Virtual Iron (www.virtualiron.com), a provider of enterprise-class server virtualization and virtual infrastructure management software, today announced it has been recognized by Everything Channel as one of North America's top information-technology (IT) vendors for its Channel One program. This is the second consecutive year the company has been awarded such an honor.

Virtual Iron's partner program was awarded a Five-Star certification in Everything Channel's 15th annual 2009 Partner Program Guide (PPG), acknowledging its commitment and strength of its programs for reseller partners which include IT integrators, technology solution providers, and consultants. A list of PPG winners appear in the March 30 issue of CRN magazine, the channel industry's leading publication, and online at www.Channelweb.com, the world's largest channel industry portal.

There are a number of product and service providers in the market that complement Virtual Iron's ability to create and manage the virtual data center and enable enterprise IT groups to rapidly respond to changing business demands. Virtual Iron delivers its products through a core group of System Integrators (SIs), Consultants, Value Added Resellers (VARs), and Distributors via the Channel One Program. These channel partners complement and extend our offerings to deliver cost-effective virtualization solutions to our joint customers. For more information, visit www.virtualiron.com/partners.

"We place a lot of emphasis on the relationships with our channel partners and are honored to be recognized again for our efforts," said Bill Simpson, Vice President of Channel Sales for Virtual Iron. "By combining Virtual Iron's advanced virtualization and management capabilities with our partner's products and services, customers receive the benefit of an extended offering that can enable them to do more with less in today's difficult economic times."

Research for the 2009 Everything Channel Partner Programs Guide and the Everything Channel Five-Star Program was conducted by Everything Channel's Institute for Partner Education & Development (IPED). IPED analyzed 130 vendor programs rating vendors' responses to nearly 60 in-depth questions about their partner programs in the six elements of sales support, marketing support, partner profitability, channel operations, communications and partner recruitment. To ensure fair comparisons, companies were placed in one of four categories based on company size. IPED weighted the responses to each question about such program elements as sales support and partner recruitment so that the total weight given to a vendor's answers in any of the six elements can potentially be scored as high as 100. The weighting scheme varies depending on the company size and product type and is based on IPED proprietary analysis methodology and intellectual property. In each of the four company categories, the companies with the highest overall weighted scores received the Everything Channel Five-Star Program designation.

"Now more than ever, the quality of a vendor's partner program determines how profitable its partners will be. So for their commitment to their partners, and their efforts to build quality programs, we congratulate this year's Five-Star Partner Program Guide winners for helping to drive greater revenue in the channel," said Robert C. DeMarzo, senior vice president and editorial director, Everything Channel.