Q&A: Is Mobile WAN Optimization Right For You?

WAN optimization is no only longer only a point-to-point technology for accelerating traffic among branches and data centers. Instead, companies that have turned to the Internet as their corporate WAN are looking to apply WAN optimization to all of their remote workers. As mobility is cemented as a major success imperative, Forrester has observed that these organizations are designing WAN strategies that take into account mobile users, their specific needs, and computing environments. And lately, organizations are becoming concerned with mobile users other than just "road warriors." However, slow application performance and a poor end user experience have stymied many enterprise mobility projects. Enter mobile WAN optimization, a rapidly maturing category of products from network optimization vendors like Riverbed Technology, Cisco Systems, and Blue Coat Systems. Should your organization be investing in a mobile version of network optimization? The answer may surprise you; these questions will outline what the technology is, how it can be applied, and where you should turn for a solution.