2023 Partner Program Guide

Solution providers, VARs and strategic service providers look to IT vendors to provide them with the industry-leading hardware and software products they need to meet their customers’ needs. No surprise, then, that IT vendor product portfolios are often the most important component of vendor-channel relationships.

But a critical part of any solution provider decision about which IT vendors to work with is what a vendor has to offer to help partners be more successful, including margins and financial incentives, sales and marketing assistance, training and certifications, and more. When solution providers choose which IT vendors to align with, vendors’ partner programs must be a big part of that decision. To help with those evaluations, CRN assembles its annual Partner Program Guide. This year the guide is based on detailed applications submitted by more than 300 vendors, outlining all aspects of their partner programs.

Vendors know they have to be at the top of their game when it comes to offering solution providers incentives, training, recurring revenue opportunities and more. Here are the vendors leading the way.

We asked IT vendors to provide their “elevator pitch” to convince solution providers to join their partner program. Here’s what 25 had to say.

We asked IT vendors what element of their partner program they wished more partners took advantage of and what benefits partners are leaving on the table. Here’s what 25 had to say.

IT vendors were asked what they considered to be the top goals for their partner programs in 2023. Here’s what 25 had to say.

As part of the Partner Program Guide, CRN designates some top vendor channel programs as 5-Star Partner Programs - programs that offer the most comprehensive lineups of incentives, training, services and benefits. The following slide shows highlight the vendor programs with 5-Star recognition. We’ll be rolling out these slide shows through the week according to technology category.

Find Programs By Company Name:

Find 'Five Star' Programs:

Find By Product and Service Specialization:

Results will be shown here

2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011

See Also: 2023 Channel Chiefs

Omega-3 Supplement Guide: What to Buy and Why

If you’re not getting enough omega-3s in your diet from foods like fatty fish, you may want to take an omega-3 supplement. Omega-3 supplements come in many different forms, from regular fish oil to mammalian oil.

Omega-3 fatty acids are very important for your health.

Eating whole foods that are rich in omega-3s, like fatty fish is the best way to get enough.

If you don’t eat a lot of fatty fish, you may want to consider taking a supplement.

However, there are hundreds of different omega-3 supplements available. Not all of them have the same health benefits.

This detailed guide explains everything you need to know about omega-3 supplements.

Fish oil comes in both natural and processed forms.

The processing can affect the form of the fatty acids. This is important, because some forms are absorbed better than others.

All of these forms have health benefits, but studies indicate that the absorption of omega-3 from ethyl esters is not as good as from the other forms — although some studies suggest they are equally well absorbed (1, 2).

Summary

Omega-3s come in several forms, most commonly as triglycerides. Some fish oils that are more processed may contain omega-3 ethyl esters, which don’t seem to be absorbed as well.

This is the oil that comes from the tissue of oily fish, mostly in the form of triglycerides. It’s the closest thing you can get to real fish.

Natural fish oil contains several important nutrients.

The amount of omega-3s in fish oil — including both EPA and DHA — ranges from 18–31%, but the amount varies between fish species (3, 4, 5).

Additionally, natural fish oil boasts vitamins A and D.

Salmon, sardines, herring, menhaden and cod liver are among the most common sources of natural fish oil. These oils are available in capsules or liquid form (6).

Summary

Natural fish oil contains the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. It also provides vitamins A and D.

Processed fish oil is purified and/or concentrated. It consists of ethyl esters or triglycerides.

Purification rids the oil of contaminants, such as mercury and PCBs. Concentrating the oil can also increase EPA and DHA levels. In fact, some oils may contain up to 50–90% pure EPA and/or DHA.

Processed fish oils make up the vast majority of the fish oil market, as they’re cheap and usually come in capsules, which are popular with consumers.

Your body doesn’t absorb processed fish oil as well as natural fish oil when it’s in the ethyl ester form. Ethyl esters also seem to be more prone to oxidation and rancidity than triglycerides (7).

However, some manufacturers process the oil even further to convert it back into a synthetic triglyceride form, which is well absorbed (1, 8).

These oils are referred to as reformed (or re-esterified) triglycerides. They’re the most expensive fish oil supplements and only make up a small percentage of the market.

Summary

Processed fish oils are purified and/or concentrated. They’re more vulnerable to oxidation and less easily absorbed by your body unless they’re converted back into triglycerides via a synthetic process.

Krill oil is extracted from Antarctic krill, a small shrimp-like animal. Krill oil contains omega-3s in both triglyceride and phospholipid form (9, 10).

Numerous studies have shown that omega-3 is absorbed just as well from the phospholipids in krill oil as from the triglycerides in fish oil — sometimes even better (11, 12, 13, 14).

Krill oil is highly resistant to oxidation, as it naturally contains a potent antioxidant called astaxanthin (15).

Additionally, krill are very small and have a short lifespan, so they don’t accumulate many contaminants during their lifetime. Therefore, their oil doesn’t need to be purified and is rarely found in the ethyl ester form.

Summary

Krill oil is naturally low in contaminants and contains a potent antioxidant. It provides omega-3s in both triglyceride and phospholipid form, which are well absorbed.

The green-lipped mussel is native to New Zealand, and its oil is usually in the form of triglycerides and free fatty acids.

Other than EPA and DHA, it also contains trace amounts of eicosatetraenoic acid (ETA). This rare omega-3 fatty acid may be even more effective at lowering inflammation than other omega-3s (16, 17).

Consuming green-lipped mussel oil, rather than fish oil, is considered to be environmentally friendly.

