The best support experience shouldn’t start when something goes wrong. It should start the day you deploy.

That philosophy is behind one of the most significant updates we’ve made to the Opengear platform in years: the introduction of Foundation and Premium Support as integrated parts of every Opengear deployment. These tiers aren’t just a repackaging of what we used to offer. They represent a shift, a smarter, more scalable, and more predictable approach to supporting infrastructure at every stage of its lifecycle.

Giving Customers What They Expect and Deserve

Historically, Opengear support was included as part of the hardware purchase, providing customers with essential access when they needed it. While that approach offered baseline coverage, it didn’t rely on formal SLAs or a tiered structure, so experiences could vary based on situation or urgency. As the market and customer expectations have evolved, so too has our support strategy.

Today, we’re introducing a more structured, transparent model with defined response times, extended warranties, and proactive care—complete with defined response times, extended warranties, and proactive service options. This shift brings the clarity and consistency that customers value when evaluating infrastructure partners. With Foundation and Premium Support, there’s no ambiguity: Customers can select the level of coverage that best aligns with their operational needs. Foundation includes built-in 8×5 regional support no matter what region you’re in, firmware updates, and advanced RMA. Premium enhances that experience with 24×7 access, accelerated escalation, and expert guidance on scripting, automation, and configuration—a combination that’s already resonating with mid-sized organizations seeking a more consultative, hands-on support approach.

A Model That Reflects the Industry

In many ways, this shift brings us into alignment with what customers expect from any enterprise technology vendor. They want structure. They want accountability. And they want to know they’re getting value. That’s why the SLA-backed model matters. It sets a clear expectation and allows both sides to hold each other accountable. It also makes our offerings more consistent with how partners operate and sell support services.

Built for Scale

Our original support model was informal and highly hands-on. That worked well when our customer base was smaller. That worked when we were small. Customers would call and speak to incredibly experienced engineers who could walk them through anything. But as we’ve grown, we’ve had to evolve how we deliver that same quality at scale. These new tiers help us do that, while also giving customers faster access to the answers they need.

Embedded Support Meets Embedded Intelligence

Support isn’t a bolt-on anymore. It’s part of the Opengear platform. And it doesn’t stop with people answering the phone. As Lighthouse evolves, we’re building ways to make the platform itself part of the support experience. Imagine faster troubleshooting, automated diagnostics, and support cases that start with actionable context already collected. That’s where we’re going.

We’re even exploring AI agents that can analyze syslogs in seconds, doing in moments what used to take engineers hours. That kind of intelligence not only changes how we support networks, it changes how fast teams can recover and move forward.

The bigger picture here is that we’re not treating hardware, software, and services as separate. We’re treating them as one platform designed to deliver the outcomes our customers care about: uptime, visibility, and control. Support plays a critical role in that, and Foundation and Premium make it tangible.

From better partner alignment to faster customer onboarding to smarter day-two operations, these changes are about more than just checking a box. They’re about evolving Opengear to meet the scale, complexity, and expectations of the networks we support.

And this is just the beginning.

Learn more about Opengear’s support solution.