WWT Research • Landscape Report
• 18 minute read

Network as a Service (NaaS): A Guide to the Concept, Features and Providers in the Market

There's a lot of talk in the market about Network as a Service (NaaS). But what exactly is NaaS? Is it real or simply marketing hype? This paper defines NaaS, dispels some common myths and examines NaaS offerings in the market.

What is Network as a Service (NaaS)?

Let's start by defining what NaaS is and what it isn't.

Gartner defines NaaS as: "A delivery model for network functionality as a service, which includes the following capabilities:

  • Self-service capability
  • On-demand usage
  • Ability to scale up and down
  • Billed on an OPEX model
  • Consumption-based, via a metered metric such as ports, bandwidth or users (not based on network devices/appliances)
  • NaaS offerings may include elements such as network switches, routers, gateways and firewalls."

Gartner predicted that adoption of NaaS would increase from less than 1 percent of organizations in 2021 to 15 percent by 2024.

 Where can NaaS be applied?

NaaS models can be applied in several areas of the enterprise connectivity architecture — essentially anywhere there's a network service. This includes the data center, cloud networking, wide area networks (WAN), and campus and branch office networks. 

 

NaaS can be applied in several areas of the enterprise connectivity architecture.
NaaS can be applied in several areas of the enterprise connectivity architecture.

 

This report focuses on NaaS solutions across each of these areas.

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