The Next Generation

IT vendors generally turn to the channel after their initial startup years as they look to expand sales beyond their early-adopter customers. It’s unusual for young companies to have extensive partner programs – and rarer still for them to have partner programs that rate a 5-Star designation.

The CRN 2021 Partner Program Guide offers the information solution providers need to evaluate the channel programs operated by the distributors they work with or are considering partnering with. The guide is based on detailed applications submitted by vendors and distributors – more than 275 this year – outlining all aspects of their partner programs.

As part of the Partner Program Guide, CRN designates some programs as 5-Star Partner Programs because they provide the most comprehensive lineups of incentives, training, services and benefits.

Here we provide snapshots of the 5-Star designees among emerging vendors – IT companies founded between 2015 and 2021. Details of every vendor’s partner program can be found at https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2021.htm.

Other slide shows in the 5-Star Partner Program Guide series running this week include companies that provide products and services for systems and data centers, cloud platforms and infrastructure, networking and unified communications, devices and peripherals, security, software, and data storage and backup. While many companies provide products and services that span multiple technologies, we’ve assigned each vendor to the slide show for the technology category in which they are most prominent.