Were you at the CRN Awards?

Last night’s CRN awards were a night of celebration. Attended by a huge number of resellers, vendors and distributors it was set to be a night to remember. The awards are probably one of the most sought after awards in the industry and seek to honour the high achievers of 2008 for their commitment to the channel. The awards were presented at the Battersea Park Events Arena, set in picturesque surrounds of Battersea Park and ideal for hosting a big event like last night’s awards. The night started off with champagne (of course) and plenty of time to catch up, gossip and network. This was followed by great entertainment with Jimmy Carr as the host of the night, an award winner himself. To get a taste for his comedy, check him out on youtube.

Our three course meal was barely digested and the actual awards kicked off. Various vendors, distributors and partners were praised and we were starting to feel increasingly anxious about the big moment which would reveal the Security Vendor of the Year. As Doug Woodburn entered the stage, I looked around the tables and realised I wasn’t the only one holding my breath.

Trend Micro was nominated amongst vendors such as Checkpoint, McAfee, Symantec, Webroot, Blue Coat and Fortinet but won the award based on its continued commitment to the channel with successful initiatives like its Worry-Free SMB partner programme. All the hard work had finally paid off. A powerful award entry led to the shortlist. That was the first step. But since these awards are based on a public voting system, the time and effort put into motivating partners to vote, must have been enormous. Everyone is over the moon. Needless to say, the celebrations carried on until the early morning hours with well needed bacon baguettes marking the second stage of the night: late night dancing at Pacha.

Thanks to everyone for a brilliant awards night and congratulations to Trend Micro – what an achievement!

Video On Demand: Boosting not Breaking Trad TV and Radio

We were at an interesting First Tuesday networking event last night about how video on demand is changing the media scene. The accepted wisdom is that being able to download video whenever you like will destroy traditional broadcasting. But one of the big messages that came out the excellent panel discussion was how VoD extends the impact of traditional TV. One good example is how cult TV shows like The Office which became famous in the UK on BBC2, gained its global appeal via Youtube.

On demand technology is creating a third screen. Most homes have two TVs and now the PC is becoming the third screen for watching TV on demand thanks to services like the BBC iPlayer. Strangely enough we're watching VoD at the same 6 to 9.00 in the evening time slot.

Another familiar point was made at First Tuesday. Content is king and for the consumer it's irrelevant how it is delivered - we want to be able to pick it up wherever and whenever we want and in whatever format.

So rather than replacing traditional media, online will further expand and develop it. Sure there will be some victims, probably those not able to change fast enough. For the rest of us, there is a whole new world of exciting communications opportunities for us to explore.