This week, at XChange Tech Innovator in Las Vegas, we presented the 2009 Tech Innovator Awards. Awards went to those companies that created the most dynamic new opportunities for solution providers, and winners included companies like Fortinet, Xerox and Panasonic, who each snagged "Innovator of the Year" awards. Check out all the winners in our slide show, and look for more details coming soon.

As promised, we've posted the complete Annual Report Card special report for 2009. The Annual Report Card represents the evaluations of thousands of solution providers, scoring their own vendor partners, in eighteen tech categories and in a variety of product, support and partnership criteria.

Robert DeMarzo explains how the mix of issues solution providers thought most important has changed this year:

"While partners have long rated criteria related to product and technology as most important, economic factors drove business issues higher in relevance this year. That is why such criteria as revenue and profit potential, ease of doing business or return on investment became more significant in some categories."

At the ARC home page, you'll find the detailed score cards and profiles of the winners and losers in each category; features on ARC's most improved companies; the most important takeaways from this years's research; and a look at where vendors anticipate business growth; our slide shows of the awards event; and profiles of some of the top winners.

Finally, if you want to crunch the numbers, you'll find complete Report Cards and a company search for every ARC, going back to our 1996 report.

Solution providers count on new and innovative technology to keep ahead of their competitors and offer creative solutions for their customer's business problems.

And each year, we recognize the most important new products providing opportunities for solution provider at our Tech Innovator Awards. This year, the awards will be presented at XChange Tech Innovators in Las Vegas in November. (You'll find last year's Tech Innovator award winners in our slide show.)

Applications for the awards are open now. Products must have been launched in the last year and available through the channel now. The application is free and available at http://www.crn.com/tiform. The deadline is July 24, so don't delay!

Tech Innovators is just one of many awards and directories offered by Everything Channel throughout the year. Keep an eye on ChannelWeb Directories and Awards 2009 for additional opportunities.

We've posted our annual look at new technology vendors on the hunt for channel partners. Why should solution providers take a chance with a new vendor? In Finding Growth With Emerging Vendors Steven Burke reports:

"Solution providers say emerging vendors across the board... are delivering hands-down greater return on investment for them and their customers. They say emerging vendors are more channel-friendly... and provide better technical support and service... Not only that, they say they are able to get to developers and make product changes that benefit their clients."

But where to start? Online now, you'll find 140 new companies listed in our Emerging Vendors Directory including a breakdown by technology sector; complete details about each of them in our Databank of Emerging Vendors, along with an Advanced Search to help you sort out the list in even more detail.

In addition, you'll find slide show profiles of many of the top emerging vendors in a number of technologies, including Software, Virtualization, Hardware, Storage, Networking and Security, along with the indespensible guide to the Coolest Emerging Vendors.

Get to know them. They may be helping you advance your business before you know it.

The deadlines to participate in two of our key channel projects of the year are being held open a couple more days, but the time to get in is now!

Fast Growth identifies those VAR and solution provider businesses that are bucking the economy and scoring strong year-over-year growth. The application is at http://www.crn.com/fastgrowthform.

Women In The Channel recognizes leading women executives at solution provider, distribution and vendor companies. Apply at http://www.crn.com/mpw_form.

Both applications are free, and could result in beaucoup bragging (and marketing) opportunities for you and your organization. But they both close this week -- don't say I didn't warn you.

Now that the VAR 500 is out in the wild, our tireless research crew is on to our next great solution provider directory of the year, this year's Fast Growth 100.

Just like last year's list, Fast Growth will recognize those solution providers, of any size, that have bucked the economic climate and notched significant year-over-year revenue growth. Has your organization worked out the mysteries of growth? Apply now and let us know!

Fast Growth 2009 will be online in August. The deadline for submissions is June 12, so don't delay!

We've opened up nominations for our annual guide to the most powerful and influential women in the channel -- including solution provider, vendor and distribution executives.

Last year's guide included leaders such as Cisco's Wendy Bahr, Arrow Electronics' Cathy Morris and Symantec's Julie Parrish. In the year that's passed, new solution providers and vendors have reshaped the industry, and we're once again looking for those women making a difference at their organizations.

You can nominate yourself, or someone else who you see as an effective and inspiring leader. Entries are free, and the deadline is June 12. But why wait? Apply today!

Solution providers and vendors working in the public sector -- we've opened up applications for an important opportunity for channel recognition.

Our Government Integrator Awards, to be presented June 11, at XChange Government Integrator in Washington D.C., honor innovation and excellence among businesses working in the federal, state and local government, healthcare and education markets. Categories are open for both vendors and solution providers, and this year, a new group of awards will honor those organizations creating and taking advantage of economic stimulus opportunities.

Applications are free, and open until May 11, so time is short!  Apply for the 2009 Government Integrator Awards today!

Meanwhile, vendors, don't forget that Emerging Vendors 2009 is still open for applications, through May 15.