Exclusive, Extreme deepen UK & Ireland networking ties

Exclusive Networks has expanded its distribution partnership with Extreme Networks into the UK and Ireland, adding cloud-managed networking and automation products to its regional line-up and widening the choice of suppliers available to channel partners.

The agreement extends an existing relationship between the companies in other regions, including parts of Europe and Asia-Pacific. In the UK and Ireland, Exclusive will distribute Extreme's networking portfolio, with a particular focus on Extreme Platform ONE, an AI-driven enterprise networking platform.

Exclusive is best known as a cybersecurity-focused distributor. Adding Extreme's networking products broadens its offer, enabling partners to buy, deploy, and run both networking and security through a single distributor.

Channel focus

Distribution remains a key route to market for enterprise networking vendors, particularly where customers buy through resellers and managed service providers. Exclusive has an established partner base across the UK and Ireland, supported by local technical teams and marketing resources.

For Extreme, the expanded partnership opens access to that channel community and a distribution layer that can bundle networking products with security tools. Extreme has also emphasised cloud-driven approaches to network management in its product strategy.

Exclusive plans to align Extreme's networking offer with other suppliers in its ecosystem, including vendors in visibility and security operations. This could bring network and security operations closer together in procurement and day-to-day monitoring workflows, particularly in organisations with hybrid estates.

Neil Brosnan, Vendor Alliances Director, Exclusive Networks UKI, said:

"We're excited to partner with Extreme Networks across the UK and Ireland. Their modern, platform-led networking proposition tightly aligns with our cyber-first strategy, enabling partners to simplify and secure their customers' increasingly complex enterprise networks. Together, we are committed to helping partners capitalise on these new opportunities by delivering more differentiated, higher-value solutions and services."

Technology scope

Exclusive will support Extreme's established networking portfolio, with particular emphasis on Extreme Platform ONE. The platform reflects a wider shift in enterprise networking towards software-led management and cloud control planes, with vendors offering unified consoles for wired, wireless, and edge environments.

At the same time, security teams are scrutinising how network infrastructure supports access controls, segmentation, and telemetry collection. That has brought network vendors into closer alignment with security suppliers, including those focused on network access control, DNS-layer protection, and network detection and response.

Partners will be able to package solutions spanning Zero Trust architectures, network detection and response, network access control, and DNS security. These areas are increasingly tied to networking decisions because the network can act as both an enforcement point and a source of operational data.

Operational pressure

The move comes as many UK and Ireland organisations face growing complexity in day-to-day network operations. Hybrid patterns have expanded, and many estates now combine on-premise infrastructure, cloud services, remote users, and connected devices across offices and industrial sites.

That mix can increase tool sprawl and fragment visibility when performance or security issues arise. Organisations also face rising operational costs and difficulties hiring and retaining network and security specialists. Expectations for secure, reliable access remain high as more business applications shift to subscription and cloud delivery models.

Extreme has positioned its approach as a shift away from fragmented infrastructure towards a unified platform that centralises management and policy. It also points to automation and analytics as ways to reduce manual tasks and shorten troubleshooting cycles.

John Campbell, Senior Director, EMEA Distribution, Extreme Networks, said:

"Extreme's expanded partnership with Exclusive Networks strengthens our ability to deliver secure, best-in-class networking solutions in the UK and Ireland. Together, we're cutting through complexity, accelerating AI-powered networking, and unlocking real productivity gains for customers across every industry."

Partner programmes

The companies plan joint engagement and demand-generation activity in the UK and Ireland, including enablement programmes and training. This can be critical in networking refresh cycles, where resellers and integrators need to validate designs and build operational processes around management platforms.

Exclusive also highlighted its partner ecosystem as a way to connect Extreme with account opportunities where networking is bought alongside security and monitoring tools. This can be important for mid-market and enterprise customers seeking fewer suppliers and more integrated operational support.

Adam Williamson, Country Manager, Exclusive Networks UK, said:

"We're delighted to be joining forces with Extreme across the UK and Ireland and look forward to energising and enabling our partner ecosystem around its cloud-driven networking proposition. Extreme's modern enterprise solutions complement our leading cybersecurity portfolio and further strengthen our secure networking capabilities. Their partner-first philosophy also aligns closely with our own, and together we aim to help channel partners build scalable, value-driven propositions that address growing customer demands across networking, security and visibility."

The partnership will centre on partner engagement and training across the UK and Ireland, aiming to increase adoption of Extreme's cloud-driven networking products through Exclusive's channel base.