SASE & SD-WAN - SCC UK

Why it matters

Wide-area and internet connectivity are now operational essentials, not optional infrastructure. Every site, every user, every application depends on them. The traditional architecture, where remote sites backhaul traffic to a central data centre and then break out to the internet, was designed for an estate where the data and applications lived in that central site. That estate has changed. Most of the traffic is now heading to public cloud and SaaS, and the central-site routing pattern adds latency, cost and a single point of contention to every transaction.

The cost of running the old model up has become hard to justify. MPLS contracts are inflexible and expensive to scale. Backhaul links saturate as cloud adoption grows. Branch performance degrades on collaboration tools and unified communications. Security applied only at the central site cannot protect the user populations who now sit anywhere with anyone. Patching, monitoring and change control across a sprawling carrier estate consumes engineering capacity that should be spent on applications.

The market answer is SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) SD-WAN, but the market answer is not the design answer. Vendor demos make it look simple. The real work is connectivity design that reflects how your users actually consume cloud and SaaS, intelligent routing across multiple carriers, security applied to internet-bound traffic without slowing it down, and a managed service that removes the operational drag from your team. The implementation that fails is the one that ignores those four together.

SCC designs and runs SASE SD-WAN as a managed service. We start by reviewing your current connectivity, traffic patterns and application estate, then build a recommendation that reflects your actual usage rather than a vendor catalogue. We work with Fortinet and Cisco as the SD-WAN technology and source connectivity across hard-wired, cellular and Low Earth Orbit options. The service is flexible on commercial model. We are deliberately moving away from the rigid, monolithic WAN contracts of the previous decade.

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SCC has run a managed SD-WAN overlay for a leading retailer across European stores, with the customer retaining their own connectivity contracts and SCC layering the SASE SD-WAN service over the top. Modular, not monolithic.

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Multiple carrier types are designed in from the start so the network can survive single-medium failure and reach sites traditional fibre cannot economically serve.

Key features

Cloud-direct routing with security applied at the edge

Traffic to public cloud and SaaS leaves the branch over the local internet break-out, with SASE security inspecting the flow before it goes anywhere. No backhaul to a central site, no MPLS bottleneck on the way to a service that does not live in your data centre. Performance for cloud-resident applications improves immediately. Security policy stays consistent across every site.

Carrier-flexible connectivity across hard-wired, cellular and Low Earth Orbit

We design connectivity that fits the site, not the catalogue. Fibre and broadband for primary service. Cellular for diversity, rapid deployment or sites where fixed-line is slow to provision. Low Earth Orbit satellite for sites where the economics of terrestrial connectivity do not work. Multiple connections are bonded intelligently to share bandwidth and survive single-link failure.

Built on Fortinet and Cisco as proven SD-WAN technology

We work with Fortinet and Cisco (Catalyst SD-WAN and Meraki SD-WAN) because they are the platforms that hold up at scale across UK, European and global enterprise estates. Selection between the two is driven by your existing security stack, your branch profile and your roadmap rather than by vendor preference on our side.

Fully managed service from design through to day-2 operations

SCC runs the full lifecycle. Design, procurement, installation, commissioning, then ongoing monitoring, configuration management, software updates, ITIL-based incident, problem and change processes, plus service delivery management. You get a single accountable service rather than a stack of separate suppliers and a co-ordination problem.

How it works

Step 1

Review the current connectivity and traffic profile

We start with what you have. We map your sites, your existing MPLS or internet contracts, your renewal dates and your real traffic flows by application. The output is a clear picture of where the WAN is working, where it is hurting and what the realistic transition path looks like.

Step 2

Design the SASE SD-WAN architecture for your estate

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Step 3

Build, install and commission across sites

We deploy SD-WAN edges, integrate them with your security stack and bring up connectivity in a sequence that protects business continuity. Each site is commissioned, tested and signed off against acceptance criteria before live traffic moves.

Step 4

Run the service to defined SLAs

Once live, the service runs through 24/7 monitoring with ITIL-based incident, problem and change processes. Software updates, configuration changes and capacity planning are handled by SCC. You get monthly reporting and a named service delivery manager.

