Channel Awards Criteria

IMPORTANT POINTS (Please read before starting your entry)

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 UK market and include facts, figures and testimonials to strengthen your entry. Entries that focus on another market outside the UK will be marked down or disqualified.

CRN 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 1,200 word count (judges' discretion does count).

THIS YEAR 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.

Also do not feel you have to address the criteria in a formulaic manner, you can include them in any order you like and you don't have to divide the entry into a Q&A style entry either.

To enter your company at any time - click through to the official Channel Awards site here.

Award Name

Networking Vendor of the Year

Eligibility

Is this the Award for you?

Vendor Awards

The vendor awards will recognise the overall contribution that the vendor is making to business development in the UK channel, in terms of its product range and development, channel and marketing programmes, and service and support.

Networking Vendor of the Year

This category is open to all manufacturers active in the data networking AND voice networking markets.

This includes convergence and telecoms vendors, as well as vendors that operate solely in either the voice or data networking markets. It also includes comms vendors and carriers. The manufacturers must be able to show that they have helped their UK channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2015/2016.

Entry Criteria: Your entry should be based around the following criteria, which is what the judges will be using as a basis to score each entry. Please do not address each point separately and just base the entry on these points alone -try to add some colour/personality and just incorporate them into your entry as you see fit.

Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.

• Outline why you are entering this category, your relevancy to the category, what the channel means to your business - back up with numbers and stats to show channel growth and the actual percentage of your business that is through partners - and ensure the entry is relevant to the UK market.

• What changes/enhancements have been made to your channel programme (can be in the form of products, new services and support) in the last 12 months, with evidence of the impact those changes have had on your partners (stats, figures) and describe why your programme stands out from the competition.

• Describe how you have assisted your channel partners to actively increase their business over the past year - this can be through additional investment, headcount and training - please use facts and figures relevant to the UK market.

• Pick a particularly successful partner (reseller/VAR/MSP/Integrator) case study from the past year (ie a partner that has seen their business grow as a result of your partnership) and explain to the judges why it was such a success, how you helped that partner succeed and ensure partner comments back up the case study.

• Company ethos - how important is the channel throughout your company, how do you encourage staff to ‘think channel' and get the best out of your indirect strategy? Entries are actively encouraged to include hard facts and figures - all of which will be kept strictly confidential and used for judging purposes only.

All programmes and initiatives must have been new or further developed in 2016 to qualify.

Vendors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business. But every entry MUST be different.

Maximum word count: 1,200.

Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,200 maximum word count.

Award Name

Storage Vendor of the Year

Eligibility

Is this the Award for you?

Vendor Awards

Storage Vendor of the Year

The award is open to all vendors operating within the UK storage arena. This includes manufacturers of hardware systems, software, components or peripherals that are relevant to the storage market. The manufacturers must be able to show that they have helped their channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2015/2016

Entry Criteria:

Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.

All programmes and initiatives must have been new or further developed in 2016 to qualify. Vendors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business. But every entry MUST be different.

Maximum word count: 1,200.

Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,200 maximum word count.

Award Name

Security Vendor of the Year

Eligibility

Is this the Award for you?

Vendor Awards

The vendor awards will recognise the overall contribution that the vendor is making to business development in the channel, in terms of its product range and development, channel and marketing programmes, and service and support.

Security Vendor of the Year

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 2015/2016

Entry Criteria:

Your entry should be based around the following criteria, which is what the judges will be using as a basis to score each entry. Please do not address each point separately and just base the entry on these points alone -try to add some colour/personality and just incorporate them into your entry as you see fit. Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.

All programmes and initiatives must have been new or further developed in 2016 to qualify.

Vendors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business. But every entry MUST be different.

Maximum word count: 1,200.

Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,200 maximum word count.

Award Name

Specialist Vendor of the Year

Eligibility

Is this the Award for you?

Vendor Awards

Specialist Vendor of the Year

This category is open to vendors that manufacture (and/or market) particular ‘specialist' offerings. This includes both specialist products which a vendor may develop and/or a service that the vendor may offer. It must be a finished product and/or service, not component i.e. a product or service that a distributor or reseller can stock and sell.

This will include audio-visual vendors, printer vendors, internet services, hosting or broadband services, WAN infrastructure and managed services or hosted applications. Vendors must show that they have helped their channel partners grow and build a profitable business in 2014/15

Entry Criteria:

Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.

Maximum word count: 1,200.

Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,200 maximum word count.

Award Name

Cloud Services Vendor of the Year

Eligibility

Is this the Award for you?

Vendor Awards

Cloud Services Vendor of the Year

This category is open to all cloud services vendors, whether they sell a physical product or a virtual one. This includes datacentre specialists, cloud-based software manufacturers and providers of any type of cloud service TO the channel. The vendors entering must be able to show that they have helped their channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2014/2015.

Entry Criteria:

Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.

Maximum word count: 1,200.

Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,200 maximum word count.

Award Name

Emerging Vendor of the Year - NEW!

Eligibility

Is this the Award for you?

