What Boson Software does

Boson Software, LLC is a Nashville, Tennessee-based privately-held company founded in 1999 that provides IT certification exam preparation and instructor-led training products across eight vendor ecosystems: Cisco, CompTIA, Microsoft, ISC2, AWS, ISACA, PMI, and EC-Council. The company serves individual IT professionals pursuing certifications, enterprise organizations training employees, government agencies, military personnel transitioning to civilian IT careers, and academic institutions. Its core product suite comprises NetSim (a proprietary Cisco hardware and software network simulator built on registered "Virtual Packet Technology"), ExSim-Max practice exams, cloud-hosted Practice Labs, browser-delivered Courseware curriculum, Video Training, and structured instructor-led bootcamps, supplemented by free funnel tools including a Subnet Calculator and a Verbose vocabulary game.

The platform is delivered entirely through cloud-based web applications (netsim.boson.com, exams.boson.com, courseware.boson.com) accessible via browser without installation, following a July 2024 migration that discontinued all desktop products. The business model rests on four revenue streams: annual auto-renewing subscriptions for practice exams and lab packs priced $29-$189 per year, product bundles combining exam prep with labs, one-time instructor-led bootcamp purchases at $3,499-$4,395, and custom volume licensing for enterprise, government, and military buyers. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via boson.com e-commerce with a parallel enterprise sales motion for organizational licensing.

Boson employs 11-50 people and operates as an independently-owned LLC with no disclosed external investment. The product catalog spans 94 SKUs, with 58 Cisco-focused products forming the historical core, and the company maintains a registered trademark portfolio covering brand identity, the EROUTER simulation mark, and the Virtual Packet Technology underlying NetSim.

Name

Boson Software

Legal name

Boson Software, LLC

Website

https://boson.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Boson Software provides IT certification exam preparation and instructor-led training products, including proprietary network simulation (NetSim), practice exams (ExSim-Max), virtual labs, and curriculum, serving individuals, enterprises, government, military, and academic institutions across eight vendor certification tracks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IT Certification Training Software

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Computer Training (61142)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Information Technology & Cybersecurity Certification Prep (CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, AWS, ISC2/ISACA) (EDANAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Certification & Exam Prep eLearning Modules (EDAGAEAL), Assessment Item Banks, Question Authoring & Test Development Content (EDAGADAG), Credentialing, Certification Prep & Exam Training (BPACANAJ)

Keywords

• IT certification training
• Network simulation software
• Practice exam software
• Virtual IT labs
• Instructor-led training

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription-based Software Licenses: Annual subscriptions for ExSim-Max practice exams, NetSim lab packs, Practice Labs, and Courseware. Auto-renewal with cancellation anytime. Revenue recognized over subscription period.
2. Instructor-Led Training: Bootcamp-style training courses with fixed pricing (e.g., Ethical Hacking Bootcamp $3,499, CISSP Training $4,395). One-time purchase model for training access.
3. Product Bundles: Bundled product combinations offering savings off combined list price of various products. Includes exam prep, practice labs, and video training combinations.
4. Enterprise/Volume Licensing: Custom licensing options and volume pricing for organizations, government entities, and military training programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Boson Software develops and sells IT certification exam preparation software and training materials for networking and IT professionals. Its product portfolio includes the NetSim Cisco network simulator, ExSim-Max practice exam software, virtual Practice Labs, courseware, video training, and instructor-led training courses covering certifications from Cisco, CompTIA, Microsoft, AWS, and other vendors. Free tools such as Subnet Calculator and Verbose are also offered.

Product overview

Boson Software offers a platform of IT certification training products including NetSim (network simulator for Cisco hardware/software), ExSim-Max (practice exams), Practice Labs (cloud-hosted virtual labs), Courseware (curriculum guides), Instructor-Led Training, Video Training, and Bundles. These products are available via web-based online apps (desktop products discontinued July 2024). Supported vendor certifications span Cisco, CompTIA, Microsoft, ISC2, AWS, ISACA, PMI, and EC-Council. Free tools include a Subnet Calculator and Verbose vocabulary game.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NetSim: Network Simulator for Cisco hardware and software certification training
• ExSim-Max
• Courseware
• Practice Labs
• Instructor-Led Training
• Video Training
• Bundles

Products and services

• NetSim

Quantifiable outcome

• Pass rate guarantee - if customer can pass ExSim-Max practice exam, they will pass the live certification exam (refund provided if not)

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pluralsight: Pluralsight (now including A Cloud Guru and Flow) is the largest direct competitor in IT and cloud certification training, offering skill assessments, learning paths, and hands-on labs across Cisco, AWS, Microsoft, CompTIA, and cybersecurity certifications with a similar subscription model.
• Whizlabs: Whizlabs provides practice exams, video courses, and sandbox labs for the same IT certification vendors (AWS, Azure, Cisco, CompTIA, PMP), with a subscription product closely analogous to Boson's ExSim-Max.
• MeasureUp: MeasureUp specializes in practice tests for Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA, PMI, and other IT certifications, mirroring Boson's ExSim-Max product category and offering both individual subscriptions and enterprise licensing.
• CBT Nuggets: CBT Nuggets delivers video-based IT training and certification prep across networking (Cisco), cloud, cybersecurity, and IT fundamentals with subscription plans for individuals and enterprise teams, overlapping significantly with Boson's Courseware and Video Training products.
• INE Training: INE is a Cisco-focused training provider with hands-on labs, video courses, and practice exams across CCNA, CCNP, and CCIE tracks, directly competing with Boson's NetSim and ExSim-Max for Cisco certification candidates.
• ITProTV (ACI Learning): ITProTV offers video training and practice exams for CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, and (ISC)² certifications with a similar subscription model, positioned as a more affordable alternative to Pluralsight and a direct competitor to Boson's subscription bundles.
• A Cloud Guru: A Cloud Guru (now under Pluralsight) pioneered cloud certification prep for AWS, Azure, and GCP with hands-on cloud sandboxes. It directly overlaps with Boson's cloud-focused ExSim-Max subscriptions (e.g., AZ-900, AZ-104).
• Kaplan IT Training: Kaplan IT Training provides instructor-led bootcamps and self-paced learning for CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, AWS, and (ISC)² certifications, overlapping with Boson's Instructor-Led Training and ExSim-Max product lines.

Broad incumbents

• Pearson VUE CertPREP: Pearson VUE is the dominant test delivery provider for IT certifications and offers CertPREP practice tests through its own platform; as the incumbent testing authority it competes with Boson at the exam-prep layer with structural distribution advantages.
• CompTIA CertMaster: CompTIA CertMaster is the official CompTIA-branded practice and learning product for A+, Network+, Security+, and other CompTIA certifications. As the vendor-issued prep tool, it competes head-to-head with Boson's ExSim-Max for CompTIA in the same buyer purchase decision.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bosonsoftware
• YouTubeyoutube.com/bosonsoftware
• Facebookfacebook.com/bosonsoftware
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boson
• Instagraminstagram.com/bosonsoftware
• TikToktiktok.com/@bosonsoftware

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boson Software