2015 Annual Report Card Winners: Channel Partners Give Top Marks To Key Vendors

The Best of the Best

Solution providers across America put on their thinking caps and graded their IT vendors across 22 product categories as part of CRN's Annual Report Card, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Partners evaluated the vendors across 18 criteria in three subcategories: product innovation, support and partnership.

Seven of the 20 categories that carried over from 2014 to 2015 saw new winners, with two vendors appearing in the ARC winner's circle for the very first time. Three other vendors reclaimed at least one product category victory after dropping from the ranks in 2014.

And, for the first time in recent memory, a security vendor brought home the most category crowns. Who's the vendor? Read on to find out.

Business Analytics: Microsoft

CEO: Satya Nadella

Microsoft repeated as winner in this product category, beating Oracle and 2013 ARC winner IBM. Even though Microsoft's overall score fell from 78.4 last year to 72.2 this year, the Redmond, Wash.-based vendor improved its mark in revenue and profit potential, which business partners consider the second most important criteria.

The finally overall saw Microsoft nab a solid win with a score of 72.2, besting IBM by 3.1 points and Oracle by 3.7 points.

Microsoft and Oracle tied in the product innovation sub-category with a score of 79.9, while Oracle won the revenue and profit potential, richness of product features and compatibility and ease of integration criteria. IBM won the communication criteria.

Client Security Software: Sophos

CEO: Kris Hagerman

Sophos is the back-to-back winner in this product category, beating 2013 and 2012 victor Kaspersky Lab, McAfee and new competitor AVG. Sophos's overall score jumped from 86.7 last year to 93.2 this year, driven by double-digit rating improvements in the marketability, marketing support and cloud program criteria.

Kaspersky trailed Sophos' overall score by 2.8 points, while McAfee and AVG trailed significantly by18.3 points and 22.8 points respectively. The ease of doing business, post-sales support and partner portal criteria were won by Kaspersky, with Sophos prevailing in the remaining 15 criteria.

Collaboration Software: Cisco

CEO: Chuck Robbins

First-time product category participant Cisco took the crown, knocking longtime winner Microsoft off the throne in the process. The competition was fierce, with Cisco coming in with an overall score of 77.3, Microsoft coming in at 74.4 and IBM coming in at 71.2.

Although Cisco won all three sub-categories – produce innovation, support and partnership – Microsoft was bested the San Jose, Calif.-based vendor in five criteria. Those criteria were: compatibility and ease of integration; marketability; solution provider program; cloud program; and training.

Microsoft's overall score was down 1.9 points from last year, while IBM's was up 4.2 points.

Converged Infrastructure: Dell

CEO: Michael Dell

Dell won this product category for the second year running, besting 2013 winner Cisco and HP in the process. Overall scores were very tight, with Dell coming in at 80.3, Cisco at 77.9 and HP at 77.8.

Although Dell's overall score dropped 4.7 points from last year, the Round Rock, Texas-based vendor improved its marks in the quality of field management, marketing support and partner portal criteria.

Dell won the support and partnership sub-categories, claiming the highest score in 11 of the 12 associated criteria. Cisco, meanwhile, won the product innovation sub-category, earning the highest score in four of the related criteria.

Data & Information Management: Oracle

Co-CEOs: Safra Catz & Mark Hurd

Oracle and Microsoft continue to flip-flop the top spot in this product category, with the former coming out on top this year. The race was competitive, with Oracle notching an overall score of 72.5, Microsoft landing a 71.3, and IBM earning a 69.5.

Oracle won the product innovation and support sub-categories, along with six of 11 related criteria. Microsoft took the partnership sub-categories as well as three of seven associated criteria. And although IBM didn't win any sub-categories, it did prevail in the post-sales support, communication and solution provider program criteria.

Data Protection Software: EMC

CEO: Joe Tucci

EMC won this product category for the third consecutive year with an overall score of 83.5, squeaking by new entrant Carbonite, which landed an 82.7.

EMC won the product innovation sub-category, taking four of six related criteria. Carbonite, meanwhile, ousted 2014 and 2013 winner EMC in both the support and partnership sub-categories, winning seven of 12 associated criteria.

IBM took third place with an overall score of 78.4, with new competitors Arcserve and Dell rounding up the pack with overall scores of 77.6 and 68.3, respectively.

Desktop & Server Virtualization: VMware

CEO: Pat Gelsinger

VMware swapped top spots again with 2014 winner Microsoft, taking home the crown in the Desktop & Server Virtualization category this time around. Palo Alto, Calif.-based VMware notched a score of 83.5, well above Microsoft's 77.6 and Citrix's 68.3.

