(Pictured above: Craig Galbraith (right) and Kevin Morris, hosts of the Channel Partners podcast, Coffee with Craig and Kevin, welcome winners, finalists and invited guests to the inaugural Excellence in Digital Services Awards, April 10, at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Las Vegas. Between them is the podcast’s digital services robot mascot, DigiBot, who represents all of the new digital services these fine companies are selling.)
We honored 13 partner businesses at the first-ever Channel Partners Excellence in Digital Services Awards Networking Reception at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo. Similar to our old awards program – the CP360 – we recognized some of the top companies in the business, only this time we did so in 12 categories that drilled down on specific technologies and strategies in the channel. That was followed by a party where we opened the doors to all-access and conference & expo pass holders.
We also took time to honor our Channel Influencers of the Year. The event was sponsored by Airtel Business, NTS Direct, Retarus and Unify.
Scroll through the gallery below for pictures of winners accepting their hardware. Then read about the customer deals that helped them win, as judged by the Channel Partners/Channel Futures editorial team, members of the Channel Partners Editorial Advisory Board and friends of the brand.
Not pictured is the team from Nexus Communications Technology, recognized in the Vertical Virtuoso category. Photos courtesy Steve Hall Photography.
Follow executive editor @Craig_Galbraith on Twitter.
Brand Builder — MBX SystemsThis honor goes to a company that used improved processes, insights and technology to improve a client’s end-customer experience, increasing brand loyalty and profit margin.
Pictured here is the team from
MBX Systems: Carl Nothnagel, VP of operations (left); and Justin Formella, chief strategy officer.
Cloud Builder — Clarify360This award recognizes a partner's excellence in helping customers with cloud brokering and consulting, managing on-premises, public cloud or colocated data-center capabilities.
Pictured with DigiBot is the team from
Clarify360Â (left to right): Michael Jordan, VP of global accounts; Kelly Ratcliff, CEO; and Jo Peterson, VP of cloud services.
Code Controller — Big ITThis award honors a partner that helps customers with custom app development, design or deployment of APIs, mobile UX or DevOps.
That's
Big IT CEO Timothy Cormier with the friendly bot.
Consultant of the Year — TnT SolutionsThis honor goes to a company that developed, provisioned and managed personalized, specialized IT services that transformed a customer's business.
Pictured are
TnT Solutions' Traci Cox, president and senior IT consultant (left); and Tammy Morris, VP and chief operating officer.
Master of Disaster — Net7 SolutionsYou guessed it: The Master of Disaster goes to a partner that takes creative steps to protect customers from data loss and the resulting business disruption.
Pictured here from
Net7 Solutions are Chris Checksfield, president (left), and Steve Hayes, VP of sales and marketing.
Next-Gen Telecom Award — Advanced Technology ConsultingThis award goes to a partner business that delivered outstanding telecommunications and collaboration capabilities, including client call center and user support.
Popping his head up from behind DigiBot is Louie Hollmeyer, director of marketing.for
ATC.
Purveyor of Productivity — Bridlewood ConsultingThis honor recognizes excellence in helping clients get maximum value out of investments in people, systems and technology.
Pictured is Scott Levy, founder and CEO of
Bridlewood Consulting, who you can see by the number of fingers he's holding up, is a regular winner of Channel Partners awards.
Vanguard Award — One Ring NetworksThis award is presented to a company that turned digital-transformation expertise inward to revitalize its own business.
That's Anurag Joshi, head of global channels and business development with Airtel Business (event sponsor) on the right posing with Digi and winnerÂ
One Ring Networks.
Visionary Award — Upnetworx
This honor goes to a partner that employs new, cutting-edge technologies such as machine learning, AI, virtual reality, blockchain or IoT as the primary enabler of a solution.
Pictured from Upnetworx are Don Douglas, CEO, and Robert Short, VP of consulting.
White Hat Award — Certified NETS
A partner gets this honor for protecting customers from cyberthreats. It includes physical security, such as video surveillance.
Flanking DigiBot is the team from Certified NETS.
White Hat Award — PowernetWe actyually had a tie in this category. Congrats to the team from
Powernet as well.
Pictured are Chris Raponi, senior director of strategic channels, and Penny Thurnau, VP of strategic alliances.
Digi Master — SabinoCompTechThe loftiest award of them all, the Digi Master, goes to a partner whose entry covered the gamut of digital transformation for a customer.
Pictured are Nancy Sabino, CEO, and Angel Sabino, COO, of
SabinoCompTech.