2020 Categories & Criteria
ONE entry PER CATEGORY only. Multiple entries in the same category are not allowed and WILL BE DISQUALIFIED with the judges picking just one entry.
Please keep the entry relevant to the UK market and include facts, figures and testimonials to strengthen your entry. Entries that focus on another market outside the UK will be marked down or disqualified.
CRN reserves the right to move an entry to another category if the judges see fit, and also to drop categories that are not adequately entered.
DO NOT go over the 1,000 word count (judges’ discretion does count).
WE ARE ACTIVELY ENCOURAGING ALTERNATIVE STYLE ENTRIES to the standard block of text – this can be in the form of a video or PDF to really make your entry stand out. Feel free to use pictures, these do not count towards the word count.
However, you can still submit text entries, you won’t be penalised for doing so, but the option is there to be more creative with your entry if you so wish. But please try not to submit just a huge block of text – it makes reading very difficult for the judges.
Also do not feel you have to address the criteria in a formulaic manner, you can include them in any order you like and you don’t have to divide the entry into a Q&A style entry either.
Special message for 2020: The Coronavirus Pandemic has had an impact globally on companies’ performances and has understandably meant a lot of plans/targets have been altered. CRN is well aware of this and happy to take it into account this year. Please do feel free to mention how the crisis has affected your strategy/goals in the UK and how you have innovated around that, but bear in mind we also have special Covid-19 related categories as well for this year ONLY.
Please click 'view criteria' button to view the full criteria for each category.
Distributor Categories
Cloud Distributor of the Year
Open to distributors that have developed a dedicated cloud business either for one particular vendor, or a growing stable of vendors, and are helping resellers either get into cloud services, or further develop their cloud offerings. The ability to aggregate multiple cloud solutions and simplify the confusion surrounding the amount of cloud technology in the market, will also be taken into account. Entrants must prove that they have assisted their reseller and vendor partners to build a profitable business in 2020, and are really adding value around cloud services.
Networking/Comms Distributor of the Year
The award is open to all distributors that operate within the networking/comms marketplace, be that SDN, UC, WiFi, AV, network infrastructure or peripherals. Distributors must show how they have helped reseller and vendor partners grow and maintain profitable business in 2020. Entrants can be a full networking/comms specialist or have a division dedicated to networking/comms technology within their overall business.
Technology Incubator Award
Please do not make this a very technical/technology-based entry – the purpose is to identify a distributor that is outstanding in the field at recognising new technology and openly promoting it to the channel. Those distributors that class themselves as true incubators of technology that is new and disruptive to market. The ability to identify new technology trends and harness them to benefit their business and that of their partners will also be taken into account. Entrants must prove that they have assisted their reseller and vendor partners to build a profitable business in 2020 using this technology.
Innovative Project Award
Open to distributors who have overseen true innovation in their field over the past year – this can be the launch of a new event that has benefited its partners and customers, a new platform to aggregate/distribute technologies, a new finance scheme, the launch of a new team that has made life easier for partners or anything that can be classed as true innovation in its field. Please focus on ONE project only and tell the judges everything they need to know.
Security Distributor of the Year
The category is aimed at distributors offering cybersecurity solutions, including hardware, software or peripherals within the cybersecurity arena. Entrants must prove how they have assisted their reseller and vendor partners to build a profitable business in 2020. Entrants can either be fully dedicated to Security, or have a Security division within their overall business.
Storage Distributor of the Year
The award is open to all distributors that operate within the storage marketplace, be that software, hardware or peripherals or cloud-based/datacentre storage. Distributors must show how they have helped reseller and vendor partners grow and maintain profitable business between July 2019 and July 2020. Entrants can be fully dedicated to storage, or have a storage division within their overall business – but this needs to be explained fully in the entry.
Best Covid-19-related project/initiative of the Year – Distributor - For 2020 ONLY
This has been a year like no other for all of us, and while there has been far too much sadness and tragic loss, the Coronavirus Pandemic has also brought out the best in so many people and companies.
Firms have been forced to innovate like never before, and channel firms have been at the very heart of this innovation – whether it is helping customers shift almost overnight to a full remote working strategy, or being involved in many initiatives that have helped vital organisations such the NHS keep going under immense pressure.
