Celebrating CRN’s night of nights

Channel Award Winners
Vendor Awards

Consumer Hardware Vendor of the Year
Toshiba
Judges Comments:
“Channel focused”
“Strong quality of product”

Networking Vendor of the Year
Linksys
Judges Comments:
“Relatively straightforward to sell and support with good quality, value for money products”

Software Vendor of the Year
Microsoft
Judges Comments:
“Almost exclusively channel driven business”
“Well established software giant with well established channel model that has been refined with more focus under Pip Marlow”

Storage Vendor of the Year
Hewlett-Packard
Judges Comments:
“Innovation and technical skills are second to none.”

Security Vendor of the Year
Bluecoat
Judges Comments:
“Fastest growing security vendor with a protected channel model and great margins in prime deal as well as renewal and service attachment which is rare in the security space.”

Marketing Award
ASUSTeK
Judges Comments:
“Effective campaign that stood out across a range of different mediums”

Vendor of the Year
Hewlett-Packard

Distributor Awards
Consumer Hardware Distributor of the Year
Ingram Micro
Judges Comments:
“Overall package for resellers”
“Easy distributor to work with”

Networking Distributor of the Year
LAN Systems
Judges Comments:
“Skilled personnel focused on network solution selling.”
“Great Sales team and excellent coverage.”

Software Distributor of the Year
Express Data
Judges Comments:
“Focus on "value ad' services to resellers, not simply pricing and credit facilities for the channel”

Security Distributor of the Year
ITX
Judges Comments:
“Strong national distribution supported by dedicated security BDM. They have built a strong suite of security products.”

Storage Distributor of the Year
Ingram Micro
Judges Comments:
“Large range of products and good pre-sales technical resource”

Distributor of the Year
Express data

CRN Channel Champion 2007
Wayne Small

CRN Channel Champion 2007
Michael Costigan

Proof that good things come in Small packages

Establishing, running and maintaining a successful reseller business is enough work for most aspiring channel businessmen to take on. However Wayne Small has achieved the above and has now set his sights on giving back to an IT community and providing additional resources for Australia’s SMB resellers.

It explains why Small has become the first reseller to receive a CRN Channel Champion Award for outstanding achievements in Australia’s channel. Small received the award at CRN’s inaugural Channel Champion Awards ceremony earlier this month at Sydney’s Shangri-La Hotel.

Small started his reseller outfit Correct Solutions 10 years ago and successfully grew the business to turn over $2 million-plus a year. However it was Small’s recent redirection which sets him apart from the pack.

“Last year I made the decision to actually step back from the Correct business,” said Small. “I decided I enjoyed helping people grow their business. I had a number of people asking if I would be their business mentor. When I stepped back from Correct then I had the time to focus on my writing and the training,” he said.

Small currently spends a couple of days a week working at Correct and the rest of his time running courses, such as a series of training courses for Microsoft. However Small has bigger aspirations, including the eventual launch of Australia’s first SMB-focused reseller event.

“There is no event in Australia which focuses on the SMB IT reseller. In the US they have a number of them. Various vendors host reseller events, but they are typically focused at the enterprise-level salespeople. I designed a conference called SMB focus and we were planning on running that in November of this year. Due to a number of reasons we had to pull the pin on that,” he said. “We have postponed, we are regrouping and will do something next year. Sometimes you come up with a concept which is a little too soon.”

Small explained that the idea behind the event was to run an event focused on the SMB IT reseller that does not just focus on the business and technical aspects, but also focuses on the work/life balance.

“The event will talk about one-/two-man operations, which most SMBs are, and asks how can we address the needs of our clients without also causing problems at home,” he said.

Going beyond your social responsibility and giving back to a worthy SMB reseller community is the reason Small is taking the first Channel Champion bragging right. Hopefully he’ll inspire others in the channel to do the same.

Distributing his channel knowledge

The second CRN Channel Champion Award went to a distributor employee who was nominated by his peers for being a skilled leader and someone who is a joy to work with.

Michael Costigan, national sales manager at Avnet has created a range of successful programs for the company’s business partner community. He also picked up the awards for his deep knowledge of the channel and a commitment to helping his business partners.

Lillie Heathwood, marketing communications manager at Avnet Technology Solutions, said that Costigan possesses huge amounts of enthusiasm around the Avnet office.

“Anyone who works with Michael can’t help but be swept up in his passion and he is never in doubt of direction. He has all the archetypical qualities of a terrific leader, whilst always maintaining originality and imagination in everything he does. He is also a whole lot of fun and always makes sure his team is happy and in high spirits,” she said.

Heathwood said Costigan is very talented at implementing overarching strategies and programs that appeal and cater to the channel.

“He demonstrates an understanding and insight into channel marketing that borders on intuition,” added Heathwood. “His deep knowledge of the channel makes him a significant influence, however it is his instinctive understanding of our business partners ambitions and how they can be released that truly shows his commitment.”

Costigan said he was hugely surprised at receiving the award on the night. “I didn’t think I’d get named,” Costigan told CRN. “I guess it just shows the dedication of the whole Avnet team. Some of the marketing programs we have put out have meant a lot to our resellers. I am just the part of a whole operation.”

During six years at Avnet, Costigan has witnessed the firm move into the role of a value-added distributor with an extended base of resellers.
“We want to continue to grow organically and through acquisitions in line with our global strategy. We will be having more interaction with partners, which is the greatest pleasure for me,” added Costigan.