While the ability to connect to cloud over public internet links (using any device and from anywhere) is a major factor driving the adoption of SD-WAN, public internet is still best effort and comes with several performance challenges such as latency, packet loss, and inherent security risks. SD-WAN vendor solutions available in the market address these challenges by deploying a virtual instance of their SD-WAN solution in the cloud point of presence (POP) nearest to the destination application. This allows them to implement SD-WAN features throughout the network, from branch site to cloud, ensuring optimal performance and reliability. In this white paper by Frost & Sullivan, we will review the performance and operational benefits of the VMware SD-WAN Gateways in enabling optimized and reliable connectivity to the cloud.