InformationWeek Reports, a service provider for peer-based IT research and analysis, announced the release of its latest research report. The Next-Gen WAN encompasses analysis of results from InformationWeek's recent 2012 Next Generation WAN Survey and guides readers in maximizing the use of their WAN bandwidth and budgets. More than 300 business technology professionals, at organizations with at least one branch- or remote-office connection, responded to this poll. Forty-four percent have 16 or more sites connecting to headquarters or a main data center.

Research Summary:

While IT has big WAN challenges, including navigating a migration to MPLS and providing enough bandwidth at current spending levels, the biggest WAN game changers may be the cloud, both public and private. While just 31% have thus far altered their WAN strategies due to adoption of public cloud services, private and hybrid cloud will have a significant impact when deciding whether to keep the traditional hub-and-spoke design, provision business-class Internet links at some or all branch sites, or some combination of the two.

Findings: 

• 69% expect demand for WAN bandwidth to increase significantly (15%) or somewhat (54%) in the coming 12 to 24 months.
• 63% have no plans to deploy Cisco's OTV technology.
• 44% of organizations that would like to upgrade WAN connectivity but are unable to do so cite expense as the biggest factor preventing it.
• 29% say their organizations are less vulnerable to WAN-based attacks and security breaches compared with a year ago.

The report author, Greg Ferro, has spent over 20 years in IT; his main work is in network engineering and design.