Faces Of The 2018 Next Gen 250

Staying Ahead Of The Technology Curve

Some solution providers see their job as meeting the day-to-day IT needs of their customers: supplying server and desktop hardware, installing networks and providing break-fix services. But the most successful solution providers today understand that there are serious opportunities in developing expertise, solutions and services in the leading-edge technologies at the forefront of today's IT industry.

Cloud computing, big data analytics, the Internet of Things, software-defined networking, advanced cybersecurity and DevOps/application development – these are the technologies that are altering the IT industry and redefining how businesses use IT for competitive advantage. Because many businesses, especially SMBs, rely on their solution providers to help them make the jump to these new technologies, solution providers who develop expertise and practices in these next-generation technologies are in big demand.

The solution providers on CRN's annual Next Gen 250 list are selected through research, vendor and analyst interviews, and CRN editorial coverage. All of the companies on the non-ranked list were founded within the last 25 years. Some were founded specifically to focus on the new technologies while others have developed their next-generation technology skills and services alongside their traditional IT offerings. Fifty of the companies on this year's Next Gen 250 are new to the list while 30 companies are there for the third year in a row.

The following are snapshots of randomly selected 25 companies on the 2018 Next Gen 250 list.