2008 CRN Fast Growth 100: Speed Demons

Tech Talk
What are the technologies that these top-tier players are looking at to fuel expansion? The technologies that will most drive growth in the coming year or so, according to the FG100, are virtualization software (according to 35 percent of respondents), managed services (28 percent) and unified communications (also 28 percent). In addition, our top 100 are ahead of the curve in terms of implementing various technologies. For example, VoIP is offered by nearly 70 percent of the FG100, but by less than 30 percent of the general solution provider population. FG100 companies are 141 percent more likely to offer VoIP than the average SP. Nearly 69 percent of these solution providers said at least 1 percent of revenue is derived from VoIP, and 45 percent said at least 6 percent.

Furthermore, enterprise security is offered by 47 percent of FG100 companies, but by only 26 percent of the general SP population. FG100 companies are 83 percent more likely than the average SP to offer enterprise security. Almost 47 percent of respondents said that enterprise security accounted for at least 1 percent of revenue; 18.2 percent said it accounted for at least 6 percent.

Another top technology, unified communications, is offered by 42 percent of the FG100, while only 23 percent of the overall SP population is involved in that segment. Overall, FG100 companies are 81 percent likelier to offer UC. About 42 percent of respondents said that UC accounted for at least 1 percent of revenue; 26 percent said it accounted for at least 6 percent.

The FG100 takes those technologies and targets specific verticals. Most popular is the accounting/banking/financial sector, with 75.9 percent deriving revenue from there, followed by health care and manufacturing, at 68.4 percent each

Among all technology partners, Cisco Systems Inc. is a landslide winner; Fast Growth VARs consider the networking powerhouse their most strategically important vendor. Solution providers also said that Microsoft Corp. and Dell Inc. were among their top five vendors; interestingly, 17 percent considered Dell as one of their top five strategic vendors.

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