Campus NaaS: Transforming Enterprise Networking

As enterprises continue to evolve in the digital age, the demand for flexible, scalable, and efficient networking solutions continues to grow. Network as a Service (NaaS) is emerging as a key component in this landscape, offering a cloud-inspired model that changes how organizations manage and consume networking resources. While NaaS has traditionally been associated with wide area networking and cloud services, a new dimension—Campus NaaS—is gaining traction, promising to transform how businesses manage and operate their local area networks, bringing new levels of flexibility, scalability, and innovation to campus environments.

What is Campus NaaS?

Campus NaaS represents a shift from traditional hardware-centric network management to a cloud-delivered, service-oriented approach for local area networks. It encompasses Wi-Fi, LAN switching, and increasingly, private cellular networks like 5G.

Key characteristics of Campus NaaS offerings include subscription-based pricing models instead of large upfront hardware purchases, services delivered by vendors or service providers, and outcome-based pricing tied to metrics like number of connected devices or coverage area.

This model allows enterprises to consume networking capabilities as a service, similar to how they leverage cloud computing. It abstracts away much of the complexity of network management, enabling IT teams to focus on more strategic initiatives.

Related:NaaS 2024: A Look at the Future of Network Services

Why Campus NaaS, Why Now?

Several factors are driving interest in Campus NaaS:

Digital Transformation: As enterprises digitize more workflows and processes, network performance becomes increasingly critical. For many businesses, network availability is directly tied to revenue generation.

Complex Multi-Access Networks: Managing converged Wi-Fi and private cellular networks requires specialized expertise. Campus NaaS can simplify the deployment and operation of these sophisticated environments.

Need for Deterministic Performance: Use cases like industrial IoT, robotics, and AI-driven applications demand highly reliable, low-latency connectivity. Since outcome-based Campus NaaS often involves an SLA with penalties, enterprises with stringent network performance requirements will benefit from this type of service.  Campus NaaS that includes Private 5G can provide deterministic performance in challenging RF environments.

IT Resource Constraints: Many organizations struggle to keep pace with rapidly evolving network technologies. Campus NaaS allows them to leverage provider expertise and automation to maintain cutting-edge capabilities.

Cybersecurity Integration: Campus NaaS solutions often incorporate advanced security features like Zero Trust frameworks, simplifying policy enforcement across the LAN.

The Campus NaaS Ecosystem

The Campus NaaS market is evolving rapidly, with established networking vendors, innovative startups, and major cloud providers all vying for position. Traditional players are adapting their offerings, while new entrants are building cloud-native platforms purpose-built for NaaS delivery.

According to Siân Morgan, Research Director at Dell'Oro Group, "The Public Cloud-Managed LAN market was about 20% of LAN revenues in 2023. We're projecting that by 2028, the Public Cloud-Managed LAN market will hit $12.5 billion in manufacturer revenues. Campus NaaS is going to be a subset of that. By 2028 we're projecting about 8% of that."

Looking Ahead: The Future of Campus NaaS

As Campus NaaS matures, we can expect to see:

For enterprises, Campus NaaS offers a path to more agile, resilient, and innovative network infrastructure. By offloading the complexities of network management, organizations can redirect resources towards initiatives that drive business value and competitive advantage.

The flexibility of the NaaS model allows businesses to experiment with new technologies and use cases without the risk of large, upfront investments in hardware and expertise. This is particularly valuable as emerging technologies like AI and edge computing become more prevalent in enterprise environments.

As Morgan points out, "As soon as you turn LAN into a utility, it's so much easier to pile interesting applications or vertical-specific applications over there."

The potential benefits of Campus NaaS are significant and organizations must carefully evaluate potential NaaS providers. Standards-based solutions ensure interoperability between different NaaS components and service providers allowing businesses to seamlessly integrate NaaS solutions from various vendors without compatibility issues. Security capabilities, and long-term roadmaps should also be considered.

Campus NaaS is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of enterprise networking, enabling businesses to build the agile, high-performance foundations needed to thrive in an increasingly digital world. As the technology continues to evolve and mature, we can expect to see even more innovative use cases and deployment models emerge, further cementing the role of Campus NaaS as a cornerstone of modern enterprise IT strategy.

For IT leaders, now is the time to evaluate how Campus NaaS might fit into their organization's networking strategy. By adopting this cloud-inspired approach, enterprises can position themselves to leverage the full potential of emerging technologies while maintaining the agility needed to adapt to an ever-changing business landscape.

MEF's upcoming Global NaaS Event (GNE) will explore NaaS’s game-changing impact on enterprise networking, offering a wealth of insights from leading experts and industry analysts across the NaaS ecosystem. Find more information about GNE here, and more information about MEF at MEF.net.

(Editor’s note: This article is part of our regular series of articles from the industry experts at MEF.)

Pascal Menezes, CTO at MEF, is a seasoned expert with a laser focus on cutting-edge technologies. His areas of expertise encompass SD-WAN, SASE, cloud-scale architectures, real-time media networks, SDN, NFV, and LSO. With a decade at Microsoft Skype for Business Global Carrier Group and a track record of success in five startups, Pascal has earned global thought leadership awards, presented at renowned events, and contributed to industry standards in the IETF, MEF, and Broadband Forum (MPLS), holds 30+ patents. Pascal hosts MEF's Executives at the Edge podcast.

See his collection of Network Computing articles here.