Netgear To Buy SASE Specialist Exium To Forge ‘First’ Networking, Security Platform For SMBs

Exium’s SASE technology was built to help MSPs service their SMB customers. Once integrated into Netgear’s Insight cloud platform, Netgear plans to build the first of its kind, joint networking and security platform for SMBs, the company says.

SMB networking specialist Netgear on Thursday announced a definitive agreement to acquire cybersecurity company Exium as Netgear carries out its plans to create what the company is calling a first of its kind, joint networking and security platform for small and medium businesses.

Exium, a provider of secure access service edge (SASE) technology, will be integrated into Netgear’s Insight cloud platform. The company said that this combination will form a unified offering that includes wired and wireless networking, firewall, and security capabilities for MSPs and SMEs.

The two companies did not disclose the financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close by the end of Netgear’s second quarter this fiscal year.

San Jose, Calif.-based Netgear has been evolving its portfolio under new leadership, including Pramod Badjate, an enterprise networking veteran who joined as president and general manager Netgear for Business in mid-2024. Netgear in 2024 also appointed Charles (CJ) Prober as the company’s new CEO.

Badjate, for his part, has led Netgear for Business to 15 percent year over year revenue growth, according to the company.

Exium’s SASE technology was built to help MSPs service their SMB customers, the companies said. With Exium’s technology baked in, the planned networking and security platform will be purpose-built for MSPs and small IT teams will give these partners and businesses enterprise-grade protection without the complexity of traditional solutions, Netgear said.

“AI has changed the threat landscape for small and medium enterprises as well as larger businesses, but the solutions for SMEs are often too difficult to implement or need to be cobbled onto the network and managed separately,” Badjate said in a statement on the acquisition. “By offering the Exium SASE solution with the goal of integrating it into our Insight cloud management platform, we’ll be able to bring our customers a seamless, single-pane-of-glass solution that is easily deployed and managed by small IT teams or MSPs.”

Exium CEO Farooq Khan will be joining the Netgear for Business leadership team following the close of the deal.