Products Of The Year 2026: The Finalists

CRN staff compiled the top partner-friendly products that launched or were significantly updated over the last year. Now it’s up to solution providers to choose the winners.

Products Of The Year

The CRN annual Products of the Year awards recognize the leading partner-friendly products, launched or significantly updated over the last year, as selected by the solution providers who bring these products to customers.

The finalists, 179 products spanning 28 technology categories, were selected by the CRN staff. Those products have gone into a survey of solution providers who are judging the products according to technology, revenue and profit, and customer need criteria.

The Product of the Year winners will be announced on CRN's website on Nov. 30.

Click ahead for a look at the finalists in each category.

Jump to a category:

• Application Performance and Observability
• Artificial Intelligence: AI PCs
• Artificial Intelligence: Development and Coding Platforms
• Artificial Intelligence: Infrastructure
• Artificial Intelligence: Software and Platforms
• Big Data Platforms
• Edge Computing/Internet of Things
• Enterprise IT Management
• MSP Platforms and Tools
• Network Infrastructure
• Power Protection and Management
• Private Cloud and Virtualization
• Processors – CPUs
• Processors – GPUs
• Security – AI
• Security – Cloud and Application Security
• Security – Data Security
• Security – Email and Web Security
• Security – Endpoint Detection/Extended Detection and Response
• Security – Identity and Access Management
• Security – Managed Detection and Response
• Security – Network Security
• Security – Secure Access Service Edge
• Security – Security Operations Platform/SIEM
• Security – Vulnerability and Exposure Management
• Storage – Data Protection, Management and Resiliency
• Storage – Enterprise
• Unified Communications and Collaboration

Application Performance and Observability

As more applications run in hybrid-cloud and multi-cloud environments, maintaining application performance has become a more complex task. Application performance management and observability tools help IT organizations maintain the health, performance and user experience of business applications, according to market researcher Gartner. Such tools are used by IT operations managers, site reliability engineers, cloud and platform teams, application developers and software product owners.

Datadog Observability Platform

Dynatrace Intelligence

HPE OpsRamp

IBM Instana Observability

LogicMonitor LM Envision

New Relic Intelligent Observability Platform

Splunk Observability Cloud

Zscaler Digital Experience Network Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence: AI PCs

Everyday information workers and consumers are adopting the rapidly growing number of AI applications, copilots and other AI-driven software to improve their productivity and creativity. That’s fueling demand for personal computers with specialized processors, hardware and software to handle AI tasks.

Dell Pro 7 13/14

HP ZBook Ultra G1a

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition

Microsoft Surface Laptop 8

Panasonic ToughBook 56

Artificial Intelligence: Development and Coding Platforms

As AI becomes embedded across applications and business processes, development and coding platforms are helping organizations build, customize and deploy AI-enabled offerings faster. For solution providers, these tools can accelerate application development, extend scarce technical resources and create new opportunities to help customers modernize software, integrate AI into existing environments and bring new ideas into production.

Anthropic Claude Code

Cisco Amazon Q Developer

GitHub Copilot

Google Gemini Code Assist

OpenAI Codex

Artificial Intelligence: Infrastructure

Building, training, deploying and running AI systems, including applications and AI agents, takes a lot of compute horsepower and the ability to process huge amounts of data. That’s fueling a wave of data center construction around the world and boosting demand for powerful AI hardware in data centers and the cloud. Systems that support AI initiatives are expected to provide high levels of performance and scalability.

Dell PowerEdge XE9780

HPE Compute XD690

Lenovo ThinkSystem SR675 V3/SR675i V3

Supermicro DLC-2 4U

Artificial Intelligence: Software and Platforms

IT vendors are developing AI software and platforms, including generative AI, development platforms, applications, AI agents, productivity suites and more, at an accelerating pace. Businesses are rapidly adopting AI software and AI cloud services to automate enterprise workflows, accelerate data-driven decision-making, drive operational efficiency, cut costs and enhance customer experiences.

AWS Bedrock

Cisco IQ

Google Gemini

HPE AI Essentials On HPE Private Cloud AI

IBM Watsonx.ai

Microsoft Copilot Studio

Red Hat AI Factory With Nvidia

Snowflake Cortex AI

Big Data Platforms

Data volumes continue to explode and the global “datasphere” – the total amount of data created, captured, replicated and consumed – is growing exponentially. While operational systems and business analytics have been the traditional consumers of all this data, the growing number of AI systems, including applications and agents, are also boosting the demand for data.

