NETGEAR Brings Unified Security Platform to SMEs and MSPs

Small and medium-sized enterprises continue to bear the brunt of rising cyberattacks. The challenge is not just limited budgets; it is the growing complexity of managing too many disconnected tools. Most small businesses end up stitching together point solutions that don’t talk to each other and can’t keep up with today’s threats.

NETGEAR’s new Exium-based platform is designed to close that gap. The unified solution combines Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) capabilities with hybrid firewall protection in a single, cloud-managed platform, and is designed specifically for SMEs and the MSPs that support them.

Enterprise-Grade Protection, Simplified

Farooq Khan, Vice President of Software Security at NETGEAR, said the goal was to make enterprise-level security attainable without the overhead of managing an enterprise stack. He told ChannelE2E, "The reality is that SMEs deserve enterprise-grade protection without the complexity and cost of a legacy stack,” Khan explained. "That’s precisely what NETGEAR Exium delivers.”

He described how the solution blends advanced intelligence with automation to keep pace with evolving threats. "We integrate the same premium, enterprise-grade threat intelligence feeds used by Fortune 500 companies,” Khan noted. “Our proprietary AI engine actively learns, correlates, and prioritizes threats. The result is a proactive strategy that hunts and stops zero-day and advanced threats before they can cause damage.”

But what sets it apart is accessibility. "The magic is in the simplicity for the SME IT team,” Khan said. Rather than overwhelming lean teams with endless notifications, Exium allows MSPs to tune intelligence feeds to each client’s specific needs. “By allowing for custom feeds and finely-tuned configurations, we drastically reduce false alarms and unnecessary noise,” he added. The result is a platform that delivers deep visibility and protection without burning out small IT teams.

Built for MSP Growth

NETGEAR built Exium with MSPs at the center. Many already manage a crowded stack of SASE tools and need ways to stand out without adding cost or confusion. Khan said the goal wasn’t to give them another product to manage, but a platform that actually simplifies how they deliver security and strengthens their bottom line.
“We understand that MSPs need solutions that create new revenue streams, not headaches. Our commitment is to give partners a competitive edge and superior economics - not just another tool.”

One of the cornerstones of that approach is what Khan calls the “Modern Cyber Gateway.” “This is not just another SASE client; it’s a hybrid firewall solution that effectively replaces traditional, expensive, and complex firewalls at a fraction of the cost,” he explained. The platform supports multiple deployment options - hardware, virtualized, as-a-service, and cloud-native - so partners can align it with each customer’s environment.

Integration was another priority. “We are deeply committed to the MSP ecosystem, evidenced by our foundational partnerships with industry leaders like ConnectWise and Pax8,” Khan said. “These alliances ensure that procuring, provisioning, and billing for Exium are intuitive and integrated into the tools MSPs already rely on.” This design ensures MSPs can onboard Exium with minimal disruption while maintaining profitability.

Operationalizing Security-as-a-Service

According to Khan, Exium platform is a profitability engine designed to turn security into recurring revenue with minimal operational overhead, he noted.

That focus on efficiency shows in every part of the design. “We built in the necessary integrations from day one,” Khan explained. “Our platform features native integrations for PSA, RMM, Billing, and SIEM tools. This means an MSP can literally onboard a new client in minutes, not hours or days.” By reducing time-to-revenue and streamlining management, Exium helps MSPs deliver security-as-a-service without eating into their margins.

Khan also highlighted the platform’s flexibility across different client environments. “A ‘one-size-fits-all’ policy doesn’t work across verticals,” he said. Exium uses hierarchical policy orchestration that lets MSPs manage security controls at multiple levels - partner, client, group, and user - without added complexity. “This structure allows an MSP to serve diverse industry verticals with speed and precision,” Khan noted. “It solidifies their role as a strategic security partner and guarantees strong, predictable recurring revenue.”

Exium for NETGEAR is available globally through NETGEAR’s existing partner ecosystem. For SMEs, it represents a shift from reactive patchwork defenses to a unified, manageable platform. For MSPs, it’s a way to scale profitably while meeting customer demand for integrated, enterprise-grade protection.