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Based on a survey of 250 IT professionals, the research highlights a wide range of perceived benefits of NaaS solutions, including quick access to new technology, skills gap mitigation, and improved and predictable performance

LAFAYETTE, Colo., July 9, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Enterprise Management Associates (EMAâ„¢), a leading IT and data management analyst research and consulting firm, today announced the release of a new research report titled "Network as a Service: Understanding the Cloud Consumption Model in Networking," authored by Shamus McGillicuddy, vice president of research covering network management at EMA. This market research report explores the concept of network as a service (NaaS), which until now was a loosely defined term to describe a variety of networking solutions delivered via a cloud-like service model. Cloud computing transformed the IT industry by delivering software and infrastructure as a service, allowing customers to offload capital expenditures and operational overhead around software, software development platforms, security, compute, and storage. The cloudification of networking was slower in coming, but the concept of NaaS earned more prominence in recent years.

Numerous vendors and service providers have recently embraced the NaaS concept, yet there is still no industry consensus on its definition or the types of networks it involves. Furthermore, providers have varied in how they define the NaaS service delivery model. EMA conducted this research to refine the concept of NaaS and reduce buyer confusion over what it is and how it can offer value. Participants were surveyed on their understanding of NaaS, their expectations from it, and their preferred consumption models.

For this research survey, EMA defined NaaS for survey participants as the following: A network infrastructure solution that offers a cloud consumption model (pay as you go) in which the NaaS provider can manage all aspects of network engineering and operations, from design and build to monitoring and troubleshooting.

Some of the key findings from this report include:

• Most respondents associated NaaS with cloud and WAN interconnectivity, SD-WAN and SASE, and WAN connectivity; only 28% associated NaaS with campus networking
• IT organizations believe a NaaS offering should include integrated managed security services, cloud-like consumption of services, comprehensive observability, and APIs and integrations with other IT systems
• 64% prefer a hybrid operating model for NaaS solutions, in which the provider and the internal network team share responsibility for day monitoring troubleshooting, and ongoing management.

"This research found that most companies are interested in consuming NaaS solutions in all aspects of their network, from the campus to the cloud," McGillicuddy said. "But decision-makers do have concerns about NaaS. First, they believe the shift from CapEx to OpEx could lead to higher total cost of ownership over time, much like the public cloud. Second, they worry that they'll lose visibility into service quality. Finally, as with any disruptive technology, many stakeholders worry about the security risk of consuming networks in this way."

This independent research, sponsored by Juniper Networks and Nile, offers a detailed analysis of the findings. Highlights from the report will be unveiled during a free webinar on July 16. Interested parties can register at

For more information and to access the full report, please visit .

About EMA
Founded in 1996, EMA is a leading IT analyst research firm that provides deep insight across the full spectrum of IT and data management technologies. EMA analysts leverage a unique combination of practical experience, insight into industry best practices, and in-depth knowledge of current and planned vendor solutions to help their clients achieve their goals. Learn more about EMA research, analysis, and consulting services for enterprise line of business users, IT professionals, and IT vendors at .

Media Contact

Raleigh Gould, Enterprise Management Associates, 303-543-9500, [email protected],

SOURCE Enterprise Management Associates