Research from Aruba has revealed a rising interest in Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) as EMEA tech leaders re-evaluate their network set up post the Covid-19 pandemic.

The study defined NaaS 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. It found 86% of respondents said they were discussing it in some capacity, while almost one in three viewed it as a topic of frequent discussion.

Financial efficiency emerged as one of the main drivers behind the interest in NaaS, with over three quarters of tech leaders hoping it would reduce operational costs. 

The majority of companies viewed flexibility to scale their network based on business needs as key to their interest in NaaS, and 64% saw it as a potential game changer in managing their business activities.

The survey also identified a series of barriers to the adoption of NaaS, with budget restrictions, investment cycles and compliance with internal procurement all cropping up as obstacles.

There also appeared to be a lack of overall understanding of NaaS; only two in five tech leaders surveyed said they fully understood what NaaS was. On top of this, a mere 11% of respondents currently saw NaaS as an established and viable solution.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, the need for agility and flexibility in network management is greater than ever,” said Morten Illum, Vice President, EMEA for Aruba.

“We know that NaaS can ensure the critical flexibility needed by businesses as they look to recovery and beyond, as well as solve a range of issues from security and scalability to budget and team constraints. However, in order for businesses to unlock the potential of NaaS, we must focus on bridging the gap between awareness and knowledge.”