This award is to recognise that innovation and give some much-deserved recognition to those companies that have gone out of their way to help keep this country running during the most challenging conditions we have experienced in living memory. This award is to celebrate that innovation and raise awareness of some of the fantastic initiatives and projects that the channel was involved in during the heart of the crisis.
Hero/Heroes of the Year - Distributor – For 2020 ONLY
2020 has been a year like no other for all of us, and while there has been far too much sadness and tragic loss, the Coronavirus Pandemic has brought many stories of human compassion and joy.
The channel has always been a caring environment with people right at the very heart of it, and there are many unsung heroes that just keep giving. Now is the time to recognise them. This award is aimed at giving some much deserved recognition to those individuals or teams that have gone out of their way to help others during this crisis – this could be in a business capacity – with a company owner/director/team leader/manager helping vulnerable staff put food on the table, working with partners to provide an essential service, or a team working together to provide PPE to local NHS organisations or businesses, or individuals and teams helping their local community in other ways.
While they may be embarrassed – it is crucial that these unsung heroes get the recognition they deserve for their efforts.
Distributor of the Year – sub £250m
This category is encouraged to give the smaller distributors a platform on which to showcase their excellence. It is open to all distributors with a TOTAL turnover of £250m or less that feel they have done a particularly outstanding job over the past 12 months to deserve this prestigious new award. Any distributor, regardless of specialisation or focus is eligible to enter this award. Divisions of larger organisations cannot be entered in this category.
IMPORTANT: If you make the shortlist for this category, you will be required to produce further material to show to the judges on or before the official judging day. Normally this is a face-to-face presentation, but depending on how the Covid-19 situation progresses, this could be a five-minute video presentation instead. We will keep you informed as this develops.
Distributor of the Year (£251m+ turnover)
This category is open to all distributors that feel they have done a particularly outstanding job over the past 12 months that deserves the top accolade at the CRN awards. Any distributor, with a turnover of £251m+, regardless of specialisation or focus, is eligible to enter this award. Please do not enter if you turnover is below £251m.
IMPORTANT: If you make the shortlist for this category, you will be required to produce further material to show to the judges on or before the official judging day. Normally this is a face-to-face presentation, but depending on how the Covid-19 situation progresses, this could be a five-minute video presentation instead. We will keep you informed as this develops.
Vendor Categories
Datacentre Vendor of the Year
The award is open to all vendors operating within the UK datacentre market. This includes manufacturers of servers, networking equipment, software, components or peripherals that are relevant to the datacentre market. The manufacturers must be able to show that they have helped their channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2019/2020
Software Defined Vendor of the Year
The award is open to all vendors that manufacture and sell a software-defined product whether this is Software defined networking, WAN, Storage or simply Software defined everything (SDX). The manufacturers must be able to show that they have helped their channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2019/2020
Security Vendor of the Year
This category is for all vendors that manufacture/develop software, hardware, systems or peripherals for the security market. The manufacturers must be able to show that they have helped their channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2019/2020.
Specialist Vendor of the Year
This category is open to vendors that manufacture (and/or market) particular ‘specialist’ offerings. This includes both specialist products which a vendor may develop and/or a service that the vendor may offer. It must be a finished product and/or service, not component i.e. a product or service that a distributor or reseller can stock and/or sell. This will include audio-visual vendors, printer vendors, internet services, hosting or broadband services, WAN infrastructure and managed services or hosted applications. Please note that because there are cloud services, software defined, PSA/RMM, datacentre and security categories as well, preference will be given to entries outside those three areas. Vendors must show that they have helped their channel partners grow and build a profitable business in 2019/20.
Cloud Services Vendor of the Year
This category is open to all cloud services vendors, whether they sell a physical product or a virtual one. This includes cloud-based software manufacturers/developers and providers of any type of cloud service/product TO the channel. The vendors entering must be able to show that they have helped their channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2019/2020.
Emerging Vendor of the Year
This category is open to all manufacturers that would class themselves as a relative newcomer to the channel, having worked with channel partners IN THE UK for a minimum of one and MAXIMUM of five years to qualify. The manufacturers must be able to show that they have helped their UK channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2019/2020, and also demonstrate what they think makes them eligible to be classed as an emerging vendor.
PSA/RMM Vendor of the Year
This category is open to all vendors that operate in the Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) or Professional Services Automation (PSA) spaces. This is a fast-growing space and CRN believes it deserves a category to itself. The vendors entering must be able to show that they have helped their channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2019/2020 and how their technology is helping both partners and their customers better their businesses.
