IBM: IBM Named 2009 CRN Channel Champion

ARMONK, NY--(Marketwire - March 11, 2009) - IBM (NYSE: [ IBM ]) was named a 2009 CRN Channel Champion at an awards ceremony in New Orleans, LA on March 10 at the XChange Solution Provider conference. The CRN Channel Champions study measures overall Solution Provider perceptions of vendor products and services. The survey is the largest and broadest-based technology integrator market study in the industry. The result is a premier resource used by VARs and technology integrators throughout the industry to evaluate vendors and their programs.

The survey rated more than 100 vendors in 24 key product and service categories. The categories included: Client Security Software; Collaboration Software; Data & Information Management; Enterprise Networking Hardware; Flat Panel Displays 19"-30"; High Capacity Hard Drives (300GB+); Middleware; Midrange Servers; Multifunction Printers; Network Security; Appliances; Network Security Software; Network Storage; Notebooks/Mobile Computers; Power Protection and Management; Server/Application Virtualization; SMB Business Software Suites; SMB Networking Hardware; SMB Wireless LANs; SMB External Storage; SMB Volume Servers; Storage Management Software/Data Protection Software; Systems and Network Management Software; Unified Communications/Voice-over-IP Technology; and Workgroup Color Printers.

The CRN Channel Champions survey was conducted between January 2009 and February 2009. Solution Providers 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. Many respondents were qualified to rate more than one vendor. 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. 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. VARs and technology integrators were asked to rate the relative importance of the individual evaluation criteria. To derive the overall score for each vendor, the raw satisfaction scores were weighted according to the relative importance of the evaluation criteria.

"IBM is committed to driving solutions with our Business Partners that help customers cut costs, drive efficiency and productivity, preserve capital and create competitive advantage," said Rich Hume, general manager of IBM Global Business Partners. "We are dedicated to becoming the partner of choice and are honored that the Business Partner community has chosen IBM as a leader in these award categories."

"Solution Providers have come to rely on the CRN Channel Champions study as a way to evaluate the leading technology vendors in the Channel today. We congratulate the winners for delivering high-quality solutions that satisfy business partners," said Robert C. DeMarzo, senior vice president and editorial director, Everything Channel.

For additional information on Channel Champions, visit [ www.channelweb.com ]. Channel Champions award winners and related study will be published in the April 27, 2009 print issue of CRN Magazine, which for 26 years has been the technology channel's paper of record, and the source for channel analysis and technology insight.

For more information on IBM Channel Program please visit: [ www.ibm.com/partnerworld ].

Everything Channel ([ www.everythingchannel.com ], [ www.channelweb.com ])

Everything Channel is the one-stop shop for accessing, enabling, managing and accelerating technology sales channels. From branding and recruiting to marketing and sales, Everything Channel offers technology marketers the unmatched breadth and depth of global brands and market intelligence combined with unparalleled audience loyalty and credibility serving all technology sales channels through an extensive database. Everything Channel provides innovative sales and marketing solutions to arm the sellers of technology with the resources they need to achieve measurable and significant results.

About United Business Media Limited ([ www.unitedbusinessmedia.com ])

United Business Media Limited (UBM) is a global media and marketing services company that informs markets and brings the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print, and with the information they need to do business successfully. UBM serves professional and commercial communities, from IT professionals to doctors, from journalists to jewelry dealers, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. UBM employs more than 6,500 people in more than 30 countries. UBM's businesses operating in the US include CMPMedica, Commonwealth Business Media, Everything Channel, PR Newswire, RISI, TechInsights, TechWeb and Think Services. UBM is listed on the London Stock Exchange (UBM.L) and has a market capitalization of $1.6 billion.

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IBM: IBM Named 2009 CRN Channel Champion