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Managed SD-WAN
Managed SD-WAN for Multi-Location Businesses
If you manage network infrastructure across multiple locations, you already know the pain: inconsistent circuit performance, site-by-site firewall configurations, no unified visibility, and a WAN architecture that was never designed to handle the cloud-first workloads your business runs today. SD-WAN solves this by replacing that patchwork with an intelligent software overlay that sits on top of whatever circuits you have — fiber, broadband, LTE, fixed wireless, or even legacy MPLS. It lets you route traffic based on application priority, fail over automatically when a circuit degrades or drops, and manage every site from a single centralized platform instead of box-by-box at each location.
Technology Partners
Our SD-WAN Technology Partners
Key Benefits
See It in Action
Real screenshots from the Managed SD-WAN platform
Why SD-WAN Matters for Multi-Location Businesses
California Telecom designs, deploys, and manages SD-WAN solutions using both Versa Networks and Fortinet across businesses with 3 to 50+ locations. We are technology-agnostic: we recommend the right platform based on your environment, your security stack, and your operational needs — not based on vendor incentives. Our team includes a triple-CCIE engineer, a Fortinet NSE7 and FCSS specialist, multiple Fortinet FCP/FCA-certified engineers, and Versa Networks-certified engineers who have been deploying Versa SD-WAN since 2018. We operate nationwide points of presence in Los Angeles, Elk Grove, Seattle, Dallas, New Jersey, and Miami, providing low-latency internet connectivity and regional redundancy for your overlay network.
Versa Networks SD-WAN
Versa Networks delivers a full-stack SASE platform that integrates SD-WAN, routing, next-gen firewall, secure web gateway, and zero trust network access into a single software instance running on a single CPE device at each site. This unified architecture eliminates the need to deploy and manage separate appliances for networking and security. California Telecom has been a Versa partner since 2018, and our engineers hold Versa-specific certifications. For organizations that want networking and security unified under one platform with deep application visibility, Versa is often the right choice.
Fortinet SD-WAN
Fortinet SD-WAN is built directly into the FortiGate next-generation firewall platform. If your organization already uses FortiGate for perimeter security, adding SD-WAN functionality requires no additional hardware — it is a feature set within FortiOS. This makes Fortinet SD-WAN a natural fit for businesses already invested in the Fortinet security ecosystem, and it allows centralized management of both firewall policies and SD-WAN routing through FortiManager. Our team includes a Fortinet NSE7/FCSS-certified engineer and multiple FCP/FCA engineers who design and manage FortiGate SD-WAN fabrics across multi-site environments.
Design and Architecture Consulting
Every SD-WAN deployment starts with a thorough assessment of your current network topology, circuit inventory, application requirements, and growth plans. Our engineers map out traffic flows, identify single points of failure, and design an architecture that accounts for bandwidth needs, redundancy requirements, and security policies at every site. This is not a cookie-cutter process — a 5-site professional services firm has very different needs than a 40-site logistics company with warehouses, and we design accordingly.
Hardware Procurement and Zero-Touch Provisioning
We handle all hardware procurement, whether that is Versa FlexVNF appliances or FortiGate units. Devices are pre-staged and configured in our lab before shipping, then provisioned remotely using zero-touch deployment. The appliance arrives at your site, gets plugged into power and internet, connects to our cloud infrastructure, and is fully configured within minutes — no on-site engineer required for standard deployments.
Carrier-Neutral Circuit Procurement
We work with AT&T, Spectrum, Frontier, Cox, Cogent, Crown Castle, and dozens of other providers to procure the right circuit at the right price for each of your locations. Because we are carrier-neutral, we recommend what fits based on availability, performance, and cost — not based on which carrier pays us the highest commission. For many multi-location businesses, this means a mix of fiber at headquarters, broadband at branch offices, and LTE or fixed wireless at remote or temporary sites.
Policy Configuration and Application-Aware Routing
Once the overlay is established, we configure application-aware routing policies that prioritize your critical traffic. Voice and video get expedited forwarding with dedicated QoS classes. SaaS applications like Microsoft 365, Salesforce, or Citrix can be steered directly to the internet via local breakout instead of backhauling through headquarters. Less critical traffic like software updates or backups gets routed over your lowest-cost circuits. Every policy is tailored to your specific application environment.