Summary

Green-lipped mussel oil is another source of omega-3 fatty acids. This shellfish contains several forms of omega-3s and is considered to be an environmentally friendly choice.

Mammalian omega-3 oil is made from seal blubber and is in the form of natural triglycerides.

In addition to EPA and DHA, it also contains relatively high amounts of docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), an omega-3 fatty acid with several potential health benefits. Mammalian omega-3 oil is also exceptionally low in omega-6 (18).

Summary

Mammalian oil is also a good source of DPA, in addition to EPA and DHA in triglyceride form.

ALA is short for alpha-linolenic acid. It’s the plant form of omega-3s.

It’s found in particularly high amounts in flax seeds, chia seeds, and hemp seeds.

Your body can convert it into EPA or DHA, but this conversion process is inefficient. Most plant oils are also higher in omega-6s than they are in omega-3s (19, 20, 21).

Summary

ALA oils are made from plant sources and contain both omega-3s and omega-6s. They don’t contain any EPA or DHA, the types of omega-3s that are active in your body.

Marine algae, particularly microalgae, are another triglyceride source of EPA and DHA.

Actually, the EPA and DHA in fish originate in algae. It’s eaten by smaller fish and moves up the food chain from there.

Studies show that algal oil is even more concentrated in omega-3s, particularly DHA, than fish oil. It’s a particularly good source for vegetarians and vegans (22, 23).

It may also contain important minerals like iodine.

Furthermore, algal oil is considered to be environmentally friendly. It doesn’t contain any contaminants, such as heavy metals, which makes it a sustainable, healthy option.

Summary

Microalgae are a plant source of EPA and DHA in triglyceride form. This oil is environmentally friendly and considered an excellent omega-3 source for vegetarians and vegans.

Omega-3 oils are commonly found in capsules or soft gels.

These are popular with consumers since they don’t have a taste and are easy to swallow.

The capsules are usually made from a soft layer of gelatin, and many manufacturers also use enteric coating.

Enteric coating helps keep the capsule from dissolving until it reaches your small intestine. This is common in fish oil capsules, as it prevents fish burps.

However, it can also mask the foul smell of rancid fish oil.

If you take omega-3 capsules, it may be a good idea to open one from time to time and smell it in order to make sure it hasn’t gone rancid.

Summary

Capsules are a popular way to take omega-3. However, capsules can mask the smell of rancid oil, so it’s best to open one up occasionally.

When shopping for an omega-3 supplement, always read the label carefully.

Also check the following:

Summary

Check your product for type and amount of omega-3s. It should contain EPA and DHA in satisfactory amounts — and preferably an antioxidant to combat rancidity.

A regular fish oil supplement is probably the best choice for most people looking to Boost their well-being.

However, just remember that natural fish oil usually consists of no more than 30% EPA and DHA, which means 70% is other fats.

You can also buy supplements that contain a higher concentration of omega-3s. EPA and DHA can be as high as 90%. For best results, look for brands that contains omega-3s as free fatty acids. Triglycerides or phospholipids are good as well.

A few reputable omega-3 supplement brands include Nordic Naturals, Green Pasture, Bio-Marine Plus, Omegavia, and Ovega-3.

Summary

A regular fish oil supplement is probably enough for most people looking to optimize their health. If you need large doses, take a supplement with concentrated omega-3s.

For most people, a regular fish oil supplement is probably sufficient.

However, make sure the supplement contains what it says it does, and pay special attention to the EPA and DHA content.

EPA and DHA are most often found in animal-based omega-3 products. Vegetarian options are available, but they usually only contain ALA. One exception is algal oil, which is an excellent source of quality omega-3s and suitable for everyone, including vegans.

It’s best to take these supplements with a meal that contains fat, as fat increases your absorption of omega-3s (24).

Finally, keep in mind that omega-3s are perishable, just like fish, so buying in bulk is a bad idea.

At the end of the day, omega-3s may be one of the most beneficial supplements you can take. Just make sure to choose wisely.

Sky Guide stargazing app review

Planetarium apps like Sky Guide have been around for many years, and yet their use of augmented reality to show you the stars still has the power to hugely impress. Now ten years old, this latest version of Sky Guide, called Version X, has decided it's time to go free. Well, almost.

Sky Guide app: Specs

Operating System: iOS (iOS 15.0/iPadOS 15.0 and up, macOS 12.0 and up, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro (later in 2023)

Size: 324.1MB

Price: free with in-app purchases

Despite being filled with new visualizations and lots of up-to-the-minute content, Sky Guide now comes as a free download, though serious users will want to obtain one of its two in-app upgrades: Sky Guide Plus or Sky Guide Pro. Either way, what you get is easily one of the best stargazing apps around.

Originally launched in 2013, the latest version of Sky Guide is the creation of Fifth Star Labs. Sky Guide Version X launched in 2021 and comes in a free version. However, there are two add-on subscriptions available: Sky Guide Plus ($2.99 per month or $19.99 per year/£2.79 per month or £17.99 per year) and Sky Guide Pro ($4.99 per month or $39.99 per year/£4.49 per month or £34.99 per year). Sky Guide Plus dramatically increases the star and object catalog, offering 100x more stars, 10,000x more satellites and 100x zoom. 

It also adds information on how light-polluted observing sites are, as well as more advanced forecasts for meteor showers. Sky Guide Pro does all that and more, adding a massive catalog of 1.7 billion stars, including double and variable stars, over 1 million deep-sky objects, exoplanets and 1,000x zoom. The