Channel News
2023 Annual Report Card Winners: Solution Providers Give Top Grades To Key Vendors
Rick Whiting
For the 38th year, solution providers scored vendors across 25 technology categories based on their performance in product innovation, support, partnership, and managed and cloud services. Here’s a roundup of the companies with the highest overall scores.
SMB Networking: HPE Aruba Networking
Channel Executive: Jim Harold, VP, Channels
In a photo finish, HPE Aruba Networking narrowly beat out Fortinet in this crucial technology category, scoring 83.3 overall to Fortinet’s 83.2.
This technology category marks the fourth of HPE Aruba’s four wins on this year’s Annual Report Card.
The two companies tied in product innovation with an 88.2 average score and each receiving higher scores in several criteria subcategories. HPE Aruba scored highest for product quality and reliability (97.2) and product technical innovation (90.5), for example, while Fortinet took top scores for richness of product features/functionality (91.8) and product marketability (81.6).
HPE Aruba had higher average scores for the partnership (84.1) and managed and cloud services (79.3) criteria, although Fortinet had higher scores in several criteria subcategories (including 80.7 for managing channel conflict and 76.9 for cloud-readiness of channel program). Conversely, Fortinet had the higher average score for support (81.3) with Aruba winning a higher score within that criteria category for quality of field management (84.7).
