Categories

Vendor Categories

Hardware Vendor
This award recognises the vendor delivering hardware technologies – from PCs and smartphones to servers and storage appliances – who has facilitated channel development and helped partners be successful. Nominees will have to demonstrate product quality, sales, marketing and technical support, service and programs.

Software Vendor
This award recognises the vendor providing software-based technologies, such as CRM, applications or security, that is most dedicated to making the channel successful. Key to this award will be product quality, channel support and service, and programs.

Specialist Vendor
This category is open to all vendors earning the majority of their revenue in a specific area of technology, such as security, printing or business applications, and gone the extra mile to assist channel partners. The winner will offer product quality and support as well as services and programs.

Distributor Categories

Hardware Distributor
The distributor doing the best job of helping resellers create comprehensive infrastructure solutions. Nominees will be judged on product range, availability and logistics, service and product knowledge and programs.

Software Distributor
The distributor doing the best job of helping resellers source software licensing and put together a full suite of software-based solutions. Finalists will be scored on product range, availability/logistics, service and product knowledge, and programs.

Specialist/Boutique Distributor
The specialist distributor with less than $50 million in annual revenue doing the best job of helping resellers in 1-2 specific areas of technology such as networking, security or storage, or in delivery via services or systems. Key offerings will include product specialisation, availability/logistics, service and programs.

Best Distributor Initiative
This award recognises the best technology, marketing or business-based initiative introduced by a distributor over the past 12 months. The winning entry could be a newly established or complementary business units, marketing and technology programs, or reseller services. Judges will be looking at innovation, profitability, channel friendliness and ease of execution.

Reseller Categories

Enterprise Reseller
This award recognises the reseller, solutions provider or services integrator demonstrating the most outstanding product and services provisioning to customers in the >250 market in the last 12 months. The reseller must have the majority of their revenues coming from this market segment. Judges will be voting on growth, investment, business creation and reputation.

SMB Reseller
Open to resellers dealing in the 20-250 market, this award is aimed at recognising excellence when working with SMBs. We want to hear about why your business is successful and your achievements over the past 12 months. The reseller must have the majority of their revenues coming from this market segment and be able to show growth over the past 12 months, as well as investment, business development and reputation.

Retailer
Recognising the efforts of a retailer that has done outstanding work in bringing a wide range of technology products to the consumer market. Key winning traits include a strong product range, presence/reputation and growth. Extra credit will be given for innovation in demonstrating the convergence of IT and consumer.

Personal Innovation Categories

Customer Service
Got a staff member who goes beyond the call of duty to assist customers? Who demonstrates innovative customer service skills, who tops your customer surveys every time, and who has a higher customer attrition ratio than anyone else? Then we want to hear about it! Nominations for this individual award can come from a vendor, distributor or reseller and should focus on customer retention, responsiveness, knowledge and attitude.

Sales Excellence
The winner of this award can come from the vendor, distributor or reseller community and will have demonstrated an outstanding sales job in the past 12 months. This could be through breaking sales targets and growing revenue, closing a landmark deal in the face of fierce competition, promoting value-based sales, or responsiveness.

Technical Excellence
Have you got a channel-based colleague or staff member who has demonstrated technical expertise and innovation? This award aims to honour those technical whizzes that have helped vendors, distributors or resellers to provide better solutions to their customers in the last 12 months. Judges will be looking for product and solutions knowledge, communication, commitment to training, and attitude.

Green Categories

Green Vendor
This award acknowledges the vendor working hardest to promote environment efficiencies and sustainability practices both across its product base as well as through partners.

Green Project
This award will be presented to the reseller, integrator or solutions provider demonstrating a commitment to sustainable IT practices by helping a customer minimise their environment footprint. The winner will have provided the most effective environmental or sustainability project.

Channel Choice Categories

Vendor of the Year
This award honours the vendor demonstrating the highest calibre of support to its channel over the past year and will be selected by popular vote via ARN’s website, www.arnnet.com.au. Only 1 vote per email address will be accepted and users cannot vote for their own organisation. Voting will open on August 1 and close on August 31, 2009.

Distributor of the Year
This award recognises the distributor providing the highest level of service and support to its vendor and reseller base and will be selected by popular vote via ARN’s online poll. Only 1 vote per email address will be accepted and users cannot vote for their own organisation. Voting will open on August 1 and close on August 31, 2009.

Reseller of the Year
This award will be presented to the integrator, solutions provider or reseller receiving the highest number of votes from their peers via ARN’s online poll. Only 1 vote per email address will be accepted and users cannot vote for their own organisation. Voting will open on August 1 and close on August 31, 2009.

Hall of Fame

ARN’s judging panel, as well as previous Hall of Fame inductees, will be asked to nominate one person from a vendor, distributor and reseller worthy of recognition. The three individuals will the most votes will be inducted. Inductees will have demonstrated a long-term commitment to the Australian channel.