IT is currently planning for the replacement of the five year old network infrastructure with Extreme Networks Service offering - Network Infrastructure as a Service (NIaaS). Traditional network replacement (remove and replace) of the equipment would cost approximately $1.4 million in equipment leased over five years or $275,000/year.
Presently, our network equipment is installed and in place for the full five years and is required to be replaced again in a remove/replace fashion. NIaaS allows organizations to pay for networking services based upon the number of ports being used. Ports are a physical connection point to the network infrastructure. They are used for connecting desktops, laptops, printers, etc to the network. The benefit to this type of service arrangement is that as newer technology is released and upgraded, it is included throughout the life of the five year agreement. The Town’s network would stay up to date without additional costs.
The Town’s current network has a capacity of 5000 ports. Currently, we use only 2200 active ports to support 4800 devices due to our Wi-FI use and capabilities. Under NIaaS, the town only pays for what it uses, not the empty ports that are part of the cost structure in the traditional model. There is potential for cost reductions if port counts are reduced.
This solution allows the town to keep pace with ever-changing technologies as they become available without an increase in costs.