During the initial growth phase of the Internet, WAN Redundancy was classified as a nice to have rather than a must have need. Data lines were expensive, applications were limited, and only the largest companies and educational institutions deployed WANs. Even these early pioneers did not invest time and effort in WAN Redundancy.
The introduction of the first browser for the Internet was the launching of a new cyber world that, coupled with the introduction of PCs, launched an IT revolution. These technologies enabled users -- home or business -- to use the Internet to search for information. It gave everyone a standardized way of searching the web, regardless of the operating system used to run the personal or mainframe computer. It leveled the playing field for everyone and suddenly, the information available on the Internet became a cornerstone of business.
The ability to get to the web demanded the need for a robust WAN infrastructure and the need for WAN Redundancy arose. The rise of the cyber business model further underscored the need for WAN Redundancy and before long, it was obligatory to include WAN Redundancy as a part of the process of planning WAN infrastructure.
WAN Redundancy is a subset of the considerations need for Business Continuity. WAN Redundancy plays a critical role in ensuring that companies can continue to operate and a not reliant on one ISP or Telco for the transport of data into or from a business. Without WAN Redundancy, a business can quickly become a victim of the vagaries of data lines.
