Author: Rose de Fremery
Date published: November 18, 2024
As Federal News Network reports, the U.S. Army has long considered network simplification a top goal. Yet, legacy infrastructure, interoperability challenges and complex procurement requirements have made it difficult to streamline network infrastructure to the degree required. Recent technological advancements like Network as a Service (NaaS) have put this goal within sight. By tapping the benefits of NaaS, the Department of Defense (DoD) can simplify IT complexity, cut costs, create crucial organizational agility and build a strong foundation for future digital transformation. For instance, NaaS can help the underlying infrastructure of military installations, thus helping bases become ‘smarter.’
NaaS offers the armed forces multiple advantages, including optimized network performance, streamlined operations, guaranteed service levels, enhanced network security and reduced operational expenditures and ups operational readiness.
"With NaaS, you have the ability to deploy products and services, whether those are virtual, on-site or cloud assets, in a way where you are getting a service and no longer actually buying individual components," said Ken Gonzalez, director of solutions architecture at Verizon. "That includes the ability to consume that service and pay on demand. You don't have to worry as much about how it's implemented. You can focus more on your mission."
This inherent flexibility can be especially beneficial when ensuring secure and reliable military communications, for example. Traditionally, a military branch would have purchased the hardware, software and services to enable the proper communications capabilities needed for specific use cases. They might also have hired someone to manage the hardware and software. This arrangement typically involves a significant upfront capital expenditure as well as ongoing operational expenses. "And then you also have variables such as situations where you need to increase your capacity on demand, which on a traditional model, also means a good percentage of the capacity sitting idle waiting for the time when it's needed" Gonzalez added.
NaaS helps streamline this complexity, making such use cases easier to implement and manage on an ongoing basis. "When you go into a model that is based on NaaS, you no longer have to think about how much money you need to implement or buy the platform. Instead, all you have to worry about is how many users you are going to have," Gonzalez said. This means that network services can be quickly scaled up or down based on a consumption model, avoiding the lengthy and complex procurement and approval processes associated with capital expenditures.
Military organizations can also leverage NaaS to streamline administration, further reducing costs and complexity. In the past, building out these kinds of systems in-house required ongoing maintenance, as well. "Traditionally, whenever you deploy any one of these systems, you have to deal with updates, security, patching and all these different things that maintain the longevity, security and functionality of the platform," Gonzalez explained. Administrative duties significantly contributed to the total cost of ownership of these solutions. Finding the right IT support for technology could be especially challenging given the ongoing skills shortage in the DOD. But with the benefits of NaaS, all this maintenance is abstracted away. "You don't have to worry about it, because it is part of the model that you're buying with the plan," he added.
There are some crucial considerations to keep in mind when implementing NaaS, however. For starters, the DOD must adhere to stringent compliance requirements that are typically far beyond what might be expected in a standard enterprise environment. To this end, Gonzalez recommends that anyone evaluating potential NaaS solutions be upfront about the level of compliance that will be required out of the starting gate. "There are often a lot of assumptions about compliance, and that typically leads to confusion," Gonzalez said.
For example, a technology partner might design NaaS for the barracks where service members live. Those service members might expect they will be able to use the Wi-Fi connectivity in those barracks to order a pizza, watch a football game and do other recreational things that have nothing to do with national security. That scenario involves a whole different level of compliance than if a sergeant needs to make a secure phone call to discuss a sensitive matter.
"When you have the compliance levels defined up-front, you can design your NaaS solution straight from the get-go to meet them," Gonzalez explained. If those expectations are not clear, a provider may make their own assumptions. "It creates a different set of answers, and then you're going to end up with solutions that are not necessarily in the same ballpark," he added. Carrying out an apples-to-apples comparison will be difficult, lengthening the amount of time needed to evaluate the options and come to agreement on which solution to choose.
To this end, Gonzalez recommends military branches focus on desired outcomes rather than requirements when asking a vendor to propose a NaaS solution to meet their needs. "If I understand your objective, I'm no longer constrained, and I will of course meet the requirements. But I will also be able to creatively think about new ways to solve that problem," he said. For example, rather than asking for a communications system that allows you to dial a 10-digit number and securely speak to someone, you might say you would like to create a communication methodology that will allow User A and User B to interact securely.
This approach could result in a more dynamic and advanced solution that offers a broader range of capabilities beyond what was originally anticipated. "I may provide you a solution that not only secures the call but also gives you video, chat and all the other things that we might consider for communication between A and B in the modern world," he added. "You can get much more out of NaaS in ways that will not only help you make the investments you need now, but that will also help you in the future."
Military readiness means troops have access to proper training and have been trained, that equipment is functional and accounted for, and that all resources and capabilities are primed for missions or response to threats. A reliable, agile and high-performing network enables effective command and control as well as other foundational approaches to modern defense. And with the flexibility of NaaS, armed forces personnel can have nearly the same experience whether they're receiving training at a base or deployed overseas. Modern, advanced network infrastructure is fundamental to a robust cybersecurity posture in an age of accelerating threats. As a result, military branches carefully consider how the benefits of NaaS may help them.
IT modernization is a top priority for the DoD. Only with an agile and adaptable network infrastructure will they be able to digitally transform, maintain their military readiness and confront the challenges of tomorrow. Military branches can use NaaS to deliver a wide range of advanced network capabilities based on a consumption model, avoiding costly upfront capital expenditures and making it easier to scale their technology services up or down as needed. With the benefits of NaaS for the military, the armed forces can build a strong network foundation to meet their requirements not just today but well into the future.
Learn more about various networking solutions that help with military readiness and help the Department of Defense operate at full speed.
The author of this content is a paid contributor for Verizon.