Technology services giant Dimension Data emerged as the major winner at Microsoft's annual Partner Awards, announced at a gala dinner at Sun City on Thursday night.
Dimension Data walked away with five awards, including the Large Account Reseller of the Year, Services Partner and Unified Communications Solutions Partner Awards.
Two companies won three awards each: Security specialists BUI won three awards - including the Security and Identity Solutions Competency award for a fifth year in a row - while IS Partners crowned a successful year by being named Microsoft's Business Solutions Partner of the Year.
The dinner was held at the conclusion of Microsoft's Partner Summit, the company's premier annual event for industry partners. The finalists were chosen from hundreds of entries submitted by partners across the country, and the winners were selected on their dedicated use of Microsoft technologies to provide solutions for their customers' needs.
Other companies to shine at the event were Mustek, which won three awards, including the prestigious Managing Director's Partner of the Year Award, and Netsurit, which won the coveted Small Business Specialist Award.
Mteto Nyati, managing director of Microsoft SA, said that although the way that people and businesses consumed technology was changing, partners remained at the heart of the Microsoft business model.
"We've not only made a Microsoft-sized commitment to the cloud - we're making the same commitment to our partners," he said. "Our partners are the cornerstone for delivering our offerings. Microsoft's business models are, and have always been, partner-centric."
Mark Reynolds, head of the small and mid-market solutions and partners at Microsoft South Africa, said the standard of entries received for the awards was among the highest ever. The judging process was also more stringent and transparent than in previous years, with finalists having to come through a gruelling two-round process that included face-to-face presentations to a panel.
The full list of winners is:
SOA & Business Process Solutions Partner of the Year - 3fifteen
Custom Development Solutions Partner of the Year - Belay Solutions
Xbox Retailer of the Year - BT Games
Networking Infrastructure Solutions Partner of the Year - BUI
Security & Identity Solutions Partner of the Year - BUI
Winning Customers Partner of the Year - BUI
OEM Hardware System Builder of the Year - COA Group
Learning Solutions Partner of the Year - CTU Training Solutions
Desktop Platform Partner of the Year - Dimension Data
Large Account Reseller of the Year - Dimension Data
Services Partner of the Year - Dimension Data
Systems Management Solutions Partner of the Year- Dimension Data
Unified Communications Solutions Partner of the Year - Dimension Data
Microsoft Hardware Retailer of the Year - DionWired
Server Platform Partner of the Year - Gijima
Hosting Solutions Partner of the Year - Global Micro Solutions
Customer Experience Partner of the Year - INTEGR8 IT
Information Worker Solutions Partner of the Year - Intervate Solutions
Business Intelligence Solutions Partner of the Year - IS Partners
Data Management Solutions Partner of the Year - IS Partners
Microsoft Business Solutions Partner of the Year - IS Partners
Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Partner of the Year - K2
Mobility Solutions Partner of the Year - Mint Management Technologies
MD's Partner of the Year - Mustek
Distributor of the Year - Mustek
Royalty OEM Partner of the Year - Mustek
Small Business Specialist Partner of the Year - Netsurit
Licensing Solutions Partner of the Year - Network Alliance
Software Asset Management Partner of the Year - Scantrack
Regional Partner of the Year - Technolutions
Virtualisation Partner of the Year - The i5 Group
Corporate Social Investment Partner of the Year - Torque IT
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