Building operator NaaS platforms: the crucial role of cloud-native, disaggregated IP networks

A combination of workplace trends, digital transformation, Industry 4.0 supply chain transformations and edge is driving enterprises’ demand for connectivity that flows between any endpoint and cloud and adapts itself to applications and security postures in a completely programmable way. However, the current fragmented approaches and technologies for enterprise networking are failing to provide the frictionless, on-demand cloud experience that enterprises are looking for. Traditional operators, in particular, are struggling to deliver this cloud connectivity and the related value-added services in a timely and cost-efficient manner, and are faced with stagnating legacy service revenue and increasing capex and opex associated with their legacy network infrastructure.

Traditional operators that want to meet the new market demands and maintain their relevance will need a digital platform from which they can provide connectivity and related value-added services on demand. Advanced traditional operators have recognized that such a digital platform is the foundation for what they are calling ‘network-as-a-service’ (NaaS). Operators’ underlay networks (WAN transport, core, interconnect, aggregation and edge) will remain critical to NaaS platforms in order to meet SLA and quality-of-service (QoS) guarantees, especially for mission-critical applications, and to allow enterprises to consume network resources using an on-demand, as-a-service model. However, operators need to architect and build their underlay networks differently in order to deliver NaaS.