learn more about Windstream Enterprise network and security solutions, visit windstreamenterprise.com
1. “Shift Your Network Thinking to SD-WAN and Security.” A Forrester Consulting Thought Leadership Paper. Commissioned by Windstream Enterprise, March 2022.
* Required services include OfficeSuite UC® and SD-WAN Concierge™ for all Windstream Enterprise guarantees.
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