NETGEAR Enhances SME Customer Experience with Exium Acquisition for Integrated Networking and Cybersecurity

In today’s digital-first business landscape, customer experience hinges on reliability, security, and seamless connectivity. Recognizing this, NETGEAR® Inc. has taken a significant step toward redefining enterprise-grade connectivity for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The company has announced a definitive agreement to acquire cybersecurity firm Exium, bringing cutting-edge integrated Networking and network security into the heart of SME infrastructure.

Although many SMEs recognize the value of robust cybersecurity, implementation often remains a hurdle. Solutions are fragmented, complex, or expensive. NETGEAR’s acquisition of Exium aims to solve this, by merging Exium’s Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) platform into NETGEAR’s existing cloud-based ecosystem. This integration promises to make enterprise-grade security both accessible and manageable for SMEs, improving their end-to-end customer experience.

Bridging the Experience Gap for SMEs

Today’s SMEs demand more than fast integrated Networking and connectivity. They seek safe, smart, and simplified digital infrastructure that enables them to serve customers confidently. NETGEAR, already a leader in intelligent networking, recognizes this evolving need.

Through the Exium acquisition, NETGEAR strengthens its commitment to streamlining CX across digital touchpoints. While many businesses still manage security and networking separately, this acquisition provides a single, integrated platform. Consequently, small IT teams or managed service providers (MSPs) can deliver faster support, seamless onboarding, and consistent digital experiences.

Furthermore, as AI-driven cyber threats rise, businesses without internal cybersecurity teams face increased risks. Here, the combination of Exium’s SASE platform and NETGEAR’s Insight Cloud Management system delivers a comprehensive solution. Together, they protect customer data, ensure service uptime, and support operational continuity — all pillars of exceptional CX.

Why This Matters: The SME Perspective

Despite their smaller scale, SMEs increasingly serve global customers and manage complex operations. However, most lack the resources to deploy and manage siloed network and security solutions. Instead of adopting patchwork systems, SMEs need cohesive platforms.

This acquisition directly answers that need.

First, it empowers MSPs and internal teams to deploy, monitor, and manage network and security services through one interface. Second, it reduces latency and vulnerability — ensuring faster load times, fewer disruptions, and better customer retention. Third, it provides enterprise-grade protection without enterprise-level overheads.

As Pramod Badjate, President and GM of NETGEAR for Business, explains, “AI has changed the threat landscape… but the solutions for SMEs are often too difficult to implement.” With this deal, NETGEAR ensures that SMEs don’t just stay connected — they stay protected, empowered, and customer-ready.

CX-Focused Integration: Simple, Seamless, Scalable

At its core, CX success depends on how easily businesses can deploy, integrate, and scale their tools. The Exium platform was specifically built with MSPs in mind. Therefore, onboarding and support for SMEs will be streamlined, rapid, and efficient.

Moreover, integration into NETGEAR’s Insight platform will allow IT teams to:

• View networking and security status in one dashboard
• Push updates automatically across devices and users
• Monitor performance and threats in real time

Thus, this single-pane-of-glass management system reduces administrative complexity while improving network visibility and customer responsiveness.

Aligning Business Strategy with CX Vision

NETGEAR’s move is not merely a technology acquisition. It reflects a deeper strategy: to align business growth with superior customer experience. In a time when buyers expect 24/7 service and instant access, downtime or cyber breaches can permanently damage a brand’s reputation.

With Gartner predicting the SASE market to grow to $25 billion by 2027, the business case is clear. However, CX impact remains the true differentiator. By integrating SASE into its offering, NETGEAR ensures:

• Fewer dropped connections during customer interactions
• Enhanced data security for online transactions
• More confident and empowered IT support teams

This, in turn, drives higher customer satisfaction, trust, and loyalty.

Leadership Commitment to CX Excellence

NETGEAR and Exium’s leadership teams have demonstrated unified clarity of purpose. As Farooq Khan, CEO of Exium, shares: “We share a similar vision with NETGEAR… to build a fully integrated network and security solution.”

His continued leadership within NETGEAR for Business signals long-term investment in building solutions tailored to SME realities. Khan’s deep expertise in cybersecurity will also help NETGEAR evolve its offerings as threats grow and customer expectations shift.

A New Era for Managed Service Providers

This acquisition also offers significant value to MSPs, who manage networks for countless SMEs. Until now, offering end-to-end services meant juggling multiple vendors and platforms. Now, MSPs can offer an all-in-one solution — increasing efficiency, client satisfaction, and profitability.

Additionally, the streamlined SASE experience reduces deployment time. This helps MSPs scale faster, onboard clients swiftly, and resolve incidents proactively — all critical to positive customer experiences.

Looking Ahead: What SMEs Can Expect

As the acquisition closes (expected by Q2 2025), SMEs and MSPs can anticipate:

• Unified subscription models for networking and security
• A simplified user interface with integrated diagnostics
• Faster issue resolution through real-time alerts
• Pre-configured security settings aligned with SME needs
• Ongoing innovation driven by AI and threat intelligence

These enhancements are not simply technical. They influence every touchpoint in the customer journey — from initial connection to long-term support — ensuring end users experience consistency, confidence, and care.

Conclusion: Elevating SME CX, One Network at a Time

In an age where CX defines business success, technology providers must look beyond features. They must focus on how their solutions enable real-world outcomes. NETGEAR’s acquisition of Exium exemplifies this approach.

By bringing networking and security under one roof, NETGEAR delivers clarity, simplicity, and safety — the very attributes SMEs need to serve their own customers better. With visionary leadership, smart integration, and a customer-first mindset, NETGEAR is not only preparing businesses for the future. It is reimagining the customer experience from the ground up.

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