NETGEAR unveils a bold new vision to meet the growing business demand for seamless, scalable, and secure connectivity.

NETGEAR for Business is evolving its mission to serve small to medium enterprises by sharpening its focus on delivering next-generation networking solutions that provide simplicity, reliability and cost-effectiveness without compromising on the proven expertise and innovation for which NETGEAR is known.

For nearly 30 years, NETGEAR has been the trusted force behind the world’s most critical connections, powering businesses, ideas, and experiences across the globe. But the business world is evolving quickly and so are we. Networking is no longer just about being online; it’s about leveraging that connection to drive innovation, collaboration and experiences. In this next era of NETGEAR we’re stripping away complexity, removing friction, and reimagining what business networking can be so that our customers don’t just keep up with change, they lead it, said CJ Prober, NETGEAR CEO. 

Revolutionizing business connectivity

At the helm of this evolution is NETGEAR for Business President and GM Pramod Badjate, an industry leader with deep expertise in networking with experience at Arista, Ruckus, and Cisco. Since joining nine months ago, Badjate has been driving a strategic repositioning to make NETGEAR the go-to partner for small and medium enterprises facing increasing digital demands. NETGEAR has experienced rapid growth in this segment, with over 15% revenue expansion last quarter and double-digit growth forecasted for 2025.

Badjate is directing significant investment in product and technology innovations while building a high-caliber team across all functions to ensure NETGEAR meets the needs of its customers while making the business relationship exceptionally easy. Over the next three years, the company plans to accelerate its investment in R&D to enhance its current business offerings. The first key milestone is the acquisition of VAAG Systems, a creator of cutting-edge embedded and cloud software solutions based in Chennai India. This investment allows NETGEAR to accelerate the in-sourcing of a software development capability and this team will form the foundation of NETGEAR’s new Chennai-based Software Development Center. This new team brings a wealth of industry expertise with experience from companies such as Qualcomm, HP, Cisco and MaxLinear and will focus on leveraging AI to simplify networking for the small and medium enterprise.

Each new development or addition follows a clear mandate: help businesses escape clunky, fragmented networks that lack support or bloated, overpriced systems packed with features they don’t need.

Current networking solutions don't meet the needs of small and medium enterprises. They’re stuck with either complex, overpriced systems meant for larger companies or fragmented solutions that don’t integrate well and lack proper support. We’re changing that, offering an integrated solution that is much easier to deploy and manage for MSPs and small IT departments alike. We acknowledge the criticality of networking for these businesses and do not compromise on reliability and support, said Badjate.

Software Development Center in Chennai 

This new center is part of NETGEAR’s strategy to invest in AI and cloud-based solutions to enhance business connectivity, thereby reinforcing its commitment to this goal.

At the heart of this transformation is a recently announced R&D investment that will accelerate the company’s objective to create next-generation networking solutions that offer simplicity, reliability and cost-effectiveness, without sacrificing the proven expertise and innovation for which NETGEAR is known. To meet these needs, NETGEAR has launched its Chennai Software Development Center, built on the acquisition of talent and intellectual property assets from local cloud software company VAAG Systems.

“NETGEAR is uniquely focused on equipping businesses with powerful, integrated networks that just work, without the complexity of solutions usually aimed at large corporations”, said Badjate. “Our investments in software and AI are designed to simplify networking, and I am excited about the talent and expertise of the engineers joining us to help achieve this goal”.

The VAAG team brings extensive networking experience to NETGEAR’s award-winning engineering team, following their tenure at companies such as Qualcomm, HP, Cisco and MaxLinear. Their intellectual property, focused on end-to-end network troubleshooting through AI, will add significant value to NETGEAR’s business products and services. At the company, the Chennai-based team will contribute to the goal of providing reliable and intuitive networks to small and medium enterprises. Sudarsan Vasudevan, CEO of VAAG, joins NETGEAR as Vice President of Software to lead the India team’s operations, which over the next 12 to 18 months will grow by more than 100 engineers.

“This investment in our software capabilities represents a significant opportunity for sustainable growth for the company”, added CJ Prober. “We have listened to our customers and understand the challenges they face in this increasingly complex business environment. We are making the necessary investments in expertise and technology to meet today’s needs and anticipate those of tomorrow with robust, intuitive and cost-effective solutions”.

NETGEAR AV: a future built on AV-over-IP

NETGEAR Business is also a pioneer in AV-over-IP technology, helping businesses, customers, and employees power and connect to extraordinary experiences. Recognizing the surge in demand for seamless video integration, the AV division has built a robust ecosystem of more than 400 industry partners, supported by a portfolio of preconfigured solutions, cutting-edge design services, and ongoing education. Under Badjate’s leadership, this high-growth segment will expand its offerings in commercial, broadcast and residential AV, cementing NETGEAR’s role at the intersection of AV and IT.

From concert halls and command & control centers to stadiums and boardrooms, NETGEAR AV powers the world’s most impactful audio-visual experiences. There has never been a more exciting time to be a partner or customer of NETGEAR. We are delivering plug and play AV solutions that just work by deleting the complexity of an AV over IP network. Our partners, in turn, realize huge savings in labor costs compared to traditional solutions, said Badjate. 

In the coming months, NETGEAR will continue to unveil new products, programs, and partnerships designed to push the boundaries of innovation, ensuring that the company’s business customers stay ahead of the curve with AI-driven advancements, seamless scalability and cutting-edge solutions.