VMware improved its overall score by 9.3 points this year, delivering massive rating increases in ease of doing business, managing channel conflict, quality of field management and pre-sales support. VMware snagged victories in all three sub-categories - product innovation, support and partnership - as well as 17 of the 18 criteria, with Microsoft edging them out only in managing channel conflict.

Enterprise Network Storage: IBM

CEO: Ginni Rometty

IBM edged past 2013 and 2014 winner EMC by an overall score margin of 83.7 to 83.0 to take the honors for this product category. The Armonk, N.Y.-based vendor improved its overall score by 5.3 points from last year, posting large gains in the quality of field management, partner portal and marketing support criteria.

IBM exceled in the support and partnership sub-categories, winning nine of the 12 criteria. EMC, meanwhile, took the product innovation sub-category, winning five of the six criteria.

Rounding up the pack were Dell and new participant Lenovo, which posted scores of 77.2 and 72.6, respectively.

Enterprise Networking Infrastructure: Cisco

CEO: Chuck Robbins

Cisco continues to dominate this product category, winning for the fourth consecutive year. Even though the San Jose, Calif.-based vendor's overall score fell from 84.1 to 81.3, Cisco registered gains in the revenue and profit potential, training and marketing support criteria.

Cisco won all three sub-categories – product innovation, support and partnership – as well as 16 of the 18 associated criteria. Juniper earned top marks for ease of doing business, while new entrant Lenovo took the honors for cloud program.

Juniper took the silver with an overall score of 77.2, Dell took the bronze with a final tally of 75.8 and Lenovo took fourth place with an overall rating of 74.5.

Managed Services: ConnectWise

CEO: Arnie Bellini

ConnectWise knocked SolarWinds N-Able out of the top slot in the second year this product category has been up for grabs. The Tampa, Fla.-based vendor improved its overall score from 71.1 to 79.3, registered massive gains in the quality and reliability, computability & ease of integration, technical innovation and post-sales support criteria.

ConnectWise won all three sub-categories – product innovation, support and partnership – as well as 14 of the 18 associated criteria. Solarwinds N-Able took top honors in the quality and reliability, technical innovation, quality of field management and marketing support criteria.

Solarwinds N-Able notched an overall score of 75.7, while LabTech and AVG/Level Platforms came in at 72.2 and 54.8, respectively.

Midrange Servers: IBM

CEO: Ginni Rometty

IBM achieved a clean sweep in the Midrange Server category. The Armonk, N.Y.-based vendor earned an overall score of 78.7, besting Lenovo's 74.1 and Dell's 65.4.

IBM carried all three sub-categories -- product innovation, support and partnership -- as well as 16 of the 18 criteria. The vendor earned criteria scores of 90 or above in quality and reliability, richness of product features and technical innovation.

Lenovo won two criteria -- ease of doing business, and partner portal.

Multifunction Printers: Xerox

CEO: Ursula Burns

Xerox won this product category for the third year running, beating HP 74.7 to 66.6.

Although Xerox's overall score fell by 5.1 points from 2014, the Norwalk, Conn.-based vendor improved its performance in services opportunity and partner portal by 6.5 and 0.6 points, respectively. The company delivered its highest score in those two criteria in the last several years.

Xerox outperformed HP in all three of the subcategories -- product innovation, support and partnership --as well as all 18 of the criteria.

Network Connectivity: Comcast

CEO: Brian Roberts

Comcast secured an uncontested win in the Network Connectivity category with an overall score of 51.2.

The Philadelphia-based vendor delivered its strongest performance in the product innovation sub-category with a score of 59.9, driven by a 70.8 in quality and reliability and a 64.8 in compatibility and ease of integration.

Comcast also obtained solid scores in some of the partnership criteria such as revenue and profit potential (55.7), solution provider program (54) and cloud program (53.6).

Network Security Appliances: Sophos

CEO: Kris Hagerman

Sophos delivered its second consecutive win in this very crowded product category, growing its overall score by 3 points to 91.8.

The Abingdon, England-based vendor markedly improved its performance in the revenue and profit potential, marketability, partner portal, marketing support and cloud program criteria.

Fortinet again took the silver with an overall score of 81.8 after winning the product category, while Cisco took the bronze for the second consecutive year with an overall score of 80. The rest of the standings were very tight, with Dell coming in fourth with an overall score of 79.4, FireEye coming in fifth with 78.8 and McAfee coming in sixth with 77.9.

Network Security Software: Sophos

CEO: Kris Hagerman

In its very first year of competing in this product category, Sophos dethroned 2014 and 2013 winner Kaspersky Lab by a margin of 91.6 to 90.6.

