Unlocking the potential of network-as-a-service through standards-based automation
By Kevin Vachon, COO, MEF
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the communications industry is undergoing a profound transformation towards secure and dynamic services orchestrated across a global automated ecosystem. As businesses navigate this hyper-connected environment, service providers will increasingly rely on a number of different providers to deliver next-generation services tailored to the unique requirements of these enterprise customers. This could include wholesale service providers, hyperscalers, technology solution providers, data center providers, and others. However, integrating and managing operations between these providers can present complex challenges, especially with manual processes like service ordering, provisioning, and billing. The resulting inefficiencies, delays, and errors highlight the need for a standardized approach.
NaaS: A Pivotal Area of Innovation
Enter Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) – a game-changing innovation that addresses these challenges head-on. As the demand for solutions capable of quickly adapting to evolving customer demands in the digital economy intensifies, NaaS has emerged as a pivotal area of industry innovation. NaaS platforms seamlessly integrate on-demand connectivity, application assurance, cybersecurity, and multi-cloud-based services across automated networks. The outcome? Enterprises can achieve their strategic objectives without having to build and maintain the infrastructure.
A key benefit of NaaS lies in its ability to deliver flexible and dynamic solutions, offering advanced features such as user control, real-time adjustments, end-to-end performance monitoring, and adaptable payment models like pay-as-you-go. This capability hinges on the orchestration of resources from many partners within an automated ecosystem.
However, NaaS can only be accomplished through automation across the entire supply chain. Standardized, automated processes and APIs serve as the bedrock for the seamless coordination of various functions. These functions encompass critical business processes like address validation, product offering qualification, pricing, ordering, trouble ticketing, and billing, as well as operational functions like service provisioning, performance monitoring, fault management, and more.
Driving the Industry Forward
MEF recently released a comprehensive State of the Industry Report titled “Paradigm Shift – Automating Business Functions Between Service Providers.” This report underscores the indispensable role that standardized business and operational APIs play in unlocking market opportunities for NaaS and next-generation services. Targeting service provider professionals aiming to automate with ecosystem partners, the report is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to navigate the evolving service automation landscape.
While some service providers have relied on custom, pairwise APIs to automate operations with select partners, such an approach becomes unsustainable when applied to a diverse range of partners and services. Standardized APIs offer a way forward, providing the high fidelity, plug-and-play interoperability, and scalability required to foster a thriving automated ecosystem capable of supporting NaaS and related services on a global scale.
The benefits of automation extend far and wide. Standardized APIs streamline processes, eliminate errors, and accelerate service delivery, resulting in heightened customer satisfaction, reduced operational costs, and increased revenue. End-to-end automation creates a seamless journey for customers, minimizing disruptions and simplifying interactions. Furthermore, automation empowers service providers to rapidly scale operations, introduce new services, and effectively address shifting customer demands.
Collaboration between service providers is enhanced through automation. Standardized processes and data exchange create a more efficient environment for inter-provider interactions and service handoffs. This synergy ultimately translates to faster time-to-market for innovative offerings and a more robust ecosystem.
In a world where the interconnectedness of service providers is an ingredient of success, embracing standardized processes, automation, and collaboration becomes paramount. This transformational approach revolutionizes operations, enhances customer experiences, and fuels business growth. As the industry leans increasingly on interconnected service providers to meet the demands of the digital era, the adoption of automation emerges as a critical imperative. The emergence of NaaS stands as a cornerstone of this paradigm shift, equipping service providers to deliver dynamic, scalable network services.
The communications industry is undergoing a monumental shift catalyzed by automation. Service providers that seize this opportunity, embrace standardized processes, and harness APIs like MEF’s Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) APIs can usher in a new era of operational excellence. Additionally, MEF’s NaaS industry blueprint, which will debut at MEF’s upcoming Global NaaS Event (GNE), illustrates how these service providers can bundle standardized services with end-to-end automation, paving the way for comprehensive cloud-based offerings to enterprises. Armed with these tools, service providers can seamlessly navigate the digital age, delivering unparalleled experiences and thriving in the dynamic landscape.
For those interested in delving deeper, MEF’s GNE will offer a wealth of insights into emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities within the NaaS ecosystem, and the building blocks and success factors for NaaS automation. Find more information about GNE here. For more information about MEF at MEF.net.
Kevin Vachon, COO, MEF
As Chief Operating Officer, Kevin oversees the execution of MEF’s technical, certification and marketing programs, coordinating the integrated resources of MEF’s 200+ member companies and professional staff. He is actively engaged with MEF’s global member and partner community and has a broad perspective on the important role that MEF plays in the industry and how to deliver results.
See more: Why the BRICS countries are interested in expanding their membership
See more: US to extend China chipmaking export waivers
See more: Fossil fuel subsidies surged to record $7 trillion
