Netgear launches Align platform for AV integrators

NETGEAR has launched Align, its first platform for audiovisual networks, expanding beyond its established switching business in AV-over-IP systems.

At the centre of the platform is the Align Controller, a rack-ready appliance that combines precision timing, core network services and access to NETGEAR's Engage management software in a single unit. It is intended to replace the mix of separate hardware and software tools integrators have often used to manage AV networks.

The launch broadens NETGEAR's role in a market where it has largely supplied switching infrastructure. With Align, the company is adding its own software and management layer on top of that installed base, while leaving room for third-party applications to run on the same platform.

According to NETGEAR, the controller can connect directly to a switch using PoE++, removing the need for a dedicated power circuit in many deployments. A backup power supply is also included.

Remote access

A central part of the launch is remote access to Engage, NETGEAR's platform for designing, configuring and managing AV deployments. The Align Controller provides secure remote access for up to five concurrent users, allowing integrators to monitor network health, investigate faults and support customers without being on site.

That addresses a long-standing request from AV integrators, who are increasingly being asked by customers to provide ongoing support after installation rather than simply deploy systems and leave. In larger or more business-critical environments, those expectations have expanded to include service continuity, fault resolution and ongoing oversight.

NETGEAR said this work has often depended on stitching together standalone components, including timing hardware, service appliances and management tools not originally designed to operate as a unified stack. That can create issues such as latency, clock drift and service conflicts that are difficult to diagnose.

Pramod Badjate, President and GM of NETGEAR Enterprise, described the launch as a strategic shift for the business.

"The Align Controller marks a turning point in how we think about AV infrastructure. NETGEAR has spent the last decade earning its place as the switching foundation for AV-over-IP. Now we are building on that foundation to become a platform. One where integrators can manage deployments remotely, run third-party applications alongside our own, and bring AV and IT management together on a secure platform rather than keeping them in separate silos. Align is the first step in that direction, and the roadmap goes much further," said Badjate.

Platform shift

The launch reflects a wider change in the AV sector, where networks are playing a larger role in meeting the demands of video distribution, control and monitoring across offices, campuses, venues and other commercial settings. As systems become more software-driven, vendors are seeking to move beyond hardware supply into management, orchestration and recurring service models.

For NETGEAR, that means using its existing position in AV switching to support a broader offering. Align is designed as an open layer that can host NETGEAR applications such as Engage and support future AV tools from other developers.

That may also appeal to integrators looking to reduce complexity in the field. Instead of combining multiple products from different vendors for clocking, services and management, they can deploy a single appliance intended to handle those roles together.

Laurent Masia, Senior Director, Managed Switches & Pro AV at NETGEAR, said customer demand for remote access had been clear since Engage was introduced.

"AV integrators have been asking us for a way to access Engage remotely since the day it launched. The Align Controller delivers that, and it does so as part of a platform that handles all the network services and timing infrastructure an AV-over-IP deployment needs. Instead of assembling separate components and hoping they work together, integrators now have a single purpose-built appliance that handles all of it and gives them the remote reach to build managed service offerings their clients are already asking for," said Masia.

NETGEAR said the platform is intended to support additional functions over time, positioning the controller as an evolving part of an installation rather than a fixed-function device. The first product in the range, the NETGEAR Align Controller, model GB406, will start shipping in August.