Overlay Tunnels for Private Inter-Site Connectivity
SD-WAN creates encrypted overlay tunnels between all your sites using any available internet connection. This replaces expensive MPLS circuits with standard internet connectivity while maintaining private, secure, site-to-site communication. Tunnels are created automatically when a new site connects to the SD-WAN fabric — no manual routing configuration needed. Your sites communicate as if they are on a single private network, regardless of the underlying carrier at each location.
24/7 Monitoring and Alerting via Netverge
Every managed SD-WAN customer receives 24/7 monitoring through our Netverge platform with Vergepoint hardware deployed at each site. Vergepoints run continuous diagnostics — circuit health checks, latency and jitter measurements, QoE scoring, and application performance baselines — directly from inside your network. When something degrades, our NOC is alerted before your users notice. This is not generic SNMP polling — it is real-time observability with AI-driven triage that separates signal from noise.
Firmware Management and Security Patching
We manage the full lifecycle of firmware updates and security patches across your SD-WAN fleet. Updates are tested in our lab environment first, then rolled out in staged maintenance windows with rollback plans in place. Critical security patches are expedited and applied within hours of vendor release. You never have to worry about whether your edge devices are running vulnerable firmware.
Ongoing Optimization and Quarterly Business Reviews
Networks are not static. As your business adds locations, adopts new cloud applications, or changes bandwidth requirements, your SD-WAN policies need to evolve. We conduct quarterly business reviews with your IT leadership to review performance data, discuss upcoming changes, and optimize your WAN architecture. This ongoing partnership ensures your network continues to support your business goals — not just the requirements you had on day one.
SD-WAN vs. Traditional MPLS
MPLS has been the standard for enterprise WAN connectivity for decades, and it still has a role in certain environments — particularly where guaranteed latency and jitter are contractually required, such as real-time trading platforms or certain healthcare applications. But for most multi-location businesses, SD-WAN delivers better performance at significantly lower cost. MPLS circuits are expensive, slow to provision (often 60-90 days), and lock you into a single carrier per site. SD-WAN uses commodity internet circuits that are cheaper, faster to deploy, and available from multiple carriers. It adds intelligent routing, automatic failover, and application-level QoS on top. Many of our customers use a hybrid approach: MPLS at one or two critical sites for guaranteed performance, with SD-WAN overlay across all other locations. Over time, most migrate fully off MPLS as they gain confidence in SD-WAN reliability. We help you plan that transition at whatever pace makes sense for your business.
Who Is Managed SD-WAN Right For?
Managed SD-WAN is the right fit for businesses with three or more locations that are struggling with inconsistent connectivity, spending heavily on MPLS circuits, running cloud and SaaS applications that need direct internet breakout, or operating with IT teams that do not have the bandwidth to manage WAN infrastructure across sites. If your IT team spends more time troubleshooting circuit outages and coordinating with carriers than working on strategic projects, our managed SD-WAN service is designed to take that burden off their plate entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SD-WAN and how is it different from MPLS?
SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) is an intelligent overlay that sits on top of any transport — broadband, fiber, LTE, or MPLS. Unlike MPLS, which is a single expensive circuit with limited bandwidth, SD-WAN lets you bond multiple cheaper connections together using overlay tunnels while using software to route traffic intelligently. You get better performance, lower cost, and faster deployment.
Which SD-WAN platform do you recommend — Versa or Fortinet?
It depends on your environment. If you want networking and security unified in a single SASE platform, Versa Networks is often the best fit. If you already run FortiGate firewalls and want to add SD-WAN without deploying new hardware, Fortinet SD-WAN is the natural choice. We are technology-agnostic and recommend based on your needs, not vendor incentives.
Can SD-WAN really replace my MPLS?
For most multi-location businesses, yes. Our SD-WAN creates encrypted overlay tunnels between all your sites using any available internet connection. You get the same site-to-site connectivity as MPLS at a fraction of the cost, with the added benefits of bandwidth aggregation and automated failover. Some customers use a hybrid approach with MPLS at one or two critical sites and SD-WAN everywhere else.
