Another year, another set of outstanding performances by channel partners across EMEA! The Canalys Candefero Channel Partner of the Year awards have always been a keenly awaited highlight, recognizing unparalleled excellence in the realms of Innovation and Sustainability, not to mention the coveted Overall Channel Partner of the Year award. Let’s take a dive into 2023’s winners, analyzing how they have set the bar in their respective fields. 

EMEA Overall Channel Partner of the Year 2023: ACP 

With three decades under its belt, ACP has not only withstood the test of time but has continued to shine brightly in the challenging DACH market. Its recent shift to higher-value services, combined with a broader focus on cloud, AI and managed services, paints a promising picture for its goal to reach €1 billion in revenue in the coming years. ACP’s commitment to “making IT for innovators” is evident in its growth trajectory. 

Rainer Kalkbrener, CEO of ACP, encapsulated this sentiment, stating, “ACP is an employee-owned IT service provider in Austria and Germany. Together we drive the as-a-service revolution to make hybrid work joyful for users and IT departments. We support our customers on their hybrid cloud journeys and help them to generate value out of their data. Simply, we make IT for innovators. In 30 years, we have achieved an enormous amount and we have even more ideas for our future success. We are excited and honored to receive the Overall Channel Partner of the Year award at the Canalys Forum EMEA 2023.” 

EMEA Innovation Partner of the Year 2023: Insight 

Navigating challenging macroeconomic conditions, Insight has emerged as a beacon of innovation. The recent launch of its Generative AI solutions portfolio, alongside its InsightGPT tool, has taken center stage in automating procurement, RFP processes and marketing functions. The InsightGPT tool is supported by large-scale strategic partnerships with Microsoft, NVIDIA and NetApp. 

Adrian Gregory, Insight EMEA President, said, “This recognition highlights Insight’s ongoing commitment to delivering comprehensive digital transformation to our clients through innovative services and solutions. Our unique approach of combining the best people with long-standing industry expertise, targeted processes, a heritage partner network and the latest technologies in the market means we are in a position to deliver proven results to organizations globally.

“As a leading Solutions Integrator, we look to continuously innovate our own processes and operations to better support other businesses on their digital journeys. A recent example includes our internal AI platform, InsightGPT, which supports employee learning as well as process optimizations with AI, which in turn is proving beneficial to our clients. Canalys’ EMEA Innovation Partner of the Year award is a testament to our own abilities to innovate, helping our clients digitally accelerate through our best-in-class solutions.”

EMEA Sustainability Partner of the Year 2023: Four IT 

Leading the charge on sustainability, Four IT has put the circular economy at the forefront of its strategy. Through its innovative ITAD services, it is giving unsellable hardware a second lease of life and ensuring used components don’t end up in landfills. Its efforts in the Netherlands, combined with significant partnerships in Africa aimed at empowering the education of children, truly make it deserving of this accolade. 

Maaike Dekkers-Duijts, CEO of Four IT, said, “We are proud of winning the Sustainability Partner of the Year award with our 360 lifecycle management solution. We are grateful for our colleagues, customers and suppliers who help make our services possible.” 
 
Alastair Edwards, Canalys Chief Analyst, said, “Year after year, the Canalys Candefero Channel Partner of the Year awards serve as a testament to the innovative spirit and unwavering commitment of our channel partners. In 2023, we’ve seen an unprecedented focus on sustainability, innovation and customer-centric growth strategies. Partners such as ACP, Insight and Four IT are not just meeting market demands, they are setting industry benchmarks. Their triumphs underscore the transformative power of the channel community, and it’s an honor to celebrate their achievements.”