Step 5

Evolve as the estate changes

New sites, mergers, divestments, cloud rollouts and new SaaS adoption all change the WAN profile. We adjust the design and the routing rules so the network keeps reflecting how the business actually operates rather than how it operated when the contract was signed.

Partners

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN (Viptela lineage) covers large enterprise WAN estates with mature multi-cloud integration, segmented routing and advanced application-aware policy. Strong fit for organisations with existing Cisco infrastructure and global site footprints.

Meraki SD-WAN delivers cloud-managed SD-WAN with rapid deployment, integrated security and a simpler operational model. Strong fit for organisations prioritising simplicity, fast branch roll-out and unified cloud management of network and security.

Hard-wired connectivity partners. Diverse fibre and broadband options into branches, with options for wires-only or fully managed circuits, designed alongside the SD-WAN topology.

Cellular connectivity partners. 4G and 5G connectivity for diverse path, rapid deployment and locations where fixed-line is slow or uneconomic, integrated into the SD-WAN as a managed link rather than a bolt-on.

Low Earth Orbit satellite partners. Low-latency satellite connectivity for remote, mobile or geographically challenging sites, integrated into the SD-WAN with the same monitoring and security policy as terrestrial links.

Awards and accreditations

Fortinet partner status

Independent verification of SCC’s design, deployment and operational capability across Fortinet Secure SD-WAN and converged security platforms.

Cisco partner status

Independent verification of SCC’s design, deployment and operational capability across Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN and Meraki SD-WAN.

ISO 27001 (Information Security Management)

Independent assurance that information security controls across SCC’s services and operations meet international standards. Reduces supplier-due-diligence overhead for regulated clients running managed SD-WAN with SCC.

ISO 20000 (IT Service Management)

Documented service management processes verified against an external standard. Translates into predictable ITIL-based incident, problem and change practice for clients on the managed service.

Cyber Essentials Plus

Verified protection against common cyber threats across the SCC operating estate. Reduces due-diligence overhead for public sector and regulated buyers procuring managed network services.

Modern connectivity, designed for how you actually use it.

If your MPLS contract is approaching renewal, your branch performance is degrading on cloud and SaaS, or your security posture cannot keep up with where your users now sit, an SD-WAN conversation is worth having now. We can review your current estate, model the realistic options and walk you through what a managed SASE SD-WAN looks like for your sites.

Speak to a specialist

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FAQs

What sets SCC’s SD-WAN apart from other offerings on the market?

Three things. First, we work with Fortinet and Cisco as proven platforms rather than tying you to a single vendor’s view of the world. Second, we provide the connectivity alongside the SD-WAN, including hard-wired, cellular and Low Earth Orbit options, so the design is not constrained by what one carrier can deliver. Third, the commercial model is flexible. We deliberately moved away from the rigid, monolithic WAN contracts that defined the previous decade. Together that means a service that fits your estate rather than one your estate has to fit around.

How do you actually design a solution that meets our requirements?

We work consultatively. We start by reviewing your current connectivity, your traffic flows by application, your renewal dates and your branch profile. We model the realistic options and bring back a recommendation grounded in your data, not a generic reference architecture. The design covers SD-WAN technology choice, connectivity mix, security policy placement, the migration path from your existing WAN and the run-state model. You sign off the design before anything is procured.

Can SCC provide the connectivity itself, or only the SD-WAN overlay?

Both. We can deliver a fully integrated managed service with connectivity, SD-WAN and security under a single contract, or we can run the SD-WAN overlay over connectivity contracts you already hold. SCC ran exactly that flexible model for a leading retailer across European stores while the customer retained their own connectivity contracts. The right answer depends on your renewal cycle, your supplier strategy and how much of the estate you want to consolidate.

What does the managed service actually include?

24/7 monitoring, full configuration management, software updates, ITIL-based incident, problem and change processes, capacity reviews and a named service delivery manager. You get monthly reporting on availability, performance and changes. Day-2 operations are SCC’s responsibility against agreed SLAs, not yours.

How disruptive is the migration from our existing MPLS or legacy WAN?

Migrations are sequenced site by site, typically running the new SD-WAN overlay alongside the existing WAN until each site is proven and accepted. Branch cutover is planned for low-business-impact windows with rollback paths in place. We have completed retail-fleet rollouts, public sector estates and multi-country migrations without forcing big-bang cutovers.