It seems like a new “as a Service (aaS)” offering is emerging every day and disrupting the way organizations handle their IT needs – usually, for the better. 

Adopting an aaS model frees up internal IT resources, allowing them to focus on high-priority areas and customer-facing items. It can also create more predictable IT expenses to help companies optimize their budget, while also typically offering the flexibility to scale up or down as needed. This allows organizations to take a proactive approach towards their IT needs and overall business strategy, rather than reacting to issues or needs as they arise. 

“As a Service” has come a long way since its inception, evolving to meet changing needs.  

Looking Back at aaS Offerings

As a Service has existed since computers were first used. But the model really took off in the 2000s with the introduction and widespread adoption of the modern cloud. 

In the beginning of aaS’ rise to popularity, most offerings fell into three main categories: 

• Software as a Service (SaaS) - Software that’s available over the internet via a third party 
• Platform as a Service (PaaS) - A combination of hardware and software tools that’s available over the internet 
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Pay-as-you-go services such as storage, networking, virtualization, data centers, etc. 

Evolutions and Trends in aaS Offerings

As the internet improved in efficiency and speed, platforms were able to lift bandwidth limitations and more reliably host business processes. That, paired with increased cost efficiency and improved performance, caused exponential growth in aaS offerings. 

Now, solution providers are leveraging cloud adoption to apply the principles of traditional aaS to their specific solutions. This trend has resulted in the vast expansion of tools available in an aaS model. Some aaS offerings that are gaining popularity include: 

• Firewall as a Service – Gain comprehensive protection services with simplified management and complete visibility. For example, Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma Access and Fortinet’s FortiSASE are completely cloud-delivered solutions that provides a full spectrum of security services. 
• SIEM as a Service – Meet compliance requirements, reduce impact of security events, and have better control over reporting, log collection, and analysis. Vandis’ SIEMaaS delivers real-time correlation and enrichment to provide a comprehensive view of your security. 

• SD-WAN as a Service – Improve productivity, unify branch networks, and scale networking efforts based on your current needs. Through the Microsoft Azure marketplace, Vandis has SD-WAN offerings with a number of partners to meet your specific networking needs.  
• Switching as a Service – Get better flexibility of your traffic flow and improve network access control. For example, Aruba Networks delivers a portfolio of switches that can be managed on the client's behalf by Aruba badged networking experts or your Managed Services organization.  
• Networking as a Service – Vandis packages all of the above into a single NaaS offering designed to help organizations maintain a predictable IT budget, free up resources to focus on strategic goals and provide top tier security and infrastructure support. 

Finding the Right aaS Offering for Your Organization

As you can see, aaS has come a long way since its inception. With so many choices, it’s best to have expert guidance to help you determine which aaS is right for your organization. Our Managed Services team can provide a free consultation to assess your needs and create a tailored plan based on your goals and budget.  

Get started today by calling 516-281-2200 or emailing info@vandis.com.