Sophos won the product innovation and partnership sub-categories, taking nine of the 13 associated criteria. The vendor really excelled in quality and reliability, richness of product features and computability & ease of integration, notching triple-digit scores in all three criteria.

Kaspersky, meanwhile, took the support sub-category and three of the five associated criteria, with the two companies earning an identical marketing support rating.

Dell/SonicWall took third place in the product category with a score of 79.5, while McAfee came in fourth in its first year of competition at 77.3.

Network Storage (SMB): EMC

CEO: Joe Tucci

EMC took gold in this product category for the second year running with an overall score of 84.1, while 2013 winner Buffalo Technology came in second with a score of 80.

EMC won all three sub-categories -- product innovation, support and partnership --and 14 of the 18 criteria, while Buffalo Technology took top marks in ease of doing business, managing channel conflict, communication and marketing support.

Although EMC's overall score fell 4 points from last year, the Hopkinton, Mass.-based vendor improved its performance in quality and reliability, partner portal and cloud program.

Dell took the bronze with an overall score of 76.9, with new category entrant Lenovo landing in fourth with a score of 73.9.

Networking Hardware (SMB): Ruckus Wireless

CEO: Selina Lo

Ruckus Wireless won this product category for the third consecutive year with an overall score of 83.4, though D-Link continues to nip at its heels with a score of 81.9. Ruckus boosted its score by 1.6 points from last year, posting large gains in the quality and reliability, managing channel conflict and training criteria.

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based vendor won the product innovation and support sub-categories, taking seven of the 11 associated criteria. D-Link, though, won the partnership sub-category thanks to its performance in four of the seven related criteria.

Cisco, which won the category in 2012, fell to third with a 77, while Dell/SonicWall came in fourth with a score of 75.9.

Notebooks: HP

CEO: Meg Whitman

HP won this product category for the third time in four years with an overall score of 80.2. HP's overall score fell just 0.5 points from last year, but the Palo Alto, Calif.-based vendor posted large gains in the compatibility & ease of integration and solution provider program criteria.

HP won all three sub-categories -- product innovation, support and partnership -- as well as 15 of the 18 associated criteria. Lenovo, which took the gold in 2013, won the technical innovation and revenue and profit potential criteria, while HP and Dell tied in quality of field management.

Lenovo captured the silver for the second consecutive year at 76.7, while Dell took the bronze with a score of 74.8.

Processors: Intel

CEO: Brian Krzanich

Intel won this uncontested product category for the third consecutive year, boosting its overall score from an 81.9 last year to an 84.8 this year.

Most of that gain was driven by a 7.5 point jump in the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company's product innovation sub-category score from 86.2 last year to 93.7 this year. Double-digit gains in the criteria of richness of product features and marketability led the way.

Intel's partnership sub-category score enjoyed a more modest 0.9 point gain from 81.2 to 82.1, while the vendor's support sub-category score was nearly flat, dipping from 77.9 to 77.7.

Tablets: Lenovo

CEO: Yang Yuanqing

Lenovo has won this product category for both years of its existence, this year squeaking out a 75.6 to 74.6 victory over Dell.

Although Lenovo's overall score fell 1.1 points from last year, the Beijing, China-based vendor posted sizable gains in the compatibility & ease of integration, marketability and managing channel conflict criteria.

Lenovo won the product innovation and partnership sub-categories, taking 11 of the 13 associated criteria. Dell, meanwhile, won the support sub-category, taking four of the five related criteria.

HP fell from second place last year to third place this year with an overall score of 65.2.

Volume Servers: Dell

CEO: Michael Dell

Dell reclaimed the gold in this product category from HP, squeaking by the 2014 winner 77.2 to 76.4. The Round Rock, Texas-based vendor improved its overall score by 4.8 points from last year, driven by double-digit gains in the communication and partner portal criteria.

Dell won the support and partnership sub-categories, as well as seven of the 12 associated criteria. HP won the product innovation sub-category, taking three of the six related criteria.

Lenovo, meanwhile, won the revenue and profit potential, ease of doing business and managing channel conflict criteria, while Dell and HP tied in the compatibility & ease of integration criteria.

Lenovo came in third overall with a score of 74.5.

Workgroup Color Printers: Xerox

CEO: Ursula Burns

Xerox continues to dominate this product category, besting HP by a score of 74.7 to 68.1.

Although Xerox's overall score fell by 3.9 points from last year, the Norwalk, Conn.-based vendor posted gains in services opportunity and solution provider program, notching its highest scores in those criteria in the last several years.

Xerox won all three of the sub-categories -- product innovation, support and partnerships -- as well as all 18 of the associated criteria.