Managing increasingly larger volumes of data, however, is a major challenge for businesses and that’s fueling demand for a range of big data platforms and tools to help businesses access, collect, manage, move, transform, govern and secure data.

Amazon Redshift

Cloudera Platform

Databricks Data Intelligence Platform

Google BigQuery

HPE Data Fabric

IBM Watsonx.data

Microsoft Fabric

MongoDB Atlas

Snowflake AI Data Cloud

Edge Computing/Internet of Things

Efforts to bring applications, AI and data processing closer to data sources, and so reduce system latency and lower bandwidth usage, are driving the proliferation of local edge servers and IoT devices.

Cisco Unified Edge

Dell PowerEdge XR8720t

HPE ProLiant Compute DL145 Gen 11

Scale Computing Fleet Manager

Zscaler Cellular

Enterprise IT Management

As IT estates become increasingly distributed across on-premises, hybrid-cloud and multi-cloud environments, managing IT assets—including compute, software, storage and network systems—becomes increasingly complex. A new generation of enterprise IT management systems provides IT teams with a central point for managing IT assets, services and processes, monitoring system performance, and automating tasks such as software deployment and user provisioning.

Cisco Cloud Control

Dell Automation Platform

Fleet Device Management

Flexera One

HP Workforce Experience Platform

HPE Morpheus Enterprise

IBM Concert Platform

Microsoft Intune

Nerdio Manager For Enterprise

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform

MSP Platforms and Tools

Managed services are one of the fastest growing segments of the IT channel as businesses, organizations and government entities increasingly rely on MSPs to provide IT services and manage their IT infrastructure and end-user systems. This trend is boosting demand for MSP platforms, including the remote monitoring and management tools, professional services automation systems and other tools that MSPs rely on to do their jobs.

ConnectWise Platform

HaloPSA

Kaseya 365

N-able N-central

NinjaOne

Syncro XMM Platform

Network Infrastructure

Networks are what connect all components of an IT environment and networking products, including routers, switches, hubs and bridges, have long been a mainstay of the channel. Today channel companies offer networking products and services that span data centers and cloud networks, campus LAN and WAN, Network-as-a-Service, and network management and automation software.

Arista 7000 Series Data Center and AI Switches

Broadcom VMware Avi Load Balancer

Cisco 8223 Routing System

Dell PowerSwitch Z9864F-ON

Extreme Networks – Extreme Platform One

F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform (ADSP)

HPE Juniper Networking QFX5250 Switch

Meter Enterprise Networking Solution

Zayo DynamicLink

Power Protection and Management

Power protection and management systems and appliances are a critical component for protecting critical IT infrastructure and keeping data centers up and running in the event of extreme events. The product category includes technology for monitoring and managing power usage, protecting IT systems against electricity surges, and providing backup in the event of power failures.

CyberPower PowerPanel Cloud Pro

Eaton Brightlayer Data Centers Suite

Schneider Electric EcoStruxure IT Expert

Vertiv Environet Alert

Private Cloud and Virtualization

Private cloud and virtualization are taking on renewed importance as organizations reassess where workloads should run based on cost, control, security and performance. This evolving market is creating opportunities for solution providers to modernize infrastructure, navigate changing virtualization options and build flexible cloud environments designed to support both traditional workloads and emerging AI demands.

Broadcom VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0

Dell Private Cloud

HPE Private Cloud with HPE Morpheus Software – VM Essentials

Microsoft Azure Local

Nutanix Cloud Platform

Proxmox Virtual Environment

Red Hat OpenShift

Scale Computing SC//Hypercore Virtualization Suite

Processors – CPUs

CPU semiconductors are the processing engines that power servers, laptops, desktop PCs, and mobile devices. Intel was long dominant in the CPU space, but rival AMD, along with Qualcomm and other chip designers, have developed highly competitive products in recent years.

AMD Ryzen AI 400 Series

AMD Ryzen AI Max Series

Apple M5

Intel Core Ultra Series 3

Intel Xeon 6+ Processors With E-Cores

Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite

Processors – GPUs

Originally developed to accelerate the performance of computer graphics, GPUs are increasingly being designed into IT systems for high-performance computing tasks such as data science and AI applications. Nvidia has been a pioneer in developing GPUs for a broad range of applications, but rivals Intel and AMD have been expanding their GPU product portfolios.

