NETGEAR Enterprise has named the first partners to achieve APEX and APEX MSP certification through its DRIVE Partner Success Program, with Germany’s Thomas-Krenn.AG securing APEX status and US-based Connectivity Warehouse becoming the first APEX MSP partner.
Launched in November 2025, the DRIVE programme certifies partners according to demonstrated engineering, sales, deployment and service capabilities rather than purchasing volumes. Requirements include trained engineers, validated customer deployments and established service practices.
APEX MSP represents the programme’s highest tier, requiring partners to qualify three certified post-sales engineers and undergo a live audit of their IT service management practices, in addition to meeting the engineering and sales requirements of APEX.
Connectivity Warehouse, a networking solutions provider serving offices, healthcare facilities, warehouses and multi-site organisations, is the first partner globally to achieve the designation.
Thomas-Krenn.AG has meanwhile become the first APEX-certified partner. The German company, which specialises in server and storage infrastructure, has certified its engineering and sales teams on NETGEAR infrastructure and provided validated customer success stories as part of the process.
“Customers are choosing partners the same way they choose products: based on what those partners can actually do, not what they have purchased,” said Thomas Schwab, channel chief, worldwide channels at NETGEAR Enterprise.
“By achieving the APEX and APEX MSP certifications, respectively, Thomas-Krenn.AG and Connectivity Warehouse demonstrated a commitment to their customers: the person who sells the solution can also build it, and the team that builds it will still be there when something needs attention.”
