VAR500 Winners Crowned at PC Expo

One even managed to post growth above 300 percent. Derive Technologies, a New York-based IT solution provider and network integrator, saw revenues jump from less than $20 million in 2000 to close to $87 million last year. For that CEO Kirit Desai took home the title of Fastest Growing VAR from the awards ceremony. In second and third place, respectively, for the award were Aquent and Accenture.

The Vertical Limit Award honors companies that have dedicated themselves to specific industries. GTSI president John Spotila claimed the award for the company's dedication to the government vertical. GTSI serves federal, state and local government customers worldwide; sells more than 250,000 products from 1,300 manufacturers; and recorded $783.5 million in revenue in 2001. TriZetto won the award for health care. Market research manager Wendy Moore accepted for the company, which leveraged its vertical expertise to turn 2001 into a successful year, increasing revenue by close to 150 percent year-over-year. IBM Global Services' Dave Liederbach, vice president of small and medium business and distribution channels marketing, took the award for the manufacturing vertical.

For the Technology Leadership Awards, VARBusiness went in search of companies that were masters of technology. These organizations demonstrate exacting technical capabilities with leading edge technologies to deliver real world solutions for their customers. Perficient was honored for its technology leadership in e-business software. Acropolis won for its technology leadership in Unix servers. And NEC Business Network Solutions earned its award with its technology leadership in networking.

The editors of VARBusiness dissected the VARBusiness 500 companies to find one company that embodies the true spirit of innovation of solution providers. Alphanet CTO Tony Ferrigno was the first to take the stage to receive the honor. Sysix Technologies president and CEO John Scheaffer was next. Scheaffer is a founding member of the Solutions Consortium, a combination of companies that work together as a single resource for mid-sized clients looking for enterprise solutions. In a little more than a year of launch, the consortium has already delivered solutions to more than 20 clients.

Inforte COO Steve Mack accepted the award for his company, which has managed to get its utilization rates almost back up to where they were when the dot com bubble crashed.

Companies that climbed dramatically in the ranking of the VARBusiness 500 were given the Corporate Climbers Award. They not only had to grow faster than their competitors and peers but also had to climb up the ranking faster. Dimension Data came in first, jumping 220 spaces on the VARBusiness 500 after a year of scooping up Proxicom, Integrated Systems, Data Comm Systems Group and a number of other regional players.

The RAM Group advanced 177 spots and increased revenue by close to 100 percent.

The Vanguard Award was accepted by Accenture chief systems engineer Scott Sargent.

Amid revenue slowdowns, profit warnings and bankruptcies, Accenture continued to grow its business and attract new clients last year, generating $2.78 billion in earnings in 2001.

Companies were not the only ones bestowed with awards. Individual achievement was recognized with two awards.

AMC president and CEO Sonny Chabra took home the Lifetime Achievement Award.

And Executive of the Year was given to Terry Ozan, CEO of the Americas, Cap Gemini Ernst and Young and Ned Stringham, CEO of SBI and Co. for making technology work and doing it for a wide range of customers and markets.

See photos from the event.