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Sun Microsystems Computer Corp.'s ability to leverage its years of experience and large installed base has kept the workstation manufacturer on top with resellers. VARs and system integrators.
"When you have a commanding market share, it helps create pull for resellers," said Jay Laurenzi, Sun's director of U.S. reseller channels.
The company won a tight three-company race among resellers, winning the Vision Awards Survey with its SparcStation series as the best RISC workstation line of 1994.
The SparcStation captured 23 percent of the nominations in CRN's second annual Vision Awards survey, while Hewlett Packard Co.'s 700 workstation series won 22 percent and IBM Corp.'s RS/6000 series received 21 percent of votes.
Apple Computer Inc.'s Power Macintosh finished fourth, with 13 percent, and Digital Equipment Corp.'s Alpha workstation line placed fifth, cited by 7 percent.
Customer loyalty might have played an important role in Sun's close win. Laurenzi said many sites with large bases of Sun products tend to remain Sun customers as long as the company keeps providing competitive products.
"This helps resellers by allowing us to create the demand that they fulfill," he said. "Resellers appreciate products that the market wants."
Vic Leventhal, chief executive of VAR CAD Solutions Inc., San Jose, Calif., agreed that customers like to stay with a name brand as long as it is current.
"It is important to have a broad product...