Forget The Economy. Celebrate The Channel's Best Products

Every business-related conversation I’ve had this year has been against the backdrop of — here we go again — “the worst economy since the Great Depression.” Well, now there’s something to smile ear-to-ear about: In this issue we reveal the products you and your fellow resellers have deemed “Best Channel Products.” (For details on the Best Channel Products survey methodology and the complete special report, see page 26.)

Of course, vendors of the Best Channel Products are thrilled. And the reseller community should be joyous as well. Why? Business Solutions Editor Mike Monocello, a former VAR, said it best in his recent BSM column. “For years, it’s been easy to find reviews and user feedback on general computing devices such as PCs, desktop printers, and even basic networking equipment, but where can you find reviews of products like high-volume production scanners, all-in-one POS [point of sale] terminals, and SAN [storage area network] solutions? There really isn’t a resource that provides real-world assessments of many of the products you resell [or are thinking about reselling].”

Our Best Channel Products special report is as real-world as it gets. Just like our popular Best (and Worst) Channel Vendors survey published in January, we partnered with Penn State University to ensure statistical accuracy. The Best Channel Products survey generated an astonishing 19,833 votes from 2,186 BSM resellers subscribers, eclipsing the 17,771 votes from 1,604 resellers in our Best Vendors survey.

Our editors and account executives talk frequently with our subscribers, and they’ve told us that our Best Channel Vendors special report has proven to be a valuable tool for them — it’s a reference they’ve held onto all year. So keep this issue on your bookshelf, and add this web address to your favorites: www.BSMinfo.com/BestProducts2009. You’ll be just one click away from the list of Best Channel Products.

So pour yourself a cold one, turn to page 26 to read our Best Channel Products special report … and celebrate. You’ve earned it.

P.S. I’d appreciate your feedback on our first-ever Best Channel Products issue. Your input will help us refine the survey in future years and continue our mission of helping you grow your channel business. Thanks!