Best Covid-19-related project/initiative of the Year – Vendor - For 2020 ONLY
This has been a year like no other for all of us, and while there has been far too much sadness and tragic loss, the Coronavirus Pandemic has also brought out the best in so many people and companies.
Firms have been forced to innovate like never before, and channel firms have been at the very heart of this innovation – whether it is helping customers shift almost overnight to a full remote working strategy, or being involved in many initiatives that have helped vital organisations such the NHS keep going under immense pressure.
This award is to recognise that innovation and give some much-deserved recognition to those companies that have gone out of their way to help keep this country running during the most challenging conditions we have experienced in living memory. This award is to celebrate that innovation and raise awareness of some of the fantastic initiatives and projects that the channel was involved in during the heart of the crisis.
Hero/Heroes of the Year - Vendor – For 2020 ONLY
2020 has been a year like no other for all of us, and while there has been far too much sadness and tragic loss, the Coronavirus Pandemic has brought many stories of human compassion and joy. The channel has always been a caring environment with people right at the very heart of it, and there are many unsung heroes that just keep giving. Now is the time to recognise them.
This award is aimed at giving some much deserved recognition to those individuals or teams that have gone out of their way to help others during this crisis – this could be in a business capacity – with a CEO/director/regional manager/team leader helping vulnerable staff put food on the table, working with partners to provide an essential service, or a team working together to provide PPE to local NHS organisations or businesses, or individuals and teams helping their local community in other ways.
While they may be embarrassed – it is crucial that these unsung heroes get the recognition they deserve for their efforts
Vendor of the Year
This category is open to all vendors that feel they have done a particularly outstanding job in the UK channel over the past 12 months that deserves the top accolade at the CRN awards. Any vendor, regardless of size, specialisation or focus is eligible to enter this award.
IMPORTANT: If you make the shortlist for this category, you will be required to produce further material to show to the judges on or before the official judging day. Normally this is a face-to-face presentation, but depending on how the Covid-19 situation progresses, this could be a five-minute video presentation instead. We will keep you informed as this develops.
Reseller Categories
MSSP/Security VAR of the Year
With security being the number one concern of end user customers, this category is aimed at VARs/security service providers to highlight excellence in cybersecurity. This category is open to all VARs/MSSPs/integrators that specialise in security solutions and services to customers of any size, whether this is SMB, mid-market or enterprise, or to those that have a strong security flavour to their portfolio of services.
Cloud Services Provider of the Year
This category is open to channel players with a specific focus on providing cloud-based services to their end user customers. This can be in any vertical sector with any relevant cloud technology set, whether it is security, storage, infrastructure, datacentre services or a mix of the above and others.
NOTE: Resellers/MSPs entering this category should derive at least 40 per cent of their business from the provision of cloud products and services. Please address this point in your entry.
Corporate VAR of the Year
This category is open to all VARs/MSPs/integrators that deal with either mid-market (loose definition: 250-1,000 seats) or enterprise (loose definition: 1,000+ seats) customers, or a mix of both – supplying products, managed services or a mix of both, preferably from a mix of vendors. These customers can be UK based, have multiple UK offices, or be multi-national companies with a significant base in the UK, in the private sector. At least 50 per cent of your business needs to fall under the ‘corporate’ definition to be eligible to enter.
Public Sector VAR/MSP of the Year
This category is open to VARs/MSPs that have a clear focus on doing business, providing products and solutions to public sector customers. These organisations can be in any part of the public sector from education to healthcare, from local government to government, and emergency services.
AT LEAST 40 per cent of your business must be public sector-based to qualify for entry.
SMB Reseller of the Year
The award is open to resellers that have a focus on the SMB market, whether this is on very small companies (1-9 employees) within a locality or region, or larger firms that fall within the ‘SMB’ definition i.e. fewer than 250 employees. Firms that are fairly young and consider themselves an ‘up and coming’ player in the SMB space, and have seen excellent growth since launch can also enter.
NOTE – More than 75 per cent of your business must be SMB to qualify for entry. Please make sure you address this point.
