2009 CRN Channel Champions Awards

CRN brought together some of the industry's top executives to honor the technology vendors that VARs rated as top performers across technical, support and financial criteria in 24 product categories.

Everything Channel CEO Robert Faletra welcomed attendees to the 2009 Channel Champions awards event, held during the XChange Solution Provider '09 conference in New Orleans.

Everything Channel Senior Vice President and Editorial Director Robert DeMarzo paid tribute to the city of New Orleans. The city served as the host for XChange Solution Provider for the first time since Hurricane Katrina devastated the area in 2005. "New Orleans holds a special place in the heart of Everything Channel. Fourteen years ago, our first XChange event was held here, and we returned for many years, enjoying the city's hospitality," DeMarzo said.

CRN News Editor Steve Burke takes the stage, bringing along a few tools of the trade. Burke, along with more than 100 VARs, vendors and Everything Channel staff, volunteered at a Habitat for Humanity home-build site in New Orleans as a prelude to the XChange conference.

Randy Cochran (left), Symantec's vice president of channel sales, Americas, accepts the first award of the night from CRN's Steve Burke. Symantec won the overall Channel Champion award for the Client Security Software category by sweeping the Technical, Support and Financial subcategories.

IBM nabbed the Channel Champion award for technical satisfaction in the Data And Information Management category. Shaun Jones, vice president of worldwide business partner marketing at IBM, accepts the trophy from CRN Senior Editor Jennifer Bosavage.

Microsoft's victory in the Support Satisfaction and Financial Performance subcategories helped it win the overall Channel Champion award in the Data and Information Management category. Microsoft Vice President Cindy Bates picks up the award from CRN's Steve Burke.

Hewlett-Packard's ProCurve networking division won for Financial Performance in the Enterprise Networking category. Tim Mackie, national channel director at HP ProCurve, accepts the award from CRN's Jennifer Bosavage.

The overall Channel Champion award for Enterprise Networking went to Cisco Systems, which won both the Technical Satisfaction and Support Satisfaction subcategories. Luanne Tierney, vice president of worldwide channels marketing at Cisco, accepts the trophy and thanks Cisco solution providers for their support.

Western Digital grabbed the overall Channel Champion award for SMB External Storage with victories in Technical Satisfaction and Financial Performance. Bud Cary, director of sales at Western Digital, accepts the trophy from CRN's Jennifer Bosavage.

Microsoft's Cindy Bates picks up the award for Financial Performance for Collaboration Software from CRN's Steve Burke.

The overall Channel Champion award for Collaboration Software went to IBM Lotus, which also garnered wins for Technical Satisfaction and Support Satisfaction. IBM's Shaun Jones accepts the award from CRN's Jennifer Bosavage.

Cisco's Luanne Tierney accepts the Channel Champion award for Unified Communications/VoIP from CRN's Steve Burke after the vendor swept the category.

Western Digital's Bud Cary returned to the stage to pick up the Financial Performance award for High-Capacity Hard Drives from CRN's Jennifer Bosavage.

Seagate won the overall Channel Champion award for High-Capacity Hard Drives, along with victories for both Technical Satisfaction and Support Satisfaction. Robin Lauber, partner program manager at Seagate, accepts the trophy from CRN's Steve Burke.

Hewlett-Packard swept the SMB Volume Servers category to win the overall Channel Champions award. Meaghan Kelly (right), vice president of SMB channel sales and strategy for HP's Americas Solution Partners Organization, thanks the crowd after accepting the trophy from CRN's Jennifer Bosavage.

IBM earned top marks for Technical Satisfaction for Middleware. IBM's Shaun Jones returned to the stage to accept the trophy from Samara Lynn, technical editor at CRN.

Microsoft nabbed the overall Channel Champion award for Middleware, along with victories for Support Satisfaction and Financial Performance. Microsoft's Cindy Bates accepts the trophy from Ed Moltzen, managing editor of the CRN Test Center.

HP tied for top honors in Technical Satisfaction for Midrange Servers. Tom LaRocca, vice president of marketing and strategy for HP's Americas Solution Partners Organization, accepts the award from CRN's Samara Lynn.

Bob Skelly, director of the enterprise architecture channel at Dell, picked up the vendor's trophy for Financial Performance in the Midrange Server category from CRN's Ed Moltzen.

IBM won the overall Channel Champion award, tied for top honors in Technical Satisfaction and nabbed the award for Support Satisfaction for Midrange Servers. Rich Michos, vice president of channel strategy at IBM, accepts the award from CRN's Samara Lynn.

In a clean sweep of all three subcategories, VMware won the Channel Champion award for the Server/Application Virtualization category. Steve Houck, vice president of worldwide channels at VMware, accepts the award from CRN's Ed Moltzen.

IBM Tivoli won the Support Satisfaction award for Storage Management/Data Protection Software. Gini Agee (right), channels marketing manager for IBM's software group, accepts the award from CRN's Samara Lynn.

Randy Cochran, vice president of channel sales, Americas, at Symantec, picks up the vendor's Financial Performance award for Storage Management/Data Protection Software from CRN's Ed Moltzen.

