WATCH: CRN Channel Awards Q&A with HP, winner of Vendor of the Year

HP scooped Vendor of the Year at the CRN Channel Awards 2025, securing one of the most competitive honours of the night. In this Q&A, UK&I MD Ruth Patterson reflects on the win, the evolution of its partner strategy, and where it sees the biggest opportunities for the channel in 2026.

HP walked away with one of the flagship prizes at this year’s CRN Channel Awards, taking home Vendor of the Year in a category defined by tight margins, intense competition and high partner expectations. The win caps off a period of renewed focus for the vendor as it works to differentiate in a market shaped by hybrid work, sustainability pressures and rapidly shifting customer demands.

Speaking after the ceremony, UK&I MD, Ruth Patterson, said the award is a reflection of the “deep and evolving partnership” it has built with the UK channel over the past year. Central to that has been an effort to simplify engagement, strengthen partner profitability and push further into solutions-led selling.

Looking ahead to 2026, Patterson said partners should expect more emphasis on AI-enhanced devices, intelligent workplace solutions and sustainability-led refresh cycles. The vendor noted that demand for energy-efficient hardware remains robust and that upcoming regulatory changes are likely to sharpen customer focus on lifecycle management.

For HP, the Channel Awards win is less a finish line than a marker of progress. As the vendor continues to expand its services and solutions portfolio, it sees the channel as “core to everything we bring to market” – and expects that collaboration to deepen in the year ahead.

Watch the video above to find out more.