5 Benefits of Network as a Service

Many organizations have started to realize the benefits of managed network services, including enhanced speed, reliability, security, service and support.  A recent survey by CompTIA that evaluated trends in managed states that over two thirds of companies surveyed are moving toward managed IT services in an effort to improve overall IT operations.

Among the most rapidly growing managed service trends is Network as a Service.  Here are the top five benefits companies are taking advantage of:

1. Cost Savings

Implementing Network as a Service can significantly reduce many IT costs – including infrastructure, hardware, and software costs, as well as operational, maintenance, and service costs.  Another recent industry poll reflects that companies that utilize managed services for some or all of their technology needs claim at least a 25% reduction in the annual IT costs just by adopting managed services.

Additionally, when taking the form of a fixed cost expense, these costs become better controlled and more predictable. Capital expenses are reduced because there is less physical hardware onsite, and costs associated with upgrades, maintenance, and training are included in the monthly cost of Network as a Service.

2. Proactive Maintenance and Issue Prevention

Because managed service providers have the infrastructure in place to support quick implementations and upgrades, as well as ongoing proactive and preventative maintenance, Network as a Service provides access to benefits that companies might not otherwise be able to afford.  Continuous monitoring services make issues more easily preventable, and notifications can often be configured so that major issues can be identified and resolved even before they interrupt daily business operations. 

3. Enhanced Security

With Network as a Service, most providers can ensure the security of the entire voice and data network so that all transactions, business-critical applications, and data are kept safe and secure.  A fully-managed network security solution can also eliminate single points of failure and prevent bottlenecks and intrusions.

4. High Levels of Availability

Most Network as a Service providers can guarantee levels of uptime in the five-nines (99.999%) range. Many Service Level Agreements (SLAs) made with managed network service providers guarantee levels of availability, network uptime, and response and resolution times for addressing network issues. 

Organizations such as fire, police, hospital, and emergency and rescue require this high level of uptime at all times and in all circumstances.  Employing Network as a Service with a reputable provider is an easy way to ensure these service level guarantees, and provide organizations with confidence that they have a dependable and stable communications system. 

5. Improved Quality of Service (QoS)

Companies can also benefit from better voice quality, more efficient call routing, and improved network management with built-in the Quality of Service (QoS) that comes with Network as a Service offerings.  High quality, high speed MPLS backbone can be provided across a variety of internet connections, and QoS is ensured by prioritizing traffic.  Packet analysis, source, destination and even business use can be used to determine prioritization of traffic, and application-aware networks allow for impromptu adjustments to avoid bottlenecks and maintain peak performance. 

Many companies can benefit from a complete Network as a Service solution through reduced and better controlled costs, improved maintenance, enhanced security, and optimized network performance.