Analyst(s): Ron Westfall
Publication Date: November 19, 2024
Why Meter built an approach that can liberate IT professionals from the uncertainties of installing and maintaining Internet infrastructure to concentrate on the topmost business priorities.
What is Covered in this Article:
- Meter prioritizes liberating IT professionals from the mundane operational burdens of infrastructure management, empowering them to focus more on improving business outcomes.
- Meter’s vertical integration uses consistent and tightly integrated feedback loops across its hardware, software, and operations to assure rapid and smooth implementations.
- Meter is focused on streamlining the disparate systems and product complexities associated with today’s networks by delivering intuitive, plug-and-play products and services.
The News: Meter provides internet infrastructure for the enterprise. In the Meter Networking Field Day 36 (NFD36) session, Meter Co-founders Anil Varanasi, CEO and Sunil Varanasi, CTO explained the “why” behind Meter and what makes Meter different.
NFD36: Meter Ready to Transform Internet Infrastructure for IT Pros
Analyst Take: Meter focuses on liberating IT professionals from the mundane operational burdens of infrastructure management, empowering them to prioritize strategic, high-impact initiatives that can improve their business outcomes. By offering a comprehensive, end-to-end solution, Meter can handle the full spectrum of internet infrastructure needs consisting of:
- Complete hardware procurement
- Software ecosystem management
- Implementing deployment processes
- Ongoing infrastructure scaling and maintenance
The outcome? IT teams can shift from firefighting technical complexities to becoming true strategic partners, focusing on initiatives that directly contribute to organizational growth and technological advancement. Key benefits include:
- Eliminating infrastructure management overhead
- Reducing operational complexity
- Enabling IT professionals to pursue high-value strategic work
- Providing a holistic, turnkey infrastructure solution.
In essence, Meter transforms infrastructure management from a time-consuming burden into a streamlined, efficient service, enabling IT talent to unleash their full strategic potential. Meter’s core mission is providing Internet infrastructure for businesses. The company’s full-stack approach combines hardware, software, and operations. I find this approach is a key differentiator as organizations increasingly deal with skills shortages and new swiftly evolving spending priorities across both their capital expenditures (CapEx) and operational expenditures (OpEx).
Meter products consist of network-as-a-service (NaaS) solutions, Meter Connect for instant business Internet quotes, and Meter Cellular (Connectivity-as-a-service). Meter’s Network Operating System (NOS) unifies its entire technical architecture across hardware, software, firmware, APIs, and security. Meter hardware products consist of security appliances, switches, and access points with software products consisting of Meter Command, Meter Dashboard, and DNS security. For network operations, Meter provides network design & configuration, installation & rollout, and service support.
Moreover, Meter sells only its full solution – no decoupling of hardware and software or operations support – an ambition boosted by Meter’s buy-back program and zero-risk on-board approach. I find this all-in approach can help deliver quality assurance across the entire Meter portfolio, although Meter can face extended sales cycles for onboarding prospects that need more time to kick the tires of the entire hardware/software/operations package. Meter’s portfolio development roadmap is ambitious, which includes support for private 5G (P5G), SD-WAN, new partnerships, etc. As such, Meter should produce a unified 2025 portfolio development and marketing roadmap to help further sharpen its overall vision.
How Meter Fulfills Its Holistic Objective: The Electricity History Lesson
In today’s business landscape, establishing internet infrastructure remains a daunting challenge, comparable to the complexities of setting up electrical systems in the pre-modern era whereby customers needed to manually wire that electricity to their building and set up the infrastructure for everything to work. Today, the intricacies of network architecture often surpass those of traditional utilities, making the process of creating a robust and efficient Internet setup even more demanding for organizations. The multifaceted nature of networking technology, with its various components and protocols, adds layers of complexity that can make implementation and maintenance a formidable task for businesses striving to build a solid digital foundation.
Meter deftly spotlights that the historical evolution of electrical infrastructure unfolded as a remarkable journey of technological advancement and centralization. What was once a complex and fragmented system is transformed into a widely accessible integrated network. Now, accessing electricity is so straightforward and reliable that powering a building is virtually effortless – almost as simple as uttering a command, with electricity instantly illuminating spaces and powering devices with remarkable ease.
This progression reflects decades of engineering innovation, strategic planning, and massive infrastructure investments. Utility companies have developed sophisticated grid systems, transmission technologies, and distribution networks that make electrical access a near-universal utility. From my perspective, in many ways, the modern electrical grid represents a pinnacle of industrial infrastructure, where the once-challenging task of generating and delivering electricity has been refined to a common sensical level of simplicity and convenience.
How Meter Plans to Move the Needle Across the Internet Infrastructure Landscape
How does Meter deliver on its fundamental pledge to provide a comprehensive Internet infrastructure solution to customers? In my view, crafting a bespoke network layout is crucial for peak performance across Internet infrastructure. Meter recognizes that each environment presents unique challenges and opportunities.
As a result, Meter dedicates substantial time and resources to meticulously plan the network architecture to meet its core value goal of ensuring comprehensive coverage that extends to every corner of the customer’s space, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. This tailored approach provides assurance of delivering connectivity throughout the area, boosting coverage efficiency and user experience.
Meter conducts comprehensive testing of the network to ensure that everything functions as intended. This entails implementing and setting up essential networking applications including the installation and configuration of critical applications for networks, such as VPNs and DNS security.
Meter has developed highly resilient technology that can ensure networks remain operational even in the face of challenges. For instance, if an access point fails, the system will automatically boost the signal strength of a nearby access point. This includes establishing a dedicated team for continuous support or maintenance, providing the equivalent of an internal group of network engineers.
Meter sets up the network using the company’s custom hardware. Meter creates and provides IT teams with its proprietary hardware, which the company installs, including as many access points as required for the space.
Looking Ahead
Overall, I believe that Meter has built an innovative approach that emphasizes unshackling IT professionals from the uncertainties of installing and maintaining Internet infrastructure to concentrate on more strategic and impactful responsibilities. This is similar to how developers no longer need to manage their own physical server infrastructure in the hybrid cloud era. Furthermore, Meter is demonstrating how a company’s Internet infrastructure should function as an integrated and optimized system, rather than a disjointed collection of complex, disconnected components.
See the complete Meter presentation at Networking Field Day 36 on the Tech Field Day site.
Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.
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Author Information
Ron is an experienced, customer-focused research expert and analyst, with over 20 years of experience in the digital and IT transformation markets, working with businesses to drive consistent revenue and sales growth.
He is a recognized authority at tracking the evolution of and identifying the key disruptive trends within the service enablement ecosystem, including a wide range of topics across software and services, infrastructure, 5G communications, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), analytics, security, cloud computing, revenue management, and regulatory issues.
Prior to his work with The Futurum Group, Ron worked with GlobalData Technology creating syndicated and custom research across a wide variety of technical fields. His work with Current Analysis focused on the broadband and service provider infrastructure markets.
Ron holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from University of Nevada — Las Vegas and a Bachelor of Arts in political science/government from William and Mary.
