NaaS

What is Network as a Service (NaaS)?

Software as a service (SaaS) applies to any software application delivered via the cloud as a subscription-based offering. SaaS spans across a variety of online applications utilized through the internet every day.

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is defined as the use of any IT hardware and software infrastructure components like compute power or storage utilized through the cloud in a flexible consumption or subscription-based model. Like SaaS, it’s an all-inclusive category that can span the entire IT infrastructure portfolio from compute to storage to networks.

Network as a service (NaaS) is different from SaaS and IaaS because it is much more specific and relates directly only to networking functionality. Unlike SaaS and IaaS, it refers to only networking hardware, software, and services delivered in a “cloud-like” motion, which implies subscription-based or consumption-based billing. Sometimes the term is extended to include the overall day-to-day operations and management of a network environment by a 3^rd party, such as the vendor or vendor partner.

NaaS lets your customers consume networking in a cloud-like manner, through monthly subscription payments with choices for flexible consumption. It also includes options for channel partners to co-design, implement and provide managed consulting without worrying about producing a down payment at the start of your customer’s service. Bottom line, NaaS helps partners bring their services to market faster than ever.

NaaS provides balance sheet flexibility. While it is primarily designed for OPEX consumption with the subscription-based model, all accounting practices differ within each organization. NaaS is often supported as an OPEX model from the CIO perspective, by aligning NaaS to an operational IT budget point of view. From the CFO perspective, it is typically a question related to financial statements. The benefit of NaaS is that it is a usage-based agreement delivering services for the OPEX point of view. For example, a simple NaaS SKU associated as a service-based delivered service could be more easily consumed from an OPEX perspective.

• Financing flexibility: NaaS enables organizations to overcome traditional financial obstacles offering an alternative to upfront capital investments. The ability to pay as you grow is one of the key advantages of NaaS. The financing flexibility enables organizations to address today’s dynamic business climate where change can happen rapidly.
• Enhanced security: Faster deployment of new features and functions help enhance security for NaaS to ensure the network is in a good state of repair and lowers operational risk. NaaS provides the ability to meet line-of-business requirements to launch new services and capabilities faster. Extended services ensure optimal performance and keep organizations safe from security vulnerabilities caused by out-of-date equipment or configurations.
• Proactive management: NaaS deployments mitigate risks with proactive advisory and management capabilities. Proactive management capabilities often include AIOps (AI for IT Operations) driven insights, or highly skilled networking experts, to ensure the organization is maximizing its deployment with the latest product features, functions, or configurations. This proactive management approach is designed to optimize performance and operations, and to correct any issues before they cause an outage.
• Scalable centralized management: NaaS cloud management capabilities can provide cohesive management of network domains (data centers, enterprise campus, and WAN) to enable organizations to scale networks easily. Added managed services can be implemented to oversee all network operations.
• Sustainability: Effective NaaS programs help alleviate security and cost related fears associated with old hardware resources. Repurposing equipment and proper disposal are important but costly. Sustainable reuse and retirement are key attributes of a NaaS offering and allow organizations to meet sustainability goals more easily.