GigaOm Radar for Network as a Service Solutionsv4.0

1. Executive Summary

Network as a Service (NaaS) is evolving from a buzzword to an operational business-critical solution, a seismic shift driven by the cloud-native era. NaaS is the digital lifeblood for organizations seeking agility, scalability, and operational simplicity. Imagine an IT world where the network is no longer a patchwork of hardware but a fluid, on-demand resource that scales at will. That’s the magic of NaaS. It brings the flexibility of cloud economics to networking, replacing the old hardware-centric models with software-defined, subscription-based solutions.

Why is NaaS suddenly on every CXO’s radar? With digital transformation no longer a “nice to have” but a business imperative, companies are racing to modernize their infrastructure. Gone are the days when networking was the backroom’s problem. Today, it sits squarely on the C-suite agenda because it impacts the top line and bottom line alike.

NaaS offers a solution that not only meets current demands but future-proofs the organization, making it relevant to everyone from the CIO to the CFO. From a CxO’s lens, NaaS is crucial because it aligns directly with strategic goals—business agility, cost efficiency, and risk mitigation. Traditional networking models are slow, expensive, and notoriously difficult to scale. In an era when businesses are expanding globally overnight, launching new digital services, and consuming cloud at an accelerating pace, the network must keep up. NaaS offers that “just-in-time” networking solution without the capital expense burden. It’s as if your network could run as smoothly as your Netflix subscription—streamlined, reliable, and customized for you.

Additionally, with security threats multiplying and regulations tightening, NaaS often comes with integrated security features baked in, reducing the complexity and cost of managing disparate security systems. To put it simply: if your network isn’t as agile as your business strategy, you’re already behind. For this report, we’re focusing on NaaS offerings that can stand alone. Solutions must be robust enough to operate independently without being locked into a specific vendor’s ecosystem. It’s not just about ticking the box for standard networking features (we’re beyond that); it’s about innovating.

This report includes NaaS solutions that offer a multicloud approach, edge networking capabilities, and baked-in security features—making them not just reactive but proactive in addressing modern enterprise needs. What you won’t find in this report are vendors that treat NaaS as a side project or simply a repackaging of old tech under a shiny new name. We’re cutting through the fluff to highlight the real innovators who are pushing boundaries, not just riding trends.

If you’ve followed the evolution of this report, you’ll notice some changes. We’ve streamlined our approach, collapsing what used to be multiple radar reports into a single, more comprehensive one. Why? Because the market has matured, and it makes more sense to offer a unified view. We’ve also sharpened our focus to reflect how the NaaS landscape has evolved—today’s offerings are more about full-stack solutions that cover everything from cloud connectivity to edge computing. NaaS isn’t just a technological shift; it’s a business strategy. In this report, we peel back the layers to show you how NaaS can deliver on its promises: agility, scalability, and security. As you explore the findings, remember that the question isn’t whether you need NaaS, but how quickly you can adopt it to stay competitive in today’s fast-moving digital economy.

This is our fourth year evaluating the NaaS solutions space in the context of our Key Criteria and Radar reports. This report builds on our previous analysis and considers how the market has evolved over the last year.

This GigaOm Radar report examines 21 of the top NaaS solutions and compares offerings against the capabilities (table stakes, key features, and emerging features) and nonfunctional requirements (business criteria) outlined in the companion Key Criteria report. Together, these reports provide an overview of the market, identify leading NaaS solutions offerings, and help decision-makers evaluate these solutions so they can make a more informed investment decision.