AMD Instinct MI350 Series

Intel Arc B-Series (Workstation)

Nvidia Blackwell Ultra

Nvidia RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell Server Edition

Security – AI

As far as security goes, artificial intelligence is a two-edged sword. There’s no doubt that the addition of AI capabilities is making today’s security technology smarter. But the proliferation of AI applications, agents and other systems is creating new threat vectors that bad actors can exploit. And attackers themselves are increasingly using AI to improve the effectiveness of their attacks. Leading security vendors, meanwhile, are developing tools to help organizations improve their AI security posture.

Cisco AI Defense

CrowdStrike Falcon AI Detection And Response

Cyera Agent Guardian

Palo Alto Networks Prisma AIRS 3.0

SentinelOne Prompt AI Agent Security

Zscaler AI Protect

Security – Cloud and Application Security

The rapid growth of cloud computing has created new security challenges for businesses and organizations as they adopt and utilize distributed IT infrastructure and applications that lie both within and outside of the corporate firewall. Cloud and application security technologies provide a range of capabilities including protection against internal and external threats, identity and access control, and network visibility and management.

CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security

Orca AI AppGen Security

Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud 2.0

Snyk AI Security Platform

SentinelOne Singularity Cloud Security

Wiz AI Application Protection Platform

Security – Data Security

The media is filled with headlines of businesses, hospitals, insurance companies, government entities and other organizations who find themselves blocked from accessing their own critical data or discover that their data has been stolen and put up for sale on the Dark Web. So it’s not surprising that protecting data has become a top priority for IT and security teams.

Data security tools provide a range of functions to accomplish their task including data encryption, user authentication and controlling access to data, monitoring data in real time to detect and respond to unusual activity, manage compliance with data governance requirements, and more.

CrowdStrike Falcon Data Security

Cyera Data Security Platform

IBM Guardium Data Protection

Proofpoint DSPM Expansion

Rubrik Security Cloud

Zscaler Data Security

Security – Email and Web Security

Email and other internet communications are perhaps the most common vector for cybersecurity attacks including spam, phishing, malware delivery and system takeover.

Email security products, including antivirus/antimalware tools, spam filters, authentication and encryption systems, are a key component of a business’s overall IT security strategy. Web security tools help prevent attacks against websites.

Abnormal AI: AI Phishing Coach

Barracuda Integrated Email Protection

Cloudflare Precursor

Mimecast API-Based Email Security

Proofpoint Core Email Protection

Security – Endpoint Detection/Extended Detection and Response

Businesses can be most vulnerable through the endpoint devices (desktop PCs, laptops, smartphones) employees use for everyday work, along with embedded devices, IoT and other edge computing systems. This is especially true with today’s post-pandemic hybrid work practices where many of these devices now sit outside of corporate security perimeters.

Products in this technology category include antivirus and antimalware tools, endpoint protection platforms, and endpoint detection/response and extended detection/response software.

CrowdStrike Endpoint Security

ESET Protect

Huntress Managed EDR

SentinelOne Singularity Platform

Sophos XDR

ThreatLocker Platform

Security – Identity and Access Management

Businesses use identity and access management tools, backed by related policies and processes, to manage digital identities and control access to corporate IT systems and data. IAM tools, a foundational cybersecurity technology for zero trust IT initiatives, are key to identifying, authenticating and authorizing users – including employees and trusted business partners – while protecting against unauthorized access.

1Password Unified Access

CrowdStrike Falcon Next-Gen Identity Security

Microsoft Agent 365

Okta For AI Agents

Ping Identity Platform

SailPoint Identity Security

Security – Managed Detection and Response

Many businesses and organizations, especially SMBs, lack in-house cybersecurity expertise. Many turn to managed detection and response (MDR) providers for outsourced services that monitor clients’ IT systems, endpoints, networks and cloud environments on a 24/7 basis and respond to detected cyberthreats. MDR offerings generally combine cybersecurity teams, advanced threat detection tools and security operations center functions.

