2007 CRN Channel Champions: Software

Microsoft, with an overall category rating of 70.8, outpaced Hewlett-Packard, which finished second with a 67.7 rating. IBM came in third with a 67.1 and CA fourth with a 63.8.

What's more, the company swept the three subcategory ratings, winning top marks in technical criteria, program and support elements, and financial factors. Judged by resellers in 17 separate areas for this particular CRN Channel Champions category, Microsoft placed first in 15. While Microsoft won handily in several of those areas, particularly notable was its commanding sales share, where the vendor had a 17-point lead over second-place HP.

The power of Microsoft's market share, in combination with its scalability and a surprisingly agile partner program, separate the company from its competition, said Bob Longo, director of channel development at ClearPointe, a Little Rock, Ark.-based MSP.

"From a development standpoint, they went out of their way to understand what it meant to offer a tool for MSPs," Longo said. "We saw it from sales and marketing to product managers and on down through the ranks."

There's just no arguing with the value of products that work well together, said Brad Cicero, a partner at Allied Technology Group, another Little Rock VAR.

"Obviously with their market share of operating systems, it's a winning relationship, but the biggest thing for us is the interoperability of all their tools," he said. "The only complaint [about Microsoft] I would have is the oversaturation of their partners. But they are working to specialize their partners, in security, advanced infrastructure, business communications and so on, so that's helped a bit."

Microsoft was bested in just two survey criteria, multivendor support, where IBM claimed the victory, and product quality and reliability, where HP received the highest ratings.

—Damon Poeter

VENDOR TECHNICAL PROGRAM & SUPPORT FINANCIAL OVERALL Microsoft 81.3 75.2 58.6 70.8 HP 80.6 70.9 53.9 67.7 IBM 79.2 71.2 53 49.1 CA 76.6 67.8 49.1 63.8