MSP of the Year
This award is ONLY open to companies that can truly call themselves a managed service provider (MSP). Vendors or support companies DO NOT qualify for this award and will be removed from the category. Business has to consist primarily of managed services TO END USER CUSTOMERS, this can be any or as many of the ‘as-a-service’ disciplines as you like – although bear in mind there is a separate cloud category, so non-cloud entries will be given priority and cloud entries could be moved by the judges. Entries can cover managed services to enterprise, mid-market or SMB level customers. We would ask that at least 75 per cent of your business is through managed services to qualify for entry.
Best Covid-19-related project/initiative of the Year – Reseller - For 2020 ONLY
This has been a year like no other for all of us, and while there has been far too much sadness and tragic loss, the Coronavirus Pandemic has also brought out the best in so many people and companies. Firms have been forced to innovate like never before, and channel firms have been at the very heart of this innovation – whether it is helping customers shift almost overnight to a full remote working strategy, or being involved in many initiatives that have helped vital organisations such the NHS keep going under immense pressure.
This award is to recognise that innovation and give some much-deserved recognition to those companies that have gone out of their way to help keep this country running during the most challenging conditions we have experienced in living memory. This award is to celebrate that innovation and raise awareness of some of the fantastic initiatives and projects that the channel was involved in during the heart of the crisis.
Hero/Heroes of the Year - Reseller – For 2020 ONLY
2020 has been a year like no other for all of us, and while there has been far too much sadness and tragic loss, the Coronavirus Pandemic has brought many stories of human compassion and joy.
The channel has always been a caring environment with people right at the very heart of it, and there are many unsung heroes that just keep giving. Now is the time to recognise them. This award is aimed at giving some much deserved recognition to those individuals or teams that have gone out of their way to help others during this crisis – this could be in a business capacity – such as a company owner/director/team leader helping vulnerable staff put food on the table, working with partners to provide an essential service, or a team working together to provide PPE to local NHS organisations or businesses, or individuals and teams helping their local community in other ways.
While they may be embarrassed – it is crucial that these unsung heroes get the recognition they deserve for their efforts.
Rising Star Award
This category is open any company that is seeing phenomenal growth in their field and has been in business for a MAXIMUM of five years and MINIMUM of 18 months in their current form. There is no specific business model that is more qualified than others to enter – so you could be an MSP, VAR, integrator or a specific vertical sector IT provider. If you can demonstrate strong growth over the past year, feel you are a disruptive force and can give some example of your potential growth in the future, then you are the ideal candidate for this award.
Reseller of the Year (£101m+ turnover)
This category is open to all VARs/MSPs/Integrators with a turnover above £101m, that feel they have done a particularly outstanding job over the past 12 months that deserves a top reseller accolade at the CRN awards. Any IT supplier, regardless of specialisation or focus is eligible to enter this award, but to be in with a chance of winning you have to have done something spectacular to impress the judges and be prepared to shout about it. Plus your turnover threshold must qualify to enter.
IMPORTANT: If you make the shortlist for this category, you will be required to produce further material to show to the judges on or before the official judging day. Normally this is a face-to-face presentation, but depending on how the Covid-19 situation progresses, this could be a five-minute video presentation instead. We will keep you informed as this develops.
Reseller of the Year (sub £100m turnover)
This category has been launched to give the smaller players in the market a chance to compete on a more even playing field against their peers. The award is open to all VARs/MSPs/Integrators with a turnover up to £100m, that feel they have done a particularly outstanding job over the past 12 months that deserves a top reseller accolade at the CRN awards. Any IT supplier, regardless of specialisation or focus is eligible to enter this award, but to be in with a chance of winning you have to have done something spectacular to impress the judges and be prepared to shout about it. Plus your turnover threshold must qualify to enter.
General Categories
Channel Service Provider of the Year
This award is ONLY open to organisations that can call themselves a channel service provider. Their business has to consist primarily of services TO CHANNEL CUSTOMERS, whether this is tech support, marketing, price sourcing and finance for example. Entries can cover services to enterprise, mid-market or SMB markets.
Channel Chief of the Year - Nominate
We are asking resellers to submit the name of a vendor channel chief that they feel has done a particularly outstanding job over the past year (between July 2019 and July 2020) and deserve recognition.
Entries need to be a paragraph of between 200 and 300 words, outlining who the person is, which vendor they work for, and what they have done for their channel partners to deserve this award.
The most deserving and most nominated candidate will be selected by the CRN editorial team and will not involve the judging panel. Please send entries to Doug.Woodburn@incisivemedia.com and Sara.Yirrell@incisivemedia.com.