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2024 Campus NaaS
A Collaboration of Converge! Network Digest and AvidThink
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Campus NaaS promises a new business model for enterprises looking for a better way to procure, deploy, and operate their campus and branch networks.
Check out the highlights reel on the left and watch the full videos in the gallery below. Thank you to our sponsors and thought leaders for sharing their perspectives!
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Views expressed are those of the presenting individuals and companies and may not necessarily represent views of Converge! Network Digest or AvidThink.
Anil Varanasi, Co-founder and CEO of Meter, discusses how customers desire well-integrated, scalable connectivity solutions. Meter’s platform meets this demand by providing a comprehensive offering that includes ISP, wired, Wi-Fi, security, SDWAN, DNS, and cellular services, enabling efficient management of connectivity needs with limited resources.
Joshua Markell, Vice President of Hardware Engineering at Meter, outlines the company’s holistic approach to network design, focusing on creating a cohesive system rather than individual devices. This strategy enables Meter to optimize performance, reduce materials, and incorporate future-proofing elements like cellular capabilities across their network offerings.
Charlie Cobb, Head of Cellular at Meter, introduces Meter Cellular, a new approach to in-building connectivity that installs as easily as a Wi-Fi access point. Meter’s solution provides seamless coverage from existing carriers, supports CBRS frequency, and operates on a neutral host model, offering a cost-effective and efficient way to improve indoor cellular coverage.
Karl May, CEO of Join observes that the “as-a-service” model is now pervasive across IT segments and NaaS is reaching the same tipping point. May identifies three different classes of of businesses that are NaaS early adopters and explains how these businesses want solutions that offer a richer experience, integrating with IoT devices and sensors. He discusses how the rise of AI and decision support systems will impact and shape NaaS.
Pankaj Patel, CEO and co-founder of Nile, discusses the transition of major markets to new technologies like cloud services, and likens the adoption of NaaS to that of electric vehicles, which has been more gradual. At the same time, Patel points to the relatively rapid evolution of NaaS, especially with the advent of AI networking. He emphasizes the importance of AI in improving network operations and management.
Gordon Mackintosh, Group Vice President of Juniper’s Partner Organization, highlights
the flexibility of consuming networking in an OpEx-based model, eliminating upfront investments. He emphasizes how Juniper’s partner-first approach to NaaS, combined with their AI-native solutions, allows partners to deliver excellent customer experiences, speed up deployment, and achieve scale through the cloud.
David Hughes, Chief Product Officer at HPE Aruba Networking, highlights the potential of NaaS to transform business operations, emphasizing its adaptability to customer needs and the role of partners in scaling NaaS solutions. Hughes predicts that the NaaS market will grow as barriers are removed, overcoming the idea of NaaS being relevant only for greenfield deployments.
Beth Cohen, Security and Networking Technologist at Verizon, discusses the varying interpretations and benefits of NaaS in the market. Cohen emphasizes that from Verizon’s perspective, NaaS is a business model that revolutionizes operations. She also points out that as a term, NaaS has multiple meanings and the attributes of NaaS are sometimes ill-defined.
Mauricio Sanchez, Sr. Director of Enterprise Security & Networking Research at Dell’Oro Group, predicts significant growth for NaaS, bringing a cloud-like experience to networks. Sanchez anticipates a convergence between NaaS and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), leading to a future where NaaS revolutionizes business operations through scalability, cost efficiency, and advanced security features.
Siân Morgan, Research Director at Dell’Oro Group, outlines three categories of Campus Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) vendors: turnkey offers, Campus NaaS enablers for MSPs, and LAN as a utility services. These vendors distinguish themselves through business models and technology integration, aiming to convert CapEx to OpEx and address advanced goals beyond the capabilities of traditional systems.
Bob Laliberte, Principal Analyst for theCUBE, emphasizes the importance of understanding the range of NaaS offerings and its critical role in campus environments. Laliberte highlights the involvement of CSPs/MSPs, convergence of networking and security, and suggests that NaaS can enable organizations to work on transformational projects by freeing up internal IT resources.
Arpit Joshipura, GM Networking + Edge IOT at Linux Foundation, discusses the evolution of NaaS and its transformative impact on enterprise and service provider networking. Joshipura points to the dependence of NaaS on many key capabilities like automation, and AI management. He also discusses key benefits for businesses adopting NaaS across productivity, cost, and security.
Sunil Khandekar, Chief Enterprise Development Officer at MEF, discusses the rise of Network as a Service (NaaS) and gives a preview of the upcoming GNE flagship event in Dallas in late October.
Use cases are expanding for Campus NaaS. Sunil Khandekar, Chief Enterprise Development Officer at MEF, discusses the appeal of zero to minimal upfront capital expenditure and provider-managed operations and upgrades. He points to mid-sized and smaller companies as early beneficiaries of a NaaS approach, and suggests that remote offices of larger companies can also likewise benefit.
Anil Varanasi, Co-founder and CEO of Meter, discusses the shift towards ‘as a service’ models in the networking industry driven by desire for capital and operational efficiencies. He also discusses the importance of full integration and warns against NaaS-washing by vendors.
Anil Varanasi, Co-founder and CEO of Meter, discusses the company’s vertically integrated approach to modernizing enterprise networking infrastructure. Meter aims to simplify network deployment by offering a full-stack hardware and software solution that combines routing, switching, and wireless capabilities.