NEWS
Appetite for NAAS rising , driving conversations across 86 % of EMEA companies
When asked about the reasons behind this interest , financial efficiency emerged as one of the main anticipated benefits , with over three-quarters ( 76 %) of respondents expecting NaaS to help reduce operational costs and 60 % thinking it could enable a shift from CapEx to OpEx . But flexibility – both in terms of the network and team time – was another primary driver .
In light of the sustained digital transformation needed to navigate the post-COVID world , a new study from Aruba , a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company , reveals a rising interest in Network-asa-Service ( NaaS ) as technology leaders across EMEA re-evaluate their current infrastructure and network setup .
Defined in the survey as when a company has over 50 % of its network rollout , operations and life cycle management delivered by a third party on a subscription basis , NaaS is a concept that 86 % of EMEA companies are currently discussing in some capacity . In fact , it is a topic of frequent discussion in almost one in three companies ( 30 %).
Three-quarters ( 75 %) of companies agree that having the flexibility to scale their network based on business needs is key to their interest and 64 % see it as a potential game-changer in how they are able to manage activities . Meanwhile , less than half ( 48 %) are looking at NaaS to help them reduce IT staff levels – instead believing it will free up team time for innovation and strategic initiatives ( 57 %) The appetite for NaaS is evident . Unfortunately , the road towards implementation looks less clear , with the survey identifying a number of key barriers .
Extreme Networks transforms Borås Stad into a Smart City
Extreme Networks , a cloud-driven networking company , in partnership with NetNordic , has established one of the largest cloud-managed network infrastructures in Borås Stad , Sweden , transforming the municipality into a Smart City .
The new infrastructure delivers faster and more advanced connectivity , extending secure public Wi-Fi for its citizens , local government , schools and services while automating and simplifying network management for the IT team . The transition to Smart Cities is designed to provide more sustainable resources to residents while improving quality of life and fuelling business innovation .
Municipalities in Sweden are required by law to provide critical welfare services such as schools , childcare , social services and elderly care , among others . The departments and institutions that power these services require a robust , secure network infrastructure to share information seamlessly and securely . As a result of the global pandemic , Borås Stad has also worked to rollout new services , such as Wi-Fi connected medical wristbands which allow immediate contact with doctors , real-time heartbeat monitoring and user location information – making reliable , high-speed Wi-Fi critical for proper care .
The ExtremeCloud IQ platform reduces the complexity of network management , streamlines operations , lowers maintenance costs and provides visibility into actionable data and insights from network usage to performance .
18 INTELLIGENTCIO EUROPE www . intelligentcio . com