What to expect from NaaS in 2025

Shamus McGillicuddy, vice president of research at EMA, says network executives today have a better understanding of the potential benefits of NaaS beyond just a different payment model.

NaaS can provide faster access to new technologies and keep businesses up to date as technology evolves; he can help close skills gaps for organizations experiencing a shortage of online talent. For example, in a retail scenario, an organization could outsource the deployment and management of its Wi-Fi networks across all of its stores to a NaaS provider, freeing up IT staff for higher-level activities. It can also help organizations cope with rapidly changing network demands, he said.

2. Platforms help drive adoption

Industry standards can help speed up the adoption of new technologies. MEFnon-profit industry forum, has developed a framework that combines standardized service definitions, extensive automation platforms, security certifications and multi-cloud integration capabilities – all aimed at enabling service providers to deliver what MEF calls a true cloud experience for network services.

This plan serves as a guide to creating an automated, federated ecosystem in which enterprises can Easily use NaaS services from providers. It details the APIs, service definitions and certification programs developed by MEF to implement this concept. According to the draft, the four components of NaaS are automated on-demand transport services, SD-WAN overlays and network slicing for application security, SASE-based security, and multi-cloud capabilities.

3. Campus development/LAN NaaS

Until recently, the most popular use cases for NaaS were on-demand WAN connectivity, multi-cloud connectivity, SD-WAN, and SASE. However, NaaS for campuses and local networks, which includes both wired and wireless networks, has become a breakout star in the overall NaaS market.

Dell’Oro Group analyst Sian Morgan predicts: “Campus NaaS revenues will grow more than eight times faster than the overall on-premises market in 2025. Startups offering custom-built CNaaS technology will expand through collaboration with service providers. This will drive the growth of LAN-as-a-Utility service above other types of CNaaS.” According to From goldLeading CNaaS players include Nile, Meter, Join Digital and Ramen Networks, some of which will expand their offerings in 2025.