What happens if my internet circuit goes down?
SD-WAN is designed for resilience. Our platform detects circuit failures instantly and redirects all traffic — including active phone calls — over surviving links. Unlike traditional firewall failover, SD-WAN maintains session state so desktop sessions and phone calls are not dropped.
Do I need networking experience to manage SD-WAN?
No. California Telecom fully designs, builds, and operates your SD-WAN. Our network engineers handle everything from deployment to ongoing management. The SD-WAN appliance handles routing automatically — just set your private LAN IP and the appliance does everything else.
Can I keep my static IP address?
Yes. Our floating IP feature provides a static public IP address that works over any carrier connection using overlay technology. We can route CIDR blocks from /29 to /24 subnets, giving you a consistent public IP regardless of the underlying circuit.
What certifications do your SD-WAN engineers hold?
Our team includes a triple-CCIE engineer, Fortinet NSE7 and FCSS specialists, multiple Fortinet FCP/FCA engineers, Versa Networks-certified engineers, and AWS and Azure certified specialists. These are the same caliber of certifications held by engineers designing the largest enterprise networks in the world.
How long does an SD-WAN deployment take?
A typical single-site deployment takes 2-4 weeks from design to go-live. Multi-site rollouts are staged in phases, usually 3-5 sites per week once the architecture is finalized and hardware is provisioned. Zero-touch provisioning means most sites can be brought online without an on-site engineer visit.
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Trusted by Businesses Across California
"We really appreciate the professionalism and clear communication California Telecom brings as our managed service provider across network infrastructure, SecOps, and the rest of the backend."
Joe Fancher
Jack Nadel Inc.
"California Telecom customer service is a shining example of what every service provider should offer. Our IT Production Services division is fully dependent on the internet. We've been a California Telecom customer for at least 7 years, and I'm amazed with the support team and level of service."
Oscar Navarro
Sony Pictures
"Long-time customer of California Telecom here, and I can say from experience that these guys are the definition of responsive. I can call or email and within minutes, have a Tier 2 engineer on the line troubleshooting the issue."
Danny Rodriguez
Lanair Group
"California Telecom has demonstrated commitment over the years, providing excellent 24/7 support and services with their T1's, VoIP service, and co-location service. They are as much a part of our business as our customers are."
Hanns Schweis
Thermal Dynamics
"We use California Telecom hosted voice and internet. Very happy since we migrated from traditional carriers like Time Warner and AT&T. Always pass on the referrals if anyone is asking for an ISP."
Vitaliy Sklyar
Netpower
"Service has always been prompt and professional, and I am yet to have any downtime. Much better than Charter and AT&T, who I suffered with for years prior."
Atilla Banoczy
Lanair Group
"We really appreciate the professionalism and clear communication California Telecom brings as our managed service provider across network infrastructure, SecOps, and the rest of the backend."
Joe Fancher
Jack Nadel Inc.
"California Telecom customer service is a shining example of what every service provider should offer. Our IT Production Services division is fully dependent on the internet. We've been a California Telecom customer for at least 7 years, and I'm amazed with the support team and level of service."
Oscar Navarro
Sony Pictures
"Long-time customer of California Telecom here, and I can say from experience that these guys are the definition of responsive. I can call or email and within minutes, have a Tier 2 engineer on the line troubleshooting the issue."
Danny Rodriguez
Lanair Group
"California Telecom has demonstrated commitment over the years, providing excellent 24/7 support and services with their T1's, VoIP service, and co-location service. They are as much a part of our business as our customers are."
Hanns Schweis
Thermal Dynamics
"We use California Telecom hosted voice and internet. Very happy since we migrated from traditional carriers like Time Warner and AT&T. Always pass on the referrals if anyone is asking for an ISP."
Vitaliy Sklyar
Netpower
"Service has always been prompt and professional, and I am yet to have any downtime. Much better than Charter and AT&T, who I suffered with for years prior."
Atilla Banoczy
Lanair Group
Managed SD-WAN serving businesses across Southern California: Los Angeles · Orange County · Inland Empire · San Bernardino County · Riverside County · San Diego County · Ventura County · Nationwide