Netgear Intros 10GE Switch, Management Console
The ProSafe Network Management System, or NMS200, is intended to help customers configure and manage Netgear Layer 2 and Layer 3 switches on their network using a single interface. The NMS200 installs and the software automatically discovers Netgear products on the network.
It will be available in October and can be purchased either as a pack license for 15 devices (the NMS215, at $700), or a pack license for 500 devices ($14,620). Netgear is also offering NMS packages for 30, 50 or 100 devices, too.
Then there's Netgear's ProSafe 24-port 10GE Managed L2+ Switch, designed for data centers that can support 10 Gbps products. According to Netgear, it offers enterprise-class speeds and can connect multi-10GE attached storage products such as Netgear's ReadyNAS 4200. It'll be available in December, with a list price of $11,700 and a license upgrade for Layer 3 for an additional $2,900.
Shane Buckley, senior vice president and general manager of Netgear's SMB products business unit, said the push toward virtualization, mobility and cloud services was incenting customers to invest in stronger data center infrastructure, but many are still struggling with squeezed budgets and aren't interested in massive, complex data center overhauls.
"Customers are saying, why do I need a monolithic vendor to provide all of the infrastructure, and all the networking, security and storage products?" Buckley said in an interview with CRN. "They know they don't need it from one vendor. They can buy best of breed. Customers want smart IT solutions, and solutions that are clearly more affordable, more reliable and simpler to use."
The lucrative midmarket remains a sweet spot for its channel partners, Buckley said, who can in the top levels of Netgear's program earn incremental discounts between 8 and 12 percent. Buckley credits Netgear's channel, which numbers about 37,000 resellers worldwide, for helping accelerate its growth. In its second fiscal quarter earnings in July, the company reported a 35 percent increase year-over-year revenues.
"Clearly, Netgear is taking share," said Buckley.