No, I'm not talking about schematics for the Hyperloop (although I'm pretty excited about flying through California in a suction pipe). I'm talking about an even more important network in today's digitized world: the WAN.

Recent trends such as bring-your-own-device, mobility, and cloud computing have led to a surge in the number and types of devices connecting to the network. With these challenges, how can an enterprise manage demand for WAN bandwidth and fast, secure connectivity with a flat or decreasing operational budget?

Answer: Cisco's Intelligent WAN, or IWAN. With IWAN, the Internet becomes a reliable, cost-effective way to supplement the WAN. Now using GRE (Generic Routing Encapsulation) over IPsec tunneling, Internet traffic is redirected from your Integrated Services 4000 Series routers (ISRs) to a Cloud Web Security (CWS) proxy. With the CWS Tunnel Connector comes additional deployment flexibility and these improved IWAN capabilities:

Additionally, Direct Internet Access (DIA) is enabled, allowing users and guests to connect directly to the Internet. Now, having a fast, secure, and cost-effective network is more than just a pipe-dream, it's a reality.

Thrown for a loop? To learn more about the CWS Tunnel Connector on Cisco ISR4000 Series Routers and read more about exciting developments in security, click here.

Join the conversation.  Comment, share and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, @CiscoEnterprise, and the Enterprise Networks Community.