Network & Connectivity / Managed Networking

Network as a Service (NaaS)

Networking delivered as a consumption-based managed service — routers, switches, Wi-Fi, SD-WAN — with the provider handling hardware, software, configuration, monitoring, and upgrades. You buy network outcomes (uptime, performance) instead of equipment.

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27
providers vetted

OpEx
pricing, no hardware refresh

3–4
shortlist candidates

$0
cost for our guidance

When should you be evaluating Network as a Service?

Rubber Duck has worked extensively with our Network as a Service providers to understand where they have seen the most success and the biggest ROI for clients adopting the solution. Here is what the data reflects.

  • You don’t want to buy, refresh, or operate networking hardware anymore
  • You’re scaling fast and need network capacity that flexes monthly
  • You want a single provider responsible end-to-end for office network performance
  • You need consistent network architecture across many sites without dedicated network engineers at each
  • You’re shifting from CapEx hardware refreshes to predictable OpEx network spend

What you actually get with NaaS

NaaS replaces owned routers, circuit contracts, and change tickets with a consumption model. A real evaluation covers these six components.

Consumption-based network

Ports, bandwidth, and security consumed as a service — scale sites up or down without forklift refreshes.

Cloud on-ramps included

Private connectivity into AWS, Azure, GCP, and Oracle delivered from the same fabric as your site network.

Deployment in days

Portal-driven turn-up measured in days, benchmarked against your current provisioning cycle.

Built-in resilience

Multi-path, multi-carrier failover engineered into the service tier, with SLAs to match.

Unified policy and visibility

One console for segmentation, QoS, and usage analytics across every site and cloud.

Pricing benchmark and redlines

Consumption pricing modeled against your CapEx baseline, with exit and portability redlines.

minutes

to stand up cloud networking on Alkira — not months

1,000+

data centers on-net with Console Connect

100+

clouds and SaaS platforms directly reachable

32

delivery locations behind Thrive’s managed network

Figures as published by the named providers or typical of advisor-led procurements; verify current specifications during evaluation.

Providers delivering NaaS

Every provider below has been vetted for service scope, SLA strength, and post-sale accountability. Want the three best fits for your environment? That’s one conversation.

2 providers with published profiles shown — every logo links to the partner’s full profile, including products, certifications, and coverage.

Browse the full directory → · Or get matched in 10 minutes →

Products & platforms

Deep-dives on the specific platforms our partners deliver in this category.

Alkira

Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service pioneer

  • Fully cloud-native networking platform deployed in minutes
  • Cloud Exchange Points connect sites, users, and all major clouds
  • Founded by the Viptela team behind SD-WAN
View partner profile →

Console Connect

Software-defined interconnection platform

  • On-demand private connectivity across 1,000+ on-net data centers
  • Direct connects to 100+ cloud and SaaS providers in 50+ countries
  • Spin up circuits from a portal in minutes
View partner profile →

Thrive

Managed network on a ServiceNow-powered platform

  • 24/7 managed network operations with dedicated POD teams
  • Global delivery from 32 locations across four continents
  • Security-first operations with integrated SOC services
View partner profile →

Proof in the field

Shortlist the right NaaS provider in one conversation

27 vetted options, a shortlist of three or four that fit you, zero cost for the guidance. Bring your questions.

Start a Network Assessment Schedule a Consultation

The Process

How your Network as a Service (NaaS) engagement runs

The same disciplined path every time — so you always know what happens next and who is accountable for it.

1

Day 1

Assess

We map your environment, contracts, and goals. No pitch — an honest read on where you stand and what it should cost.

2

Week 1

Shortlist

You get 3–4 fits from 475 vetted providers, with the reasoning attached — capabilities, pricing leverage, trade-offs.

3

Weeks 2–3

Evaluate

We run the demos, reference checks, and side-by-side pricing benchmarks so your team doesn't have to.

4

Weeks 3–4

Negotiate

Terms, SLAs, and pricing negotiated with portfolio-level leverage — anchored to real market rates, not list price.

5

Ongoing

Manage

We oversee implementation and stay your escalation point for the life of the service, through every renewal.

Typical timeline for mid-market engagements. Complex builds — colocation, dark fiber, custom AI deployments — carry longer evaluation and delivery windows, and we set that expectation on day one.

The Economics

Why source Network as a Service (NaaS) through Rubber Duck

No retainers, no hourly billing, no markup on your contract. Here is how that works:

Same or better pricing

Your contract is signed directly with the provider at rates we benchmark against comparable deals — you pay the same or less than going direct.

$0 advisory fee

Providers fund our advisory through their partner programs, and every provider compensates us the same way — so recommendations are based on fit, never commission.

One escalation point

After go-live we stay accountable: implementation oversight, billing disputes, outage escalations, and renewal strategy all route through your advisor.

Common Questions

What buyers ask before their first call

Does the guidance really cost nothing?

Yes. Our advisory is supplier-funded: providers pay us through the same partner programs they fund for all technology advisors, and every provider compensates us the same way. You pay the provider directly, at rates we benchmark — the same or less than going direct.

How are you different from a reseller or an MSP?

We don't carry inventory, quotas, or a house brand to protect. A reseller earns more when you buy what they stock; we earn the same regardless of which vetted provider you choose — so the recommendation is driven by fit. Where a managed service is the right answer, we source and oversee it rather than sell you our own.

Do we keep a direct relationship with the provider?

Yes. Your contract, billing, and SLAs sit directly with the provider you select. We sit on your side of that relationship — running the evaluation and negotiation up front, then acting as your escalation point after go-live.

What if we're already under contract?

That's the most common starting point. We benchmark your current rates now, flag billing errors worth disputing immediately, and build the renegotiation plan around your renewal window — including co-terming services so future decisions happen on your schedule, not the vendors'.

How fast do we get to a shortlist?

For most categories you'll have a reasoned shortlist of three or four providers within a week of the first assessment call. Complex infrastructure — colocation, dark fiber, large contact-center builds — takes longer, and we tell you that up front.