Solution Providers Rate The Vendors

If you're looking for insight from fellow solution providers about which vendors are easiest to work with, have the most reliable technology or have the best training and education programs, you've come to the right place.

The 2006 Channel Champions survey asks hundreds of solution providers to rate their satisfaction with more than 100 vendors in 26 product categories. Solution providers rate their satisfaction with the vendors' products and their channel programs.

CRN provides an analysis of the results for each of the 26 categories, which you can find by clicking on category links on the "Inside" bar to the right of the winners list. Drill down further, and you'll find out how solution providers rated each vendor on more than a dozen criteria, ranging from product reliability, price/performance and scalability to vendor support, visibility, education and training, consistency, channel conflict, and margins and rebates.

In the stories for each category, you'll find out, for example, why VARs think Sun Microsystems is gaining ground in volume servers, how Intel and AMD stack up as partners in client and server processors, what makes Trend Micro a rising star in network security software, and how Toshiba is capturing attention in notebooks.

SOFTWARE	WINNER
Business Software Suites Microsoft On Top Of Its Game	Microsoft
Databases Oracle Gains Mind Share With SMB Push	Oracle
Application Integration Middleware IBM Tops In Multivendor Support	IBM
E-Mail/Collaboration Software Ease Of Integration Gives Microsoft An Easy Victory	Microsoft
Network Operating Systems Sun Microsystems A Consistent Partner	Sun Microsystems
SECURITY
Client Security Software Trend Micro Delivers Strong ROI	Trend Micro
Network Security Hardware Price/Performance Trend Micro's Suite Spot	McAfee
Network Security Software Trend Micro Edges Past Check Point	Trend Micro
NETWORKING
Enterprise Networking Hardware Cisco Scales Category With Ease	Cisco Systems
Small-Business Networking Hardware Solution Providers Perfer Cisco Over Linksys	Cisco Systems
Enterprise WLAN Products Security Puts Cisco In The Spotlight	Cisco Systems
SMB WLAN Products Cisco Gives Channel An Education	Cisco Systems
VoIP Technology Cisco Demonstrates Its Passion	Cisco Systems
Systems And Network Management Software Microsoft Relies On MOM	Microsoft
SYSTEMS
Volume Servers Education Proves To Be Sun's Edge	Sun Microsystems
Midrange Servers IBM's Legacy Is Upgradeability	IBM
Notebooks Toshiba Packs In The Features, Targets The Channel	Toshiba
Advanced Desktops And Workstations IBM Stands Behind Its Workstations	IBM
STORAGE
Storage Management Software Partners Praise HP's Integrated Offering	Hewlett-Packard
Network Storage Hardware IBM, HP Each Have Strong Points	HP, IBM
External Storage Backup Subsystems HP Nothing But Consistent In Storage	Hewlett-Packard
Server-Class Disk Drives Seagate Unbeatable Across The Board	Seagate
PERIPHERALS AND COMPONENTS
Client And Server Processors Solution Providers Love Intel In All Areas But One	Intel
Color Laser Printers HP Still On Top, Xerox Makes Gains	Hewlett-Packard
Flat-Panels Displays Sony Monitors Deemed Worth The Price	Sony
UPS And Data Center Power Management Products APC Makes Clean Sweep	APC