CMP Channel Group's CRN Channel Champions to be Announced on March 9

Annual Study Identifies Leading Vendors and Services Customer Satisfaction; Study is the Premier Solution Provider Resource to Evaluate Vendors

PRNewswire-FirstCall
MANHASSET, N.Y.
Feb 26, 2007

MANHASSET, N.Y., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CMP Channel Group's CRN today announced that the 16th annual Channel Champions winners will be honored at an awards ceremony at CMP's XChange Solution Provider conference on March 9 in San Diego, CA.

The CRN Channel Champions Study measures overall Solution Provider perceptions of vendor products and services. The result is a premier resource used by VARs and technology integrators throughout the industry to evaluate vendors and their programs.

The CRN Channel Champions survey is the largest and broadest-based Solution Provider market study in the industry. CRN received more than 100 vendor ratings for all of the categories combined. Nearly 2,000 Solution Providers responded to the survey, conducted between December 2006 and January 2007, with many respondents qualified to rate more than one vendor. Vendors rated in each category were chosen on the basis of market share data provided by major research firms. In the case where market share data was not available, vendors were chosen by CRN senior editorial staff recommendations.

They were chosen at random from CRN's subscriber list and were pre-qualified to ensure that they worked in the category, were familiar with the products, and had a significant relationship with the vendor(s) being rated. CRN specified that VARs and technology integrators rate only those vendors with whom they had either a strategic partner type of business relationship, when possible.

The rankings of vendors will be unveiled in 27 different product and service categories and one vendor will be revealed as the Champion for each category which will be revealed live at the Channel Champions Award event. The categories include, Business Software Suites; Client & Server Processors; Client Security Software; Network Color Laser Printers; Databases/Data Management; Commercial Desktop PCs; E-mail/Collaboration Software; External Data Backup; Flat Panel Displays; Enterprise Networking Hardware; Enterprise Wireless LANs; Infrastructure Integration Software; Midrange Servers; Multifunction Printers; Network Storage (SAN or NAS); Network Operating Systems; Network Security Hardware; Network Security Software; Notebooks; Server-Class Disk Drives; SMB/Volume Servers; SMB Networking Hardware; SMB Wireless LANs; Storage Management Software; Systems and Network Management; UPS Data Center Power Management; and Voice-over-IP Technology.

"The Channel Champions survey is the premier resource for Solution Providers and VARs to use when evaluating vendors and programs for their customers," said Dan Dignam, Vice President and Publisher of CRN. "We are looking forward to extending our congratulations to the top vendors at the formal awards event during the XChange Solution Provider conference."

"For 16 years this study has been the premier resource to evaluate channel vendors. Our research provides a perspective of the marketplace, like no other resource," Heather Clancy, Vice President/Editor, CRN. "At our awards ceremony we will recognize the leading channel vendors and programs, recognized by satisfied business partners."

The CRN Channel Champions awards will be published in the May 7 issue of CRN.

The CRN Channel Champions awards are generously supported by platinum sponsor Samsung and gold sponsors, ADTRAN, Oracle, Symantec, Toshiba and Websense.

About CRN (http://www.crn.com/)

CRN provides solution providers and technology integrators with the crucial information and analysis they need to drive their company's sales. As an advocate for and voice of the IT channel, solution providers turn to CRN first for immediate information. With nearly 25 years of experience, CRN is the most trusted source for channel professionals. CRN can be found on the web at http://www.crn.com/.

About CMP Channel Group (http://www.cmpchannelgroup.com/)

CMP Channel Group is the one stop shop customers turn to in order to meet their global sales channel objectives from access to execution. Through use of its print products which include CRN and VARBusiness, their accompanying websites, the broader ChannelWeb network, the Group's XChange worldwide face-to-face conferences and the Institute for Partner Education & Development (IPED), vendors are able to accelerate sales through the channel. CMP Channel Group provides a worldwide answer to advertising, branding and marketing services, lead generation, market intelligence, branded and custom events, education of solution providers and best practices for vendors.

About CMP Technology (http://www.cmp.com/)

CMP Technology is a marketing-solutions company serving the technology industry. Through its market-leading portfolio of trusted information brands, CMP has earned the confidence of more technology professionals than any other media company. As a result, CMP is the premier provider of access, insight and actionable programs designed to connect sellers and buyers in ways that yield superior return on investment. CMP Technology is a subsidiary of United Business Media (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/), a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $3 billion.

Contact:
  Kate Spellman
  CMP Channel Group
  kspellman@cmp.com
  516.562.7383

SOURCE: CMP Technology

CONTACT: Kate Spellman of CMP Channel Group, +1-516-562-7383,
kspellman@cmp.com

Web site: http://www.cmp.com/
http://www.crn.com/
http://www.cmpchannelgroup.com/
http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/

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