LOS ANGELES, April 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mplify, a global alliance of network, cloud, cybersecurity, and enterprise organizations working together to accelerate the AI-powered digital economy, today opened submissions for its 2026 NaaS Excellence Awards. The awards recognize the organizations and individuals turning the industry shift toward AI-ready infrastructure, automated service delivery, and interoperable Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) into real-world execution.
The industry is rapidly evolving as enterprises and providers scale AI-driven applications and high-performance infrastructure. The 2026 categories reflect where the market is investing: AI-ready infrastructure, high-performance interconnection, multi-party orchestration, secure connectivity, and automation built on standardized Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) APIs. Mplify’s NaaS Excellence Awards are among the industry’s most comprehensive programs recognizing leadership in NaaS, interoperability, automation, and next-generation digital infrastructure.
The 2026 program includes 20 awards spanning service providers, technology providers, data center and interconnection operators, ecosystem collaboration, and professional leadership. New and expanded award categories for 2026 include:
- NaaS for AI Leadership
- AI-Driven Orchestration Platform
- Interconnection Infrastructure Leadership
- Multi-Party Lifecycle Coordination Platform
- Secure NaaS Leadership
- Nan Chen Vanguard Award
For the full list of award categories and submission guidelines, visit https://www.mplify.net/for-members/annual-awards/.
“The industry has moved from talking about NaaS to building it,” said Kevin Vachon, COO, Mplify. “AI infrastructure is now operating at scale, and orchestration is crossing provider boundaries. The 2026 NaaS Excellence Awards recognize the companies and leaders delivering real operational progress across the ecosystem and helping define how NaaS will evolve in the years ahead.”
Submissions are open to Mplify members and the broader global industry across service provider, technology provider, ecosystem collaboration, and professional leadership categories. Entries will be evaluated by an independent panel of analysts and industry experts based on strategic relevance, measurable impact, ecosystem integration, innovation, and the use of standards, APIs, and automation frameworks that enable automated, multi-provider service delivery.
Key Dates
- Awards Open: April 28, 2026
- Submission Deadline: June 26, 2026
- Finalists Announced: August 25, 2026
- Winners Announced: September 23, 2026, at the NaaS Excellence Awards Gala
Winners will be honored during the NaaS Excellence Awards Gala, held as part of the Mplify Member Summit – Americas, taking place 22–24 September in Boston.
For more information and to submit an entry, visit https://www.mplify.net/for-members/annual-awards/.
For sponsorship opportunities or more information about the Global NaaS Events series, visit https://gne.mplify.net.
About Mplify
Mplify is a global alliance of network, cloud, cybersecurity, and enterprise organizations working together to accelerate the AI-powered digital economy through standardization, automation, certification, and collaboration. As the defining authority behind Carrier Ethernet, Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) APIs, and certified SASE and SD-WAN, Mplify has developed the global blueprint for Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) that is empowering the industry to innovate, interoperate, and scale trusted network services across a global ecosystem.
Media Contact:
Amy Foschetti
Mplify Alliance
amy@mplify.net
