Network as a service (NaaS)

Source-This post on Network as a service (NaaS) is based on the article “Internet economy should embrace NaaS” published in “The Financial Express” on 28th March 2024.

Why in the News?

India’s internet economy is rapidly advancing as more and more people connect through the digital bandwagon. Network-as-a-service (NaaS) offers the potential to enhance the everyday user experience.

About Network-as-a-service (NaaS)

1. About NaaS: Network-as-a-service (NaaS) is a cloud service model where customers lease networking services from cloud providers.

2. Features: 

a) With NaaS, customers can manage their own networks without the need for maintaining physical networking infrastructure.

b) By utilising  software-based networking functions, NaaS vendors enable companies to establish fully virtualized networks without hardware which are solely relying on internet connectivity.

c) It serves as a modern alternative to traditional networking configurations like VPNs, MPLS connections, and on-premise hardware such as firewall appliances and load balancers which is significantly impacting enterprise networking architecture.

3. Advantages of NaaS: Naas provides several advantages:

a) Greater customization and flexibility: Cloud-based networks offer greater customization and flexibility. This allows IT teams to reconfigure networks on demand through software.

b) Easy capacity expansion: NaaS provides scalability advantages over traditional hardware-based services. It  enables easy capacity expansion through vendor subscriptions.

c) Access from anywhere:  Cloud-based networks offer remote access from any device with an internet connection which potentially eliminating the need for VPNs.

d) Low maintainence: Cloud providers handle network maintenance, including software and hardware upgrades, reducing the burden on enterprises.

e) Enhanced security: NaaS bundles networking and security services and this leads to tighter integration and enhanced network security.

f) Economical: Utilizing cloud services often results in cost savings by eliminating the need for purchasing and maintaining hardware, leveraging the vendor’s existing infrastructure.

4. Challenges of NaaS: 

a) Compatibility issues may arise due to the NaaS vendor’s infrastructure not being compatible with legacy systems like older hardware or on-premise applications.

b) Migration complexities exist in enterprises with on-premise data centers, where transitioning to a NaaS model may be challenging.

c) Vendor lock-in risk is a concern as reliance on a specific service provider can lead to significant repercussions if their infrastructure fails or prices increase.

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