HP nabbed the overall Channel Champion award, along with a victory for Technical Satisfaction. HP's Tom LaRocca accepted the trophy from CRN's Samara Lynn.

Samsung won the overall Channel Champion award for Flat-Panel Displays with victories in Technical Satisfaction and Financial Performance as well as a tie for the top spot in Support Satisfaction. Richard Hutton (left), senior channel marketing manager at Samsung, thanks the vendor's channel partners after accepting the award from CRN's Ed Moltzen.

Xerox won the Support Satisfaction award for Multifunction Printers. Xerox's Gary Gillam, vice president of channel operations for North American reseller sales, accepts the trophy from CRN's Samara Lynn.

Lexmark's Michael Johnson, vice president of North America business channels and SMB, picked up the trophy for Financial Performance in the Multifunction Printers category from CRN's Ed Moltzen.

HP nabbed both the overall Channel Champions award and the Technical Satisfaction award for Multifunction Printers. Scott Dunsire, vice president of printing and imaging sales for HP's Americas Solution Partners Organization, accepts the trophy from CRN's Samara Lynn.

Xerox swept all three subcategories for a victory in Workgroup Color Printers. Xerox's Gary Gillam accepts the award from CRN's Ed Moltzen.

Cisco Vice President of Worldwide Distribution Dave O'Callaghan picks up trophies for Technical Satisfaction and Support Satisfaction in the SMB Networking Category from CRN's Samara Lynn.

HP's ProCurve networking division won the Financial Performance and the overall Channel Champion award for SMB Networking. HP's Tim Mackie picks up the trophy from CRN's Ed Moltzen.

IBM Tivoli nabbed the Technical Satisfaction award for Systems And Network Management. IBM's Gini Agee accepts the trophy from CRN's Robert DeMarzo.

Microsoft's Cindy Bates (right) accepts awards for Support Satisfaction and Financial Performance in Systems And Network Management from CRN Managing Editor of Technology Jennifer Follett.

HP bested its rivals in the Systems And Network Management category to win the overall Channel Champion award. Mike Humke (left), vice president of public sector sales for HP's Americas Solution Partners Organization, shares a laugh with CRN's Robert DeMarzo as he accepts the trophy.

Juniper earned a decisive victory in the Network Security Appliances category, sweeping all three subcategories. Frank Vitagliano, Juniper's senior vice president of worldwide channels, accepts the award.

IBM nabbed the Support Satisfaction award for Network Security Software. IBM's Shaun Jones (left) accepts the trophy from CRN's Robert DeMarzo.

Check Point won the overall Channel Champion award for Network Security Software with victories in both Technical Satisfaction and Financial Performance. Channel Development Manager Oscar Grider accepts the trophy from CRN's Jennifer Follett.

NetApp nabbed the Financial Performance trophy for Network Storage. Julie Parrish, vice president of worldwide channel sales at NetApp, accepts the award from CRN's Robert DeMarzo.

HP picked up the victory for the Network Storage category overall, along with awards for Support Satisfaction and Technical Satisfaction. HP's Tom LaRocca accepts the trophy from CRN's Jennifer Follett.

Panasonic edged out its rivals to win the Support Satisfaction award for the Notebook category. Sheila O'Neill, vice president of channel sales at Panasonic, accepts the trophy from CRN's Robert DeMarzo.

Dirk Olsen, director of U.S. channels at Acer, picks up the vendor's trophy for Financial Performance in the Notebook category from CRN's Jennifer Follett.

Stephen DiFranco, vice president of consumer and commercial channels for Lenovo, accepts the vendor's award for Technical Satisfaction and overall Channel Champion in the Notebook category.

Emerson/Liebert won the award for Support Satisfaction in the Power Protection And Management category. Tom Karabinos, director of partner channels for Emerson Network Power, accepts the trophy from CRN's Jennifer Follett.

American Power Conversion earned victories for Technical Satisfaction, Financial Performance and the overall Channel Champion award in Power Protection and Management. Gordon Lord, director of channel marketing and programs at APC, accepts the trophy from CRN's Robert DeMarzo.

SonicWall picked up the trophy for Financial Performance in the SMB Wireless LANs category. George Hlebak, vice president of North America sales for SonicWall, accepts the award from CRN's Jennifer Follett.

VARs named Cisco the overall Channel Champion for SMB Wireless LANs, giving it top marks for Technical Satisfaction and Support Satisfaction. Alex Thurber, director of sales and business development at Cisco, accepts the award from CRN's Robert DeMarzo.

Oracle picked up the last award of the night, sweeping the SMB Software Suites category. Burt Morse, director of the NAS Application Resell Channel at Oracle, accepts the trophy from CRN's Jennifer Follett.

Comedian Gary Gulman, perhaps best known as a finalist on the reality TV series "Last Comic Standing," entertained the crowd with jokes about the hassles of business travel and his passionate hatred of grapefruit.

The winners of the 2009 CRN Channel Champions awards.