Winning formula

And so, after heaps of nominations, plenty of second-guessing and several nervous weeks of waiting, the winners of the first ever Channel Middle East Awards finally got their moment in the spotlight.

Monarch provided a fitting backdrop for a memorable gala dinner and ceremony attended by the cream of the region's IT channel community.

Even the IT channel deserves a spot of the red carpet treatment and that's precisely what it got at the inaugural Channel Middle East Awards.

The sight of 300 vendors, distributors and resellers uniting in appreciation of the exceptional work that has been carried out in the Middle East channel during the past year is a reflection of the vibrancy for which the market is renowned.

It was also an opportunity for channel executives to shut down their e-mail for the evening, switch off their mobile phones and catch up with colleagues, business partners and, dare we say it...competitors!But of course, there was no time for exchanging pleasantries when it came to the business of discovering the first ever winners of the Channel Middle East Awards. 16 gongs were dished out in total, with vendors, distributors, resellers and retailers all taking to the stage.

A complete rundown of all the category victors is contained on the following pages, including the details, reasons and information that led the judging panel to make its decision.

The Channel Middle East Awards are about honouring the effort, commitment and innovation behind the success stories that have shaped the development of the overall regional channel during the past year.

Those companies that netted an award are linked by the fact that they all demonstrated bona fide examples of what they have done to facilitate channel growth or make a difference in their field.

But the Channel Middle East Awards isn't - and never will be - merely about acknowledging the companies that return home victorious at the end of the night.

Whilst the harsh reality is that there can only ever be one winner per category, the amount of companies that deserve recognition is innumerable. Selecting a winner was an incredibly tough call to make in many of the categories due to the countless examples of excellence submitted to the judges.

Those finalists that did not collect a trophy should not be downhearted because their good work is very much visible in the market. And, after all, there's always next year's awards!