Meeting the Challenges and Opportunities of NaaS, PaaS and IaaS

In a recent Fierce Telecom Webinar,[i] I had the pleasure to participate in a panel titled “NAAS, PAAS, IAAS: Challenges and Opportunities” and talk about how we see network service providers (NSPs) helping our customers deploy digital infrastructure today, in particular, hybrid cloud architectures.

We can all agree that everyone wants everything as a service to be easy. They want to be able to access and integrate their choice of NaaS, PaaS, IaaS, collaboration, network and business platforms using APIs-driven tools and pay for these services as they consume them. So there lies the real challenge: How do you interconnect hybrid digital infrastructure to bring all of these things—and more—together?

Landing and expanding digital infrastructure

First, you need to think about one law of physics. The shorter the distance between two objects, the faster it is to get from one thing to another. The same principle lies behind where you put your NaaS solutions. If your NaaS platform is proximate to your users, other IaaS and PaaS platforms, and the things that rely on them, then you’ll deliver a better quality of experience (QoE) to your customers.

Strategically locate your NaaS platform where you have the most customers and ecosystem partners, such as cloud and SaaS providers. Many of our enterprise customers like to be close to cloud on-ramps, that provide them with fast and secure, dedicated connections, where they don’t have to send data traffic over the public internet. In fact, the Global Interconnection Index (GXI) report estimates that enterprise private interconnection to cloud and IT providers worldwide will see a 59% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2019 – 2023.

Equinix Fabric™ allows enterprises to access dense ecosystems of multiple cloud and network service providers in minutes to create hybrid multicloud architectures. And if a certain cloud service is not available in the metro where they have IT infrastructure, then they can reach across Platform Equinix via Equinix Fabric and their NSP of choice to access that cloud service in another metro.

In addition, with Network Edge services from Equinix, enterprises can deploy virtual network functions (VNF) devices (SD-WANs, routers, firewalls, VPNs) from leading NSPs in minutes, without deploying additional hardware. So, you can land in one strategic metro and expand your reach to digital infrastructure services in another on a single global platform.

NaaS = OPEX = faster deployment of hybrid multicloud architectures

The majority of enterprises (92%) have a multicloud strategy with an average of 2.6 public and 2.7 private clouds according to Flexera’s 2021 State of the Cloud Report.[i] By providing a NaaS platform for connecting to cloud services in an OPEX model, NSPs can deploy their networking services faster to their customers, as well as provide them with a more agile consumption model for accessing those services and exchanging data.

The faster enterprises can deploy hybrid multicloud architectures, then the faster they can scale PaaS, IaaS and SaaS solutions for their users. On Platform Equinix, we make digital infrastructure components accessible to enterprises and service providers via Equinix Fabric software-defined interconnection. This enables them to leverage high-performance, low-latency virtual connections—making hybrid cloud as easy to consume as public cloud.

Use cases for NSPs: Interconnecting enterprise digital infrastructure

The following use cases help NSPs to deploy NaaS solutions that will accelerate the interconnection of digital infrastructure for their customers:

Use Case 1:  Flexible private connectivity to leading cloud services

Simplify your customers’ multicloud deployments by using a single solution for their cloud connections that allows them to quickly adjust their bandwidth and the number of virtual connections to clouds as demands change. You can also ensure high performance and reliability via redundant private connections to local cloud on-ramps and automating virtual connection provisioning to deliver faster cloud connectivity to your customers.

Use Case 2:  Simplify and aggregate private network access

Leverage software-defined interconnection with fully automated provisioning of network access using
Equinix Fabric APIs. This streamlines the process of interconnecting customers to NaaS solutions, enabling them to access more NSP services.

Use Case #3: SD-WAN Gateway with Network Edge and Equinix Fabric

Network edge enables you to streamline your customer’s branch deployments using a choice of your own or SD-WAN gateways from leading providers. Enterprise customers can leverage more cost-effective, OPEX network options and better performance by optimizing traffic flow using dynamic bandwidth options.

As more and more enterprise customers are looking for agile options to land and expand digital infrastructure, NSPs can offer flexible NaaS solutions close to their customers. On Platform Equinix, NSPs can more easily, quickly and reliably integrate their services with the IaaS, PaaS and SaaS platforms and cloud on-ramps their customers need.

Find out how by scheduling an interactive virtual Digital Edge Strategy Briefing.

Also, view the FIERCE Telecom webinar: NAAS, PAAS, IAAS: Challenges and Opportunities.

[1] Fierce Telecom Blitz Week, “NAAS, PAAS, IAAS: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES,” Jun 8, 2021.

[1] Flexera 2021 State of the Cloud Report, 2021.