Arctic Wolf MDR

CrowdStrike Falcon Complete

Expel MDR

OpenText Core MDR

Sophos MDR

WatchGuard MDR

Security – Network Security

Keeping network infrastructure secure is a major challenge for businesses and organizations. Potential threats include distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, network-based ransomware, insider threats and password attacks, to name just a few. Securing corporate networks has become even harder with the move to remote work and the increasing use of cloud applications.

The specific technology components of a sound network security strategy include firewalls, SASE (secure access service edge) systems, network access control technology, antivirus and antimalware software, intrusion prevention systems, and tools for cloud, application and email security.

Check Point AI Network Firewall

Cisco Secure Firewall 10.0

Fortinet FortiOS 8.0

Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS 12.2 Ceres

SonicWall Gen 8 Virtual Firewalls

Sophos Firewall v22

Security – Secure Access Service Edge

Secure Access Service Edge platforms combine network and security services into a single cloud-based system – a critical concept for managing today’s multi-cloud environments and hybrid workforces. SASE can include multiple functions including zero-trust network access, secure web gateways, cloud access security brokers and firewall services to provide centralized control over identity and access policies and operations.

Cato SASE Platform

Fortinet FortiSASE

HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect

Netskope One SASE

Palo Alto Networks Prisma SASE

Zscaler Zero Trust SASE

Security – Security Operations Platform/SIEM

Security Operations systems link security and IT operations teams to improve an organization’s cybersecurity posture across IT systems, networks and applications. SecOps software incorporates tools and processes to provide a unified approach to cybersecurity to help identify security threats and vulnerabilities, reduce risks and respond more quickly to security incidents.

Arctic Wolf Aurora Agentic SOC

CrowdStrike Falcon Next-Gen SIEM

Exabeam New-Scale Fusion

Huntress Agentic Security Platform

Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSIAM

Splunk Enterprise Security Premier

Security – Vulnerability and Exposure Management

As threat actors increasingly exploit software vulnerabilities and other security gaps such as misconfigurations, businesses are facing growing challenges in identifying and addressing potential weaknesses across their IT environments. Vulnerability and exposure management tools help organizations to continuously discover, assess and prioritize security risks across networks, endpoints, cloud infrastructures and applications. These technologies provide capabilities including vulnerability discovery, attack surface management, risk-based prioritization and remediation.

CrowdStrike Falcon Exposure Management

Palo Alto Networks Cortex Exposure Management

Qualys Enterprise TruRisk Management

Rapid7 Exposure Management

Tenable One Exposure Management Platform

Zscaler Exposure Management

Storage – Data Protection, Management and Resiliency

Data is the lifeblood of the modern enterprise. Data that’s lost or unavailable, either due to system failure, a disastrous event like a fire or earthquake, human error or a cyberattack, can cause major business disruptions.

Data resilience and protection systems and services help businesses protect and maintain access to data, and identify, detect, respond to and recover from data-destructive events.

Cohesity Maestro

Commvault Cloud Rewind

ControlMonkey Platform

Dell PowerProtect One

HPE Zerto

HYCU aiR

Rubrik Autonomous Business Recovery Solution For Cloud Applications

Veeam Data Platform

Wasabi Covert Copy

Storage – Enterprise

It’s estimated that 173 zettabytes of digital data were created in 2025—nearly half a zettabyte or about 474 million terabytes every day, according to the DesignRush website. That number is expected to more than triple by 2029 to 527 zettabytes per year, or about 1.44 zettabytes every day.

That data, of course, must be stored somewhere. While more data is being stored on cloud platforms, many businesses and organizations maintain on-premises data storage systems – either standalone or as part of a hybrid system – for a number of reasons including data security and governance and reduced internet costs.

Dell PowerStore Elite

Everpure Data Stream

HPE Alletra Storage MP X10000

IBM FlashSystem 5600/7600/9600

Lenovo Infinidat InfiniBox G4

NetApp AFX 1K

Seagate Exos Scale

Unified Communications and Collaboration

Unified communications (including Unified Communications as a Service) integrates VoIP, instant messaging, video conferencing and other communication capabilities through a single interface. UCC has taken on increased importance with more employees working from home and other remote locations.

UCC is a long-time channel mainstay with solution providers implementing, maintaining and operating UCC systems.

8x8 XCaaS

Five9 Agentic CX

Five9 Intelligent CX Platform

Intermedia Unite

Microsoft Teams

RingCentral Customer Engagement Bundle

Zoom Workplace