Whether they’re large-scale enterprises or small startups, companies are being weighed down by their massive amounts of gathered data and the tools needed to manage it. Network as a service (NaaS) platforms are cloud services combined with outsourced Managed IT that deliver ready-made infrastructure to businesses and take the digital load off of their shoulders

Between expanding or reducing operations, maintaining data security, ensuring compliance, performing deep dive analytics, and connecting a hybrid or remote workforce, IT teams have too many tasks to juggle. To boot, small or mid-level companies likely don't have the time or resources to maintain their own network, and large-scale enterprises have such a large stack and wide network that keeping things up to speed on their own is simply unsustainable. Thankfully, Managed IT experts that provide NaaS cloud based solutions (such as Global IP Networks) can remove much of this burden.

Defined by Cisco as "a cloud model that enables users to easily operate the network and achieve the outcomes they expect without owning, building, or maintaining their own infrastructure…", NaaS replaces local hardware-intensive networks by shifting their infrastructure to the cloud, freeing up IT teams to perform other tasks. Multiple positive outcomes arise from this. These are the top three.

1. Spending Shifts

The shift from in-house networks to NaaS implementation is also a shift in spending structures — and a cost-effective one at that. In-house networks involve heavy capital expenditures (CapEx), with multiple material costs needed to keep their infrastructure intact. Some CapEx network costs are:

• Data center locations
• Hardware (switches, routers, load balancers, servers, etc.)
• Licensing
• Travel costs
• Power and cooling
• Much more

When companies migrate to the cloud, they move from CapEx costs to operating expenses (OpEx), which, apart from internal IT costs like payroll, amount to little more than a subscription. If they need to expand their infrastructure, businesses can simply enlarge their package or add new services to their SLA. This approach is much more efficient than manually building out existing network infrastructures, and it gives companies a way to reduce the cost of staying connected.

2. Compliance Maintenance

Whether it's HIPAA data regulation in healthcare or the privacy of sensitive records in finance, certain industries have highly regulated standards that require them to guard their data with extra care. A single vulnerability oversight could result in a costly ransomware attack or data theft, which then gets compounded further by heavy fines.

When companies migrate their in-house networks to a managed NaaS platform in the cloud , they have the assurance of knowing that their data is being conveniently managed by outsourced IT experts . Automated patches, identity-based firewalls, intrusion prevention software, and a host of other tools keep data secure. Proactive measures like application delivery and data center redundancy leave backups in case of an attack. Automated recording also helps document how sensitive data is protected, better preparing businesses for audits from regulators.

3. Off-site Resolution

The clearest benefit of NaaS is the quality of life upgrade it brings to companies drowning in network maintenance. In-house approaches have left IT overloaded with more than they can handle, but NaaS sources many of these duties to your team of managed IT experts. Some examples are:

• Scaling. When companies add new locations or close down failing ones, they must scale their network accordingly. While in-house networks must be built up with extra hardware — and IT teams may need to travel on-site — NaaS allows businesses to expand their networks through the cloud.
• Updates. Whether it's patch applications to strengthen vulnerabilities or software upgrades that feature new capabilities, even basic updates take time for IT to launch network wide. Cloud service providers offering NaaS can perform updates silently, reducing downtime while simultaneously lightening the workload of IT staff.
• Onboarding/Offboarding. Adding new members to the team means expanding your network with each hire, and removing former members requires further configuration. Both can be done with minimal endpoint interaction when IT uses NaaS — which makes maintaining a remote workplace easier.
• Security. When IT can't keep up with all the updates that must be performed, their attack surface increases. Automation from cloud service providers offering NaaS delivers patches, firewall upgrades, and the newest antivirus software without IT's concern, which reduces their vulnerability to security breaches.

In addition to quality of life improvements, shifting to NaaS gives companies access to greater data capacity, which allows them to implement more sophisticated analytics and AI/ML capabilities that boosts their operational efficiency even more.

Global IP Networks: Empowering NaaS Today

Optimizing operations, matching supply to demand, accelerating product development, and navigating supply chain dynamics all leave companies with a full enough plate already. Capitalizing on NaaS relieves the added burden of keeping up with increasingly complex networks, freeing your team to focus on bigger company goals.

A cloud-based solution offers operational and cost efficiencies that in-house development cannot. Global IP Networks offers a suite of managed IT solutions — including NaaS platforms — so the weight of network development is lifted off of your shoulders. Our team of IT experts is 100% committed to keeping your net working in the cloud Contact us today to learn how we can help.