Network-as-a-Service can deliver network agility and flexibility for enterprise customers
Today, we work and live in an increasingly digital world, which not only gives individuals and businesses the agility and flexibility to create, share and store information virtually but also allows them to access a wide range of subscription-based virtual services. For example, if you use Salesforce, Netflix, Office 365 or Adobe Creative Cloud, you’re using Software as a Service (SaaS) and If you are a developer using Microsoft Azure, Heroku, Force.com or Google App Engine, you’re using Platform as a Service (PaaS), which gives enterprises plug-and-play pre-built blocks developers can use to create customized apps and solutions. To give enterprise networks just as much agility and flexibility, there is also Network-as-a-Service (NaaS).
Envisioning a modern network on demand
Simply put, NaaS is a secure, cost-effective subscription-based model that lets businesses of all sizes consume network infrastructure on-demand and as needed.
Think of it like a thermostat, where you can increase or decrease temperature to suit your needs. That’s the kind of scale-up or scale-down flexibility NaaS offers — and businesses require to stay competitive in today’s unpredictable climate.
Rebalancing network resources during COVID and beyond
The retail industry offers a great use case example. During COVID-19, when many physical stores were closed, retailers utilizing NaaS could easily scale down on network capacity in physical locations while increasing network capacity (speed and bandwidth) for online operations.
Now, with a “living” network that can be changed quickly and right-sized as needed, these retailers can easily manage the number of company locations and users, bandwidth required by each platform and application, and application use per employee to enable a secure, high-performance and efficient network experience.
Managed by a third party, with hardware platforms such as servers, routing, storage and switching devices virtualized, Network-as-a-Service not only simplifies network complexity but also helps businesses get the most from other virtual services like SaaS and PaaS. Fundamentally transforming and untethering the network, it also allows organizations to deploy and try new technologies without the need to buy additional networking equipment that runs the risk of becoming outdated as technology advances rapidly.
For enterprises, NaaS offers more business and technical benefits than a traditional network.
As more businesses rely on apps and resources in the cloud to deliver the best experiences for their employees and customers, Network-as-a-Service can future-proof the network by making it more flexible, scalable, resilient and secure, and in doing so, turn it into a platform for remarkable potential business growth.
