Modern organizations face a host of communication obstacles, among them the issue of business growth outstripping network resources. When IT personnel are stretched thin, enterprise networks can suffer increased downtime and higher operating expenses. This can lead to lag and outages even during day-to-day operations.
Businesses across industry sectors are turning to Network as a Service (NaaS) to streamline their IT needs. With this solution, clients can offload their daily tasks to CBTS experts, freeing up resources better dedicated to mission-critical strategic initiatives.
So what exactly is NaaS, and how can it benefit your enterprise? NaaS from CBTS provides businesses with a scalable method of supporting, maintaining, expanding, and securing modernized commercial networks. This service also enables networks complete with cloud integration, security, switching, Wi-Fi, management, monitoring, and software-defined wide area networks (SD- WAN).
Whether you have a single location or multi-site operation, NaaS delivers features that support the unique needs of every client, including:
This article will cover the advantages, along with how this technology can be integrated into your business.
Watch: NaaS analytics provide business intelligence to drive growth
When asking the question, “What is Naas?” executives must understand the limitations of their outdated network environments. Traditional networks are simply not equipped to meet today’s high demand for reliable, full-spectrum communication.
NaaS can provide managed networking capabilities as both a comprehensive service and a simple transport method. When combined with SD-WAN and Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), NaaS can address a wide variety of Wi-Fi and firewall concerns. NaaS is easily scalable for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) requiring network expansion across multiple locations or facilities.
As a managed service, NaaS functions by clients essentially renting cloud networking services from providers. When deployed properly, it can replace hardware-centric VPNs, load balancers, firewall appliances, and multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) connections.
“Naas is built to simplify the day-to-day processes of every client, regardless of vertical or size of their business.“
NaaS is built to simplify the day-to-day processes of every client, regardless of vertical or the size of their business. For example, it can regulate guest Wi-Fi usage and provide unified threat management (UTM) protection. It can also turn retail networks into powerful tools capable of enriching the customer service experience.
NaaS can improve critical municipal data infrastructure functions such as emergency services, utility management, and even traffic control. Just as crucially, it allows municipalities to shift costs from a capital expenditure (CapEx) model to an operational expenditure (OpEx) model. The results are lower upfront costs for network rollouts and an organization-wide focus on improving public services for constituents.
To ensure client success, CBTS establishes a monitoring environment that allows for continuous system auditing, patching, and improvements. A partnership between CBTS and software vendor ServiceNow allows for automated monitoring processes that proactively maintain their network databases long-term.
Also read: What is Cloud Networking?
Through a NaaS solution, enterprise networks can quickly expand to new locations and automatically provision site-to-site VPNs for authorized users. Enterprises can also use it to ensure access to organizational servers. CBTS has established NaaS for more than 600 clients at 5,000 locations since launching the solution in 2016. This was possible with the help of partners such as Cisco and VMware.
What are the benefits?
What are the disadvantages?
Also read: How SD-WAN & NaaS come together to supercharge remote work productivity
NaaS can be enhanced by Cisco Meraki, a platform that enables seamless expansion, maintenance, and security of a managed network. This puts the enterprise network in capable hands during scale-up, giving clients room to reallocate IT resources toward growth objectives.
Meraki-powered NaaS bolsters geographic expansion and increased revenue without the added burden of unnecessary operational expenses. Pricing packages that fold hardware, licensing, configuration, and implementation into one monthly expense can be scaled as needed.
The current iteration of NaaS by CBTS comes complete with Meraki’s single-pane-of-glass dashboard. This originated from a need to modernize outdated equipment without increasing costs or otherwise negatively impacting a client’s budget. The Meraki dashboard features a managed service provider’s (MSP) portal; this enables the management of multiple customer networks with fewer personnel than is possible with simple network management protocol (SNMP) tools. The partnership with Meraki has cut down on the provider’s quote-to-cash interval and operating expenses.
Also read: How Cisco Meraki + CBTS NaaS team up to deliver cost-efficient modernization for your network
Commitment, flexibility, and collaboration are the benchmarks for answering the question, “What is NaaS, and what can it do for my enterprise?” By utilizing the latest technology available and anticipating customer needs, CBTS delivers future-forward managed solutions for organizations of every size.
Contact us for more information on how CBTS NaaS can work for you.