Is your organisation ready for Networking as a Service?

Justin Day, Co Founder | Estimated Read Time: 5 minutes

In part one of this series, we explored why Networking as a Service (NaaS) is more than just a buzzword. We looked at how it can transform agility, simplify network management, improve cost control, embed security, centralise visibility, enhance user experience, and reduce vendor lock-in. The verdict was clear: for many organisations, modernising networking is not just about a technology refresh, it’s a strategic enabler for modern business.

But understanding what NaaS can do is only half the story.

The real challenge lies in knowing if your organisation is ready to take the leap, and if so, how to approach adoption in a way that delivers those promised benefits. That’s what we’ll focus on here: the readiness signals to look for, how to make a compelling business case, the barriers you may face, and how NaaS could evolve in years ahead.

The signs you’re ready for NaaS

If every network upgrade triggers months of procurement headaches and a six-figure bill, you’re not just maintaining infrastructure, you’re stuck in a cycle that drains resources and momentum. The NaaS model breaks this pattern by keeping your network “always current,” eliminating the stop-start rhythm of periodic overhauls. It also frees your best engineers from low-value work; instead of spending their days renewing licences, configuring routers, and firefighting outages, those routine tasks are handled by the provider, allowing your team to focus on strategic, high-impact projects.

A rigid network can quietly throttle your organisation’s growth. Whether you’re enabling hybrid working, adopting a multi-cloud strategy, or integrating with third-party systems, inflexible infrastructure slows progress and increases risk. NaaS is built for agility, making it easier to adapt to new demands without costly delays. And when leadership expects you to deliver “better, faster, cheaper” without expanding the headcount, NaaS helps square the circle - boosting performance, security, and scalability without the need for additional hires.

Building the business case 

Even the strongest business case for a new technology solution will encounter resistance. For many leaders, the default instinct is to renew an existing contract, often at inflated rates, rather than “risking” a change in direction. Others cling to misconceptions that adopting NaaS will increase vendor lock-in, when in reality, a well-designed service built on open standards and modular integrations can do the opposite. 

There’s also the matter of accountability: without clarity on who manages what, confusion can derail adoption before it begins. These challenges are not insurmountable, but they do need to be addressed head-on.

The practical route forward starts with proving the model in your environment. Low-risk pilot projects are a powerful way to demonstrate value while easing fears about disruption. Engaging finance teams early is equally important, as the shift from CapEx to OpEx can trigger different budgeting considerations and decision-making processes. Above all, benefits should be communicated in plain, business-relevant language that makes the strategic upside of NaaS impossible to ignore.

Boardrooms don’t buy “technology” they buy outcomes. If you position the case to adopt NaaS internally, focus the conversation on agility, cost-efficiency, risk reduction, and customer experience, rather than the technical intricacies. Hard comparisons make the message resonate: if it currently takes six months to bring a new site online, explain how it could reduce that to 20 minutes via self-service provisioning. Just as crucially, highlight that modern networking provides full visibility and governance without the operational burden, giving your organisation control over the network without requiring your team to manually manage every cable, switch, and firewall.

Where NaaS is heading

If you think NaaS is disruptive now, the next few years will be even more transformative. Expect AI and machine learning to deliver self-healing, predictive networks that can detect and resolve issues before users even notice. 

Networking will become more composable, blending seamlessly with security, observability, and automation in unified “as-a-service” stacks that can be deployed in minutes. Industry-specific platforms will emerge, tailored for sectors like healthcare, policing, or pharmaceuticals; enabling secure, trusted collaboration within tightly regulated environments.

As adoption grows, it will become a mainstream pillar of enterprise IT, standing alongside SaaS and IaaS as a core building block of the modern digital enterprise.

The strategic imperative

NaaS isn’t just about faster provisioning or lower costs nor is it simply replacing one set of network cables with another - it’s about rethinking the role of the network in your business.

It turns the network from a static, capital-bound liability into a living, adaptable service that aligns directly with business priorities, evolving as quickly as your strategy demands. The question isn’t whether NaaS will play a role in the enterprise, it’s whether your organisation will be ready to seize its potential. The businesses that prepare now will be the ones able to move faster, scale smarter, and compete harder in the years ahead.

If your refresh cycles are draining your budget, your IT team is fighting fires, and your network is holding back your strategy, the time to explore NaaS isn’t “someday.” It’s now.

Discover how we help organisations modernise networking without disruption.