The winner of the business Partner Awards for resellers will be announced on November 16 in Auckland, says Bill Bennett, editor of Reseller News, co-convenor of the awards.
The 16 finalists were announced in Reseller News on Friday 20 October. Category winners will be selected from the short-list of finalists by the same panel of five judges from IBM and Reseller News.
The judges for selecting the overall winner are Garth Biggs, executive director of the HiGrowth Project, Katrina Troughton, managing director of IBM New Zealand and Reseller News’ Bennett. A supreme winner will then be selected from one of the eight category winners, says Bennett.
Three months ago, Bennett urged Computerworld readers to nominate resellers for the awards, and the response has been very good, he says.
“A large number of finalists were nominated by customers,” he says.
The scope of the finalists is significant, he says.
“Some of them are the biggest names in their category, while others are really small.”
He adds that the awards programme has received “quite a few outstanding entrants” across all categories.
The main prize is $5,000 to be spent on marketing, teambuilding, training or merchandise.
Category winners will receive $1,500 each, earmarked for travel, team building and merchandise. The prize for the best non-IBM business partner is a Fairfax advertising and promotion package, worth $1,000.
The 2006 IBM Business Partner Awards finalists are:
Infrastructure simplification
Gen-i
Systems Advisory Services (SAS)
Computer Concepts
Service-oriented architecture
Gen-i
SolNet Solutions
Certus Solutions
Workplace collaboration
Certus Solutions
Crossware Solutions
Information management
Integral Technology
Fujitsu
ISV and SI
Synergy International
Quanta Systems
Walstan Systems
Best non-IBM partner
SQL Services
TelstraClear
Business Dynamics
Best small business deal
Aiscorp
Indigo Software
Crossware Solutions