Netgear's SaaS platform, called Business Central, launched in late June. "Business Central is designed to provide small to mid-sized organizations with an affordable way to establish, provision and manage key IT networking services and network devices," the company said in a prepared statement.
It sounds like multiple service modules are under development. The first module, called Business Central Wireless Manager "enables companies as well as Value-Added Resellers (VARs) and other Systems Integrators (SIs) to centrally manage an entire wireless network across multiple borders, cities, buildings and floors, anytime and anywhere, securely through the cloud."
The platform starts at $99 per year for 1 access point; a 50 access point option costs $4950 for 12 months. Additional configurations and subscription contract lengths are available. Partners can leverage an introductory 90-day free service trial -- though I don't know if the trial offer will be available for the long haul.
While partners certainly welcome remote management platforms, Netgear's Business Central arrivals late in a crowded market. Numerous companies already offer VARs and MSPs free trials of remote IT management tools. For a list of such offerings, check out our IT Management Free Software Trial Database.
