Categories and Criteria
- ONE entry PER CATEGORY only. Multiple entries in the same category are not allowed and WILL BE DISQUALIFIED with the judges picking just one entry.
- Please keep the entry relevant to the US market and include facts, figures and testimonials to strengthen your entry.
- Also please concentrate on the business benefits of your products in the product categories, and don't make the entries too technically focused.
- All initiatives and programs must have been launched or further developed between January 2019 and January 2020 to be eligible for entry.
- Channel Partner Insight reserves the right to move an entry to another category if the judges see fit and also to drop categories that are not adequately entered.
- DO NOT go over the 800-word count (judges' discretion does count).
WE ARE ACTIVELY ENCOURAGING ALTERNATIVE STYLE ENTRIES to the standard block of text - this can be in the form of a video or PDF to really make your entry stand out. Feel free to use pictures, these do not count towards the word count.
You can still submit text entries, you won't be penalised for doing so, but the option is there to be more creative with your entry if you so wish.
*Please note: The bullet points are just guidelines and don't have to be answered individually in order - use them as a basis to create your entry and as a GUIDE ONLY.
Vendor Categories
(New) PSA/RMM Vendor of the Year
Eligibility - Is this the Award for you?
This vendor award will recognize the overall contribution that the vendor is making to business development in the U.S. channel, in terms of its RMM product, its channel and marketing programs, and service and support.
(New) Best COVID-19 Responder
This category is for all vendors that sell through the channel.
This category will award vendors that have provided outstanding support to their channel partners throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
(New) Best Managed Security Services Offering
This category is for all cybersecurity vendors that sell a managed security service through the channel. This category will award vendors that offer best-in-class managed security services to their MSP and solution provider partners.
(New) Security Innovation Award
Eligibility - Is this the Award for you?
This vendor award will recognize the innovation that the vendor is bringing to the market in terms of its product range and development.
Artificial Intelligence Innovation Award
Eligibility - Is this the Award for you?
The vendor awards will recognize the overall contribution that the vendor is making to business development in the U.S. channel, in terms of its product range and development, channel and marketing programs, and service and support.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing an ever-increasing role in the channel. Have you as a vendor launched a particular AI-based technology or channel initiative that has reaped amazing results? Are you knocking out the competition left, right and center with your most recent AI innovation? Are you helping your partners win bigger deals/steal market share as a result? The vendors entering this category must be able to show that they have helped their channel partners to build and grow their AI-related revenue streams in 2019/2020
Big Data and Analytics Innovation Award
Data is growing exponentially and customers are faced with increasing dilemmas about how to store it, how to keep it secure and how to use it to their advantage. Have you as a vendor launched a particular technology or channel initiative that has reaped amazing results? Are you knocking out the competition left, right and center with your most recent innovation? Are you helping your partners win bigger deals/steal market share as a result? The vendors entering this category must be able to show that they have helped their channel partners to build and grow their big data/analytics related revenues in 2019/2020.
Cloud Partner Program of the Year
Eligibility - Is this the Award for you?
The vendor awards will recognize the overall contribution that the vendor is making to business development in the U.S. channel, in terms of its product range and development, channel and marketing programs, and service and support.
This category is open to any firm that is defined as a cloud vendor and operates a U.S. channel strategy. These can be vendors of cloud technologies and services in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the U.S., and a channel program that has been in place for a minimum of two years. This can be a single or two-tier channel program. The period covered for the awards is August 2019 to August 2020 so bear in mind when talking about additions/changes to programs. The entry MUST be U.S. centric.
Emerging Vendor of the Year
Eligibility - Is this the Award for you?
The vendor awards will recognize the overall contribution that the vendor is making to business development in the U.S. channel, in terms of its product range and development, channel and marketing programs, and service and support.
This category is open to all manufacturers that would class themselves as a relative newcomer to the channel, having worked with channel partners IN THE U.S. for a minimum of one and MAXIMUM of three years to qualify. The manufacturers must be able to show that they have helped their U.S. channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2019/2020, and also demonstrate what they think makes them eligible to be classed as an emerging vendor.
Vendor of the Year Award
This category is open to all vendors that feel they have done a particularly outstanding job in the U.S. channel over the past 12 months. Any vendor, regardless of size, specialization or focus is eligible to enter this award.
Cloud Innovation Award
Eligibility - Is this the Award for you?
The vendor awards will recognize the overall contribution that the vendor is making to business development in the U.S. channel, in terms of its product range and development, channel and marketing programs, and service and support.
As the march towards a cloud-based world continues, have you as a vendor launched a particular innovative cloud technology or strategy that has reaped amazing results? Are you knocking out the competition left, right and center with your most recent cloud innovation? Are you helping your partners win bigger deals/steal market share as a result? The vendors entering this category must be able to show that they have helped their channel partners to build and grow their cloud revenues in 2019/2020.
Security Partner Program of the Year
Eligibility - Is this the Award for you?
The vendor awards will recognize the overall contribution that the vendor is making to business development in the U.S. channel, in terms of its product range and development, channel and marketing programs, and service and support.
This category is open to any firm that is defined as a security vendor and operates a U.S. channel strategy. These can be vendors of security hardware, software and services in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the U.S., and a channel program that has been in place for a minimum of two years. This can be a single or two-tier channel program. The period covered for the awards is August 2019 to August 2020 so bear in mind when talking about additions/changes to programs. The entry MUST be U.S. centric.
Vendor Innovation Award
Eligibility - Is this the Award for you?
The vendor awards will recognize the overall contribution that the vendor is making to business development in the U.S. channel, in terms of its product range and development, channel and marketing programs, and service and support.
Have you as a vendor launched a particular technology or channel initiative that has reaped amazing results? Are you knocking out the competition left, right and center with your most recent innovation? Are you helping your partners win bigger deals/steal market share as a result? The vendors entering this category must be able to show that their innovation has helped their channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2019/2020.
Security Vendor of the Year
Eligibility - Is this the Award for you?
The vendor award will recognize the overall contribution that the vendor is making to business development in the U.S. channel, in terms of its product range and development, channel and marketing programs, and service and support.
This category is for all vendors that manufacture software, hardware, systems or peripherals within the security arena. The manufacturers must be able to show that they have helped their channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2019/2020.
Partner Program of the Year
Eligibility - Is this the Award for you?
The vendor awards will recognize the overall contribution that the vendor is making to business development in the U.S. channel in terms of its product range and development, channel and marketing programs, and service and support.
This category is open to any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a US channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking, software and services in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the US market, and a channel program that has been in place for a minimum of two years.
This can be a single or two-tier channel program. The period covered for the awards is August 2019 to August 2020 so bear in mind when talking about additions/changes to programs. The entry MUST be U.S. centric.
MSP Categories
(New) Best Place to Work
This category is open to any MSP or solution provider. We are looking for the best employer, or best place to work in the MSP community.
(New) Customer Satisfaction Award
Is this the award for you?
This award will recognise excellence in the delivery of service and support to end user customers, taking into consideration the solution provider's ability to deliver real benefits to the end user and to meet customer objectives in terms of improved efficiency, cost reduction, ROI and investment protection.
Aimed at MSPs and solution providers that can demonstrate very high levels of customer retention and customer satisfaction, this award is ONLY open to companies that can truly call themselves an MSP or solution provider. Vendors or support companies DO NOT qualify for this award and if entered will be removed from the category.
Evidence of customer retention and satisfaction must be provided in the entry. Entries can cover services to enterprise, mid-market or SMB level customers.
(New) Best COVID-19 Related Initiative of the Year
This category is for all MSPs and solution providers that sell through the channel.
This category will award partners that have carried out a COVID-19 related project to support their customers throughout the crisis.
Innovative Project Award
This award will recognise MSPs that can demonstrate how a particular project they have delivered in the last 12 months has helped a customer save money, expand or innovate.
This category is open to any MSP that has completed an outstanding project or installation for a customer over the past 12 months. This can be from creating bespoke services to help that customer achieve their goals, or implementing a solution or combination of solutions from vendor partners that have really made an impact on that customer's business and delivered exactly what they needed.
MSSP of the Year
Eligibility - Is this the award for you?
This award will recognize excellence in the delivery of service and support to end user customers, taking into consideration the MSP’s ability to deliver real benefits to the end user and to meet customer objectives in terms of improved efficiency, cost reduction, ROI and investment protection.
Companies that demonstrate innovation in developing and bringing- new service offerings to market will also be candidates for these awards.
This award is ONLY open to companies that can truly call themselves an MSP. Vendors or support companies DO NOT qualify for this award and if entered will be removed from the category.
Business has to consist primarily of managed services TO END USER CUSTOMERS. Managed services can come in many forms - although bear in mind there is a separate cloud services provider category, so non-cloud entries will be given priority and cloud entries could be moved by the judges.
Entries can cover managed services to enterprise, mid-market or SMB level customers. At least 40 percent of your business must be through managed services to qualify for entry.
Industry Specialist Award
Is this the award for you?
This award will recognise those partners that can actively demonstrate how they have become a partner of choice in a specific vertical market and are the go-to partner for both vendors and end user customers alike.
This category is open to MSPs or solution providers that have a laser focus on a specific vertical market such as finance, retail, public sector or manufacturing and can offer a range of solutions/services that cover all the bases for their customers. This can cover any vertical sector and is open to companies of all sizes, supplying to SMBs, mid-market firms, or enterprises, or a mixture of all three.
MSPs entering this category should derive at least 50 percent of their business from their chosen vertical.
Please note that there is also a cyber security category, so firms submitting entries that focus on security may be moved.
Security Solution Provider of the Year
Eligibility - Is this the award for you?
Solution Provider awards will recognize excellence in the delivery of solutions, service and support to end user customers, taking into consideration the solution provider’s ability to deliver real benefits to the user organization, and to meet customer objectives in terms of improved efficiency, cost reduction, ROI and investment protection.
Companies that demonstrate innovation in developing and bringing-to-market new concepts and solutions will also be candidates for these awards.
This category is open to solution providers/VARs/MSPs/integrators with a specific focus on providing cybersecurity solutions and the relevant services to their end-user customers. This can cover any vertical sector and is open to companies of all sizes, supplying to SMBs, mid-market firms, or enterprises, or a mixture of all three.
Rising Star award
Eligibility - Is this the award for you?
These awards will recognize excellence in the delivery of solutions, service and support to end user customers, taking into consideration the MSP/solution provider’s ability to deliver real benefits to the end user organization, and to meet customer objectives in terms of improved efficiency, cost reduction, ROI and investment protection.
Companies that demonstrate innovation in developing and bringing-to-market new concepts and solutions will also be candidates for these awards.
This category is open any company that is seeing phenomenal growth in their field and has been in business for a MAXIMUM of five years and MINIMUM of 18 months in their current form.
There is no specific business model that is more qualified than others to enter - so you could be a solution provider, MSP, VAR, integrator or a specific vertical sector IT provider. If you can demonstrate strong growth over the past year, feel you are a disruptive force and can give some example of your potential growth in the future, then you are the ideal candidate for this award.
MSP of the Year
Eligibility - Is this the award for you?
This award will recognize excellence in the delivery of service and support to end user customers, taking into consideration the MSP’s ability to deliver real benefits to the end user and to meet customer objectives in terms of improved efficiency, cost reduction, ROI and investment protection.
Companies that demonstrate innovation in developing and bringing- new service offerings to market will also be candidates for these awards.
This award is ONLY open to companies that can truly call themselves an MSP. Vendors or support companies DO NOT qualify for this award and if entered will be removed from the category.
Business has to consist primarily of managed services TO END USER CUSTOMERS. Managed services can come in many forms - although bear in mind there is a separate cloud services provider category, so non-cloud entries will be given priority and cloud entries could be moved by the judges.
Entries can cover managed services to enterprise, mid-market or SMB level customers. At least 40 percent of your business must be through managed services to qualify for entry.
Cloud Services Provider of the Year
Eligibility - Is this the award for you?
MSP/Solution Provider awards will recognize excellence in the delivery of solutions, service and support to end user customers, taking into consideration the solution provider's ability to deliver real benefits to the user organization, and to meet customer objectives in terms of improved efficiency, cost reduction, ROI and investment protection.
Companies that demonstrate innovation in developing and bringing-to-market new concepts and solutions will also be candidates for these awards.
This category is open to solution providers/VARs/MSPs/integrators with a specific focus on providing cloud computing and the relevant services to their end-user customers. This can be in any vertical sector with any relevant cloud technology set, whether it is security, storage, infrastructure, datacenter services or a mix of the above and others.
NOTE: Solution providers entered for this category should derive at least 50 percent of their business from the provision of cloud products and services.
Security Innovation Award
Is this the award for you?
This award will recognise excellence in the delivery of innovative security solutions, service and support to end user customers, taking into consideration the solution provider's ability to deliver real benefits to the user organisation, and to meet customer objectives in terms of improved efficiency, cost reduction, ROI and investment protection.
Companies that demonstrate innovation in developing and bringing-to-market new security-based concepts and solutions will also be candidates for these awards.
This category is open to MSPs and solution providers with a specific focus on providing cybersecurity solutions and the relevant services to their end-user customers. This can cover any vertical sector and is open to companies of all sizes, supplying to SMBs, mid-market firms, or enterprises, or a mixture of all three
Channel Chief of the Year Categories
Channel Chief of the Year
PLEASE NOTE: If you are shortlisted for this award, it will go forward to an online industry vote as well as being looked at by the judging panel. We will need a paragraph (no more than 150 words) that the audience can read about you/your company and why you think you deserve their vote.
Security Channel Chief of the Year
PLEASE NOTE: If you are shortlisted for this award, it will go forward to an online industry vote as well as being looked at by the judging panel. We will need a paragraph (no more than 150 words) that the audience can read about you/your company and why you think you deserve their vote.
New Channel Chief of the Year
PLEASE NOTE: If you are shortlisted for this award, it will go forward to an online industry vote as well as being looked at by the judging panel. We will need a paragraph (no more than 150 words) that the audience can read about you/your company and why you think you deserve their vote.