NETGEAR Inc. has announced its participation in the OpenAV.Cloud initiative, committing to transform the professional audiovisual industry through cloud-managed, software-defined infrastructure solutions.
The move positions NETGEAR to address persistent challenges in traditional AV deployments, including complex commissioning processes, walled vendor ecosystems and on-site maintenance and management requirements for distributed installations.
“The professional AV industry stands at an inflection point,” said Richard Jonker, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at NETGEAR Enterprise. “After decades of hardware-centric, proprietary systems that required specialized expertise to deploy and maintain, we’re witnessing a fundamental shift toward cloud-managed, software-defined infrastructure.”
Scalable and flexible
Traditional AV infrastructure has long faced scalability barriers, with systems operating as isolated islands that make integration with broader IT infrastructure difficult and costly. NETGEAR’s cloud-first approach eliminates these limitations through dynamic, software-controlled environments that adapt to changing requirements in real time.
NETGEAR’s Engage Controller platform exemplifies the company’s cloud-first philosophy, evolving from a configuration tool into a comprehensive AV system management platform. The solution provides auto-discovery and intelligent configuration capabilities, preset profile-based configuration and topology visualization, centralized monitoring, and seamless integration with existing IT infrastructure.
When integrated with OpenAV.Cloud’s API-driven framework, networks managed by Engage can become part of a larger ecosystem where devices and services from hundreds of partner vendors can communicate natively and securely. The company’s new M4350 series switches, featuring SMPTE ST 2110 support and precision timing capabilities, transform from simple network endpoints into intelligent, software-controllable assets within the broader digital AV infrastructure.
The shift to cloud-managed AV infrastructure enables new business models throughout the AV ecosystem. For integrators, the technology opens revenue streams through subscription-based monitoring, maintenance and support services, replacing project-based revenue with recurring client relationships. End customers can scale gradually, paying for capacity as needed rather than making large upfront investments.
“The future of AV cannot be built by any single vendor,” Jonker said. “Today’s customers demand solutions that ‘just work’ regardless of brand, especially as AV systems become more IP-centric and cloud-integrated.”
Organizations embracing this shift will benefit from greater flexibility, reduced operational overhead and enhanced ability to adapt to changing requirements. NETGEAR’s participation positions the company and its more than 450 partners at the center of what Jonker called “the AV industry’s most significant transformation in decades.”
