Integrate Two WANs Without Breaking Either One
Merging two wide-area networks is one of the most complex and risk-sensitive tasks in post-merger integration. Different carriers, incompatible SD-WAN platforms, conflicting routing policies, and overlapping IP address spaces all need to be resolved. RLM designs and manages the WAN integration so both organizations stay connected throughout the transition.
WAN Integration
RLM provides independent, vendor-neutral advisory that gives deal teams and integration leaders the technology clarity they need to make informed decisions and execute with confidence.
WAN Architecture Review
We document both organizations' WAN architectures — MPLS topologies, SD-WAN platforms, internet breakout policies, and routing designs — identifying incompatibilities, integration paths, and the target unified architecture.
IP Address & DNS Consolidation
We map IP address spaces across both organizations, identify conflicts and overlaps, and design the re-addressing or NAT strategy that enables network interconnection without disrupting running applications.
SD-WAN Platform Rationalization
When both organizations run different SD-WAN platforms, we evaluate consolidation options — comparing capabilities, contract positions, migration effort, and total cost to determine which platform survives or whether a new deployment makes sense.
Network Interconnection Design
We design the interim and target interconnection architecture — site-to-site VPNs, MPLS cross-connects, SD-WAN fabric extension, or cloud-based interconnection — enabling secure communication between both networks during and after integration.
Policy & Firewall Integration
We reconcile network security policies, firewall rule sets, and access control lists across both organizations — designing the unified security posture that maintains protection while enabling the cross-organizational traffic flows that integration requires.
Phased Integration Execution
We manage the phased WAN integration — routing changes, DNS migration, firewall updates, and carrier coordination — with rollback procedures at each stage to ensure business connectivity is never interrupted.
Where This Matters Most
Sector-specific considerations we see repeatedly in manda advisory engagements.
A Sample of the M&A Advisory Providers We Evaluate
RLM is vendor neutral. These are among 600+ providers in our evaluation set — inclusion here is not an endorsement, and we are paid by the provider you choose, not by any provider in particular. How that works →
Ready to Integrate Your Networks?
Start with a no-cost WAN integration assessment — we'll map both architectures and design the integration path.
Talk to an M&A Advisor