AV-over-IP (AVoIP) systems rarely stay small. A few channels in a meeting room or studio can grow into dozens or hundreds of endpoints across a campus. When something breaks at that scale, it isn’t always clear whether the fault sits in the workflow or the network.
NETGEAR Enterprise now wants to answer both sides of that question. The company has extended its Professional Services program beyond the network layer to cover AVoIP workflows, and NDI is the first ecosystem partner in the expanded program.
Key Things to Know
- Broader scope: NETGEAR’s Professional Services now cover NDI workflow design and optimization, not just the network.
- One source: Customers get network and workflow expertise from a single provider.
- Same channel: Integrators can buy NDI workflow services through NETGEAR’s existing two-tier distribution and reseller channel.
- Project-based work: Services are scoped to each engagement and are separate from NETGEAR Premium Support tiers.
- More partners coming: NETGEAR remains protocol-neutral and expects to add other ecosystem partners.
What Is Changing in NETGEAR’s Professional Services Program?
NETGEAR’s Professional Services program now extends past the network to the AVoIP workflow that runs on top of it. Until now, the services covered network design, deployment and optimization, and they stopped there.
That gap existed even though NETGEAR switches have carried NDI certification for years, with dedicated preconfigured NDI profiles. The hardware supported the workflow. The services didn’t.
Massimo Mazzeo, vice president of global systems engineering, customer support and services at NETGEAR Enterprise, describes the change as a straight extension of the existing program. “We launched Professional Services at the network layer, and this partnership with NDI extends that same program to what runs on top of the network,” he says. “For our customers, the scope now covers the NDI workflow as well, so the expertise for the network and the expertise for the production layer come from the same place.”
What AVoIP Problem Does the Expansion Solve?
The expansion targets the finger-pointing that happens when a growing AVoIP system fails and nobody owns the cause. As deployments scale, problems often come from how the workflow and the network interact rather than from either one alone.
That makes responsibility hard to pin down. A single provider for both layers removes the handoff between a network vendor and a workflow specialist.
How Are the NDI Workflow Services Delivered?
NETGEAR delivers NDI workflow services as project-based Professional Services tailored to each engagement. The work sits outside the company’s Premium Support tiers, so it’s scoped and sold as its own project.
NETGEAR can scope and sell these services through the same two-tier channel partners already use for network infrastructure. You don’t need a new purchasing path to add workflow expertise to a quote.
Why Is NDI the First Partner in the Program?
NDI is the first partner because it’s NETGEAR’s longest-standing AVoIP relationship. The services agreement builds on a track record that predates it:
- NDI was the first AVoIP protocol supported by a NETGEAR Pro AV profile, making it the first Pro AV deployment challenge the company solved with software.
- NETGEAR Pro AV switches are certified through the NDI program and validated in NDI’s own test facilities.
- NDI was among the first third-party partners to offer training on NETGEAR Academy, giving integrators one place to learn both the network and the protocol.
- NETGEAR holds a seat on the NDI Technical Advisory Board.
Charles Dobson, director of business development at NDI, points to a shift in who buys NDI systems. “NDI’s growth in Pro AV has brought in a different kind of customer, one who depends on their integrator to design the system rather than building it themselves,” he says. “Making our expertise available through NETGEAR’s channel puts it where those projects are actually specified.”
Will Other AVoIP Protocols Join the Program?
Yes. NETGEAR built the services program to add more ecosystem partners over time, and the company expects others to follow NDI.
NETGEAR also stays protocol-neutral across its Pro AV portfolio. It continues to work with the full range of AVoIP technologies its switches support, so choosing NETGEAR infrastructure doesn’t lock you into NDI.
How Can Integrators Access NDI Workflow Services?
Integrators can access NDI workflow services through NETGEAR’s authorized distribution and reseller channel. Each engagement is tailored to the project’s requirements.
Partners and customers can discuss their needs with NETGEAR at netgear.com/av/services/.