Vendor Awards

Emerging Vendor of the Year

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 UK for a minimum of one and MAXIMUM of three years to qualify. The manufacturers must be able to show that they have helped their UK channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2015/2016, and also demonstrate what they think makes them eligible to be classed as an emerging vendor.

Entry Criteria:

Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.

• Outline why you are entering this category, your relevancy to the category, what the channel means to your business. Explain why you consider yourself an emerging vendor and what makes you stand out from the competition - back these claims up with numbers and stats to show both company and channel growth and the actual percentage of your business that is through partners. Please ensure the entry is relevant to the UK market.

• Why have you picked the channel as your preferred route to market, and what benefits do you think you can bring your channel partners - can you provide any proof in the form of stats/figures (from the last 12 months?). Why should they go with you rather than the more established vendors in the market? What do you bring to channel that is fresh, exciting and new?

• Describe how you have assisted your channel partners to actively increase their business over the past year - this can be through additional investment, headcount and training, or indeed have you seen rapid channel growth this year that has made a difference to your business? - please use facts and figures relevant to the UK market.

Vendors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business. But every entry MUST be different.

Maximum word count: 1,200.

Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,200 maximum word count.

Award Name

Vendor Innovation Award - NEW!

Eligibility

Is this the Award for you?

Vendor Awards

Vendor Innovation Award

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 centre with your most recent innovation? Are you helping your partners win bigger deals/steal market share as a result? The vendors entering must be able to show that they have helped their channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2015/2016.

Entry Criteria: Your entry should be based around the following criteria, which is what the judges will be using as a basis to score each entry. Please do not address each point separately and just base the entry on these points alone -try to add some colour/personality and just incorporate them into your entry as you see fit.

Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.

• Outline why you are entering this category, your relevancy to the category, describe in detail what exactly your innovation actually is. Is it a product or particular channel scheme? How has your particular innovation benefited your channel partners and their respective customers?

• Back up your claims with numbers and stats to demonstrate the success of your innovation and ensure the entry is relevant to the UK market.

Vendors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business. But every entry MUST be different.

Maximum word count: 1,200.

Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,200 maximum word count.

Award Name

Vendor of the Year

PLEASE NOTE: If you are shortlisted for this award, you will be required to present at Incisive Media's Haymarket office in October.

Vendor Awards

Vendor of the Year

This category is open to all vendors that feel they have done a particularly outstanding job in the UK channel over the past 12 months that deserves the top accolade at the CRN awards.

Any vendor, regardless of size, specialisation or focus is eligible to enter this award. Entry Criteria: Your entry should be based around the following criteria, which is what the judges will be using as a basis to score each entry. Please do not address each point separately and just base the entry on these points alone -try to add some colour/personality and just incorporate them into your entry as you see fit.

Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.

• Demonstrate why you feel you qualify for the Vendor of the Year award - use stats and examples to show channel business growth, partner acquisition (both reseller and distributor), support and investment made into your channel strategy over the past year.

• What has your channel-facing business achieved in the past 12 months that makes it stand out from the competition? Use facts, stats and figures to back this up and strengthen your entry.

• What has been your company's biggest achievement over the past year in relation to the channel?

• What part has your channel-facing team played in this and how is their relationship generally with the channel?

• Pick a particularly successful case study (can be either reseller or distributor partnership) from the past year and explain to the judges why it was such a success, and why you think it will help you win this award. A reseller/distributor testimonial can be used to back up the case study. Entries are actively encouraged to include hard facts and figures - all of which will be kept strictly confidential and used for judging purposes only. All programmes and initiatives must have been new or further developed in 2016 to qualify. Vendors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business.

Maximum word count: 1,200.

Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,200 maximum word count.

GENERAL AWARD CATEGORY

Award Name

Channel Service Provider of the Year

Eligibility

Is this the Award for you?

This award is aimed at independent firms that provide a service TO the UK channel.

IT vendors entering this category will be moved by the judges to a more appropriate category if possible. This can be in the form of support (both technical and general), marketing, training, recruitment, product/price sourcing and finance.

Channel Service Provider of the Year

This award is ONLY open to organisations that can call themselves a channel service provider. Their business has to consist primarily of services TO CHANNEL CUSTOMERS, whether this is support, marketing, price sourcing and finance for example. Entries can cover services to enterprise, mid-market or SMB markets.

Entry Criteria:

Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.

• Outline why you are entering this category, your business model and what makes you qualify to be described as a true channel services provider to the UK channel - use numbers and stats to show growth and the actual percentage of your business that goes through the channel. Also ensure the entry is relevant to the UK market.

• What new products, services and support have you supplied to the channel in the last 12 months, with evidence of the impact those changes have had on your partners (stats, figures) and describe why your company stands out from the competition.

• Company ethos - how important is the channel throughout your company, how do you encourage staff to ‘think channel' get the best out of your partnerships? Entries are actively encouraged to include hard facts and figures - all of which will be kept strictly confidential and used for judging purposes only.

Maximum word count: 1,200.

Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,200 maximum word count.