When 360 Magazine instituted the Golden Rhino Award, partners didn’t even know that they could make demands from their manufacturers. Five years ago, the Indian IT market was booming, manufacturers came with the attitude of ‘take it or leave it’. Partners, too, were novices; just about learning the rules of the trade. They were in awe of the might of the manufacturers. Today, the maturity of those in the trade has increased considerably, as has the prestige and significance of the Golden Rhino Award.
It therefore gives us immense pride to see the stature of the Award increasing with time and keeping pace with the growing demands of channel partners. This award is the only one in the country that lets a partner evaluate the manufacturer. And to ensure that the evaluation is unbiased, it’s done on various levels – product, reliability and after-sales infrastructure. And thus it’s an Award that speaks of trust, consistency and dependability. In the last five years, recipients of the Award have gained a reputation of being the channel’s most trusted vendor.
And going by the results, it’s clear that this trust is not easily earned nor is it fleeting. Big-budget brands that have not provided sufficient service support or have failed to improve on product quality have not made it to the list of winners. The winds of accountability are definitely sweeping over the channel. The might of the manufacturers is slowly and steadily giving way to the discerning demands of the partner.
And to be the harbinger of this change is Golden Rhino Awards’ biggest and most significant contribution to both partners and manufacturers.