NaaS Excellence Awards

NaaS Service Provider of the Year

Global & Regional

Recognizes the Network-as-a-service (NaaS) provider that best combines on-demand connectivity, application assurance, cybersecurity, multi-cloud-based services, and other advanced features in order to provide a superior cloud-like customer experience between August 2023 and July 2024.

Best NaaS Vision, Service Provider

Recognizes an industry-leading service provider that has strategically committed to offering a NaaS platform/solution, has shared an advanced vision for NaaS, and has implemented the best NaaS marketing program. All elements of the NaaS solution do not have to be in production at the time of submission for the award.

MEF 3.0 CE Service Provider of the Year

Global & Regional

Recognizes an industry-leading service provider that offers on-demand MEF 3.0 CE services optimized for digital transformation.

SASE Service Provider of the Year

Global & Regional

Recognizes an industry-leading service provider that combines network connectivity, cybersecurity functions, and subscriber policies into the most compelling SASE service offering available to customers between August 2023 and July 2024.

SD-WAN Service Provider of the Year

Global & Regional

Recognizes an industry-leading service provider that offers the most advanced SD-WAN service available in the market. This secure application-aware, over-the-top WAN connectivity service uses policies to determine how application flows are directed over multiple underlay networks between August 2023 and July 2024.

Service Automation Leadership

Global & Regional

Recognizes a service provider that has the largest number of MEF LSO business API production implementations with buyer and/or sell partners.

Best Services Ecosystem Automation Platform

Recognizes the company offering the best digital services ecosystem automation platform. This company plays a central role in interconnecting ecosystem players—including enterprises, hyperscalers, SaaS providers, communications service providers, and others—using a combination of MEF LSO APIs and customized APIs.

Network Technology Vendor of the Year

Recognizes an industry-leading technology vendor enabling NaaS aligned to a standards-based framework between August 2023 and July 2024.

Best NaaS Vision, Vendor

Recognizes an industry-leading technology provider that has strategically committed to offering a NaaS solution, has shared an advanced vision for NaaS, and has implemented the best NaaS marketing program. All elements of the NaaS solution do not have to be in production at the time of submission for the award.

SASE Vendor of the Year

Recognizes a leading technology vendor that combines SD-WAN + SSE + ZT into industry-leading SASE solution between August 2023 and July 2024.

SD-WAN Vendor of the Year

Recognizes a leading technology vendor that most advances SD-WAN technology between August 2023 and July 2024.

LSO Solution Provider of the Year

Recognizes the LSO solution provider that has supported the largest number of MEF LSO business or operational API implementations between August 2023 and July 2024.

Most Impactful Service Automation Vendor

Recognizes a software technology solutions provider that has had the greatest impact in accelerating digital transformation and improving customer experience across the industry through automation of business and/or operational workflows in the end-to-end service lifecycle.

Most Innovative Service Automation Vendor

Recognizes a software technology solutions provider that has introduced a highly innovative solution that helps service providers overcome a particular pressing challenge in transitioning to dynamic services and delivering NaaS solutions. This solution may be targeted toward automation of a specific business or operational function or automation of multiple functions.

Industry Executive of the Year

Recognizes the industry executive who has exhibited exceptional leadership (vision, strategy, execution, collaboration, etc.) during the past year in driving industry transformation toward dynamic services across an ecosystem of automated networks.

Michael Howard Industry Impact Award

This memorial award recognizes an outstanding individual who has made a demonstratively positive impact in building a sense of community, sharing knowledge, and encouraging collaboration to create a better together industry. Examples of positive impact include a friendly, supportive approach to professional relationships, leadership in helping industry leaders tackle difficult challenges, meaningful contributions to hot topic projects, demonstrated willingness to engage with and mentor colleagues, and a positive attitude that inspires others.