We could be heroes
channel-awards-winners-2010
Trend Micro was Security Vendor of the Year 2010
Reseller of the Year for 2010 was Softcat
Computer 2000 took yet another prize -- for Distributor of the Year
NetApp was named Vendor of the Year 2010
CRN's editor Sara Yirrell awarded the prize for the coveted Channel Personality of the Year to Servium chief Paul Barlow
Block Solutions took the Editor's Choice Award for Emerging Company of the Year
Britannic Technologies was the leading converged reseller
Systems distributor of the year for 2010 was Micro-P
Top systems vendor of the year was Acer
PC Ware was Enterprise Reseller of the Year
Networking distributor of the year was Comstor
Networking vendor of 2010 was ShoreTel
Mid-market reseller of the year was Fabric Technologies
Hammer took the gong for Storage Distributor of the Year 2010
Storage vendor of 2010 was Dell
CCS Media took the SME Reseller of the Year award
Security distributor of the year was e92plus
Specialist Reseller of the Year 2010 was NCE
VADition was Specialist Distributor of the Year for 2010
Specialist Vendor of the Year was Meru Networks
Eurodata Systems won Services Provider of the Year in 2010
Maverick, a C2000 firm, won the audiovisual distributor of the year prize
C2000 was Software Distributor of the Year
Compere Steven K Amos presenting the award for Software Vendor of the Year 2010 to GFI
Just for one night, Battersea Park Arena will reverberate to the sounds of celebration at the CRN Channel Awards 2011.
If there is a Guitar Hero competition or even karaoke in the Awards' "fairground" gaming area at Battersea Arena in 10 days' time, we are predicting there will be some mighty undiscovered channel talents - of various kinds - taking on our editor, among others.
We are pretty sure there won't be burlesque dancers in champagne glasses, however - although at one point, dodgems were mentioned, which we think could be even more exciting. And after a slap-up three-course meal and extensive socialising at the bar, or as a prelude to hitting the dancefloor, we think dodgems would really hit the spot.
Either way, the events team won't tell us.
What we do know so far is that more than 1,600 guests are expected at the Battersea Park event in that giant marquee in South London on the evening of Thursday 17 November. This year has also seen a record number of entries to the Awards, which as an event is bigger than ever.
Some 22 categories are up for grabs via the full entry and judging process, with two more special prizes selected and awarded by CRN editor Sara Yirrell.
As always, there will be a surprise host for the occasion, and we can reveal that this year's choice has received worldwide acclaim, making for a night of first-rate entertainment on the biggest, most glamorous night of the year for the UK IT channel.
Security VAD Wick Hill, led by 2008's Channel Personality of the Year Ian Kilpatrick, has very kindly sponsored the champagne reception this year and, at the time of going to press, the sales team has advised CRN that tables are nearly sold out - so be quick if you plan to attend but have not yet booked.
No doubt many will be keen to see how this year's new category - Channel Service Provider of the Year - pans out. This category aims to recognise the companies and people who provide a range of IT services to other channel players. So it is in addition to Service Provider of the Year, which singles out the top provider of IT services to end-user customers.
CRN's Yirrell says: "This new category was introduced as a direct result of having received a simply enormous amount of feedback and suggestions from the industry that indicated such a category would be more than welcome.
"Also, it should remove any lingering confusion about what type of company is being targeted with our Service Provider of the Year prize."
Last year's new category, Converged Reseller of the Year, did not attract the enthusiastic response that was hoped for, and is not being repeated.
So who has been included among this year's prize prospects?
Last year's Reseller of the Year, the incredibly successful, fast-growing Softcat, has come back in force to defend its title. But jockeying for its position is previous winner ANS Group, alongside BT Engage IT and Scotland's finest, Trustmarque Solutions - no mean contenders.
IN PICTURES: CRN Channel Awards 2010. See the gallery on this page to refresh your memories of last year's event.
Winners were grinners
Mid-market Reseller of 2010 was Fabric Technologies, which this year is fighting it out in this tough category with ACS, Bytes Software Services, Freestyle IT, Orange Information Systems and Portal.
PC Ware was Top Enterprise Reseller of 2010, and entered under its new Comparex UK name. Trustmarque was last year's runner-up and is again shortlisted. Azzurri, Bytes Soft-ware Services, Cisilion, DTP and European Electronique complete the 2011 field.
Firms may be shortlisted in more than one category but only if they filed a new entry in the additional category - avoiding the chance of companies maximising their chance of a prize for minimal effort.
In the SME Reseller of the Year category, Novatech, Peach Tele-com, Lanway, Modern Commun-ications, Equanet and Britannic are looking to take the award won by CCS Media in 2010. By far the largest proportion of businesses in the UK fall into the small to medium-size category, so this is arguably the most prestigious prize of all at CRN's Awards.
Ancoris, Axcess Systems, BPI OnDemand, Intercept IT, LinuxIT, Signify and Viglen are in contention for Specialist Reseller of the Year. Last year's winner was storage-focused reseller NCE - perhaps reflecting the centrality and importance of storage to an effective IT infrastructure, especially in tough economic times.
"Then of course there are the all-important distributor prizes, and channel vendor awards. In these categories too, there are many familiar names, with several potential upsets in store," says Yirrell. "Not that CRN can say exactly who those are, of course - for that you will have to turn up on the night."
Categories to watch will include the tight-fought Audiovisual/Print Distributor section, which has five shortlisted players this year, compared with four in 2010.
Another interesting category is Specialist Distributor of the Year - where Datech, DMSL, Interactive Ideas, Simms International, Touchline Video, VADition and VARlink are duking it out for the top spot. Last year saw cloud-focused Hampshire firm VADition take the prize - will it repeat that feat this year?
Vendor of the Year 2010 was NetApp. In this crucial section - after all, where would VARs be without vendors and manufacturers of products? - will Cisco, Dell, IBM, Microsoft or Oracle rise to the top?
Tables
Tables can be booked - there are platinum, gold and silver packages available as well as single seats - by contacting Incisive Media's Chris Pullinger at [email protected] or on 020 7484 9924.
Table upgrades may also be possible for those who have already purchased their tickets.
This year's line-up of sponsors has also made a fantastic effort. The biggest round of applause must go to IBM, which as headline sponsor has assured the Channel Awards of a glitzy ceremony for both the deserving award winners and hardworking attendees from our industry.
A truly massive thank you must go out once again to all the 2011 Awards sponsors - including distribution leader SDG, network infrastructure, software and peripherals distributor Interactive Ideas, international telecommunications player Huawei, chip maker behemoth Intel, specialist storage distributor Hammer, industry giant HP, services and solutions player Fujitsu, networking specialist Brocade, and channel support services provider Comms-care.
Without the generous support of our sponsors, the Awards could not go ahead as such a glamorous night.
We do hope to see you all there in a little over a week's time!
Event information is available at http://events.channelweb.co.uk/awards.