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With the growing collection of things “as a Service” sometimes it’s hard to determine what’s included and what it means for you. Here, we will explore what Network as a Service (NaaS) is and can deliver for small to mid-size businesses.
Most networks are made up of a few major components. The edge of a network generally includes a firewall and sometimes a router, though more often, those are combined into a single appliance. Inside the firewall are network switches and wireless access points, which control the inter-connected devices and provide access to the internet through the edge.
Each of these layers requires knowledge of a variety of protocols, standards, and schemes to implement correctly and securely. Even slight misconfigurations or sub-optimal design can have serious performance and security implications for the network. When the network is slow, applications are slow, browsing suffers, and the quality of phone calls and video meetings suffers in a very noticeable way.
NaaS seeks to eliminate the common headaches of managing a network. NaaS provides a complete connectivity solution, bundled with the hardware, licensing, support, and design expertise of knowledgeable engineers who work on these solutions frequently and with expertise.
Benefits of NaaS for your Business
In the past, each of the network segments (edge, switching, and wireless) must operate together but generally do not share visibility into status, speed, and performance in a single management pane. When there’s a problem, each device must be checked, monitored, and have troubleshooting performed, often without visibility of impact on the other network devices it connects to.
Moving away from the piecemeal approach to networking and the challenges of implementation by staff that does not have deep expertise in designing and implementing networks is a major reason that NaaS can support your business. NaaS shortens implementation times, increases the effectiveness of the network, and helps to prevent stumbling out of the gate when it is time to improve, refresh or extend your network.
Ongoing patching, maintenance, monitoring, licensing costs, and managing the lifecycle of so many devices also present a challenge to in-house management, where these tasks quickly fall off the side of someone’s desk. With security threats on the rise and more rapid updating of the firmware and software that runs modern networks, continuous attention to these items is critical to minimizing risk and ensuring safety for your users.
Financially, NaaS benefits organizations by eliminating capital expense forklift upgrades and renewals by shifting to an operational spend model that not only includes the physical hardware but licenses, support, maintenance, and management for a fixed cost.
Picking the Right IT Partner
Choosing the right vendor for your NaaS needs can be an arduous task. Seek a vendor who has deep experience with their network service stack offering and that can provide support for your locations and that meet the size and geographic diversity needs of your business. A quality NaaS vendor will design a network that not only serves the needs you have today but those that will grow with you over time and keep you on pace with current trends in the future, without the surprise of a costly upgrade as future technologies emerge.
Working with Calyx takes the worry out of your team’s hands and allows your partner to upgrade and fully manage your on-premises network equipment, leveraging and using the powers of the cloud to catapult your business to levels not yet seen.
The secure network is custom-built, putting your business at the center of decisions. With one source of truth, you will be more efficient with a single networking interface—wireless, wired, security, routing, and more.
Calyx makes your organization the priority with the network, allowing your current IT staff time to focus on the day-to-day management of employee computers and local infrastructure.
Talk to our experts today to see if Network as a Service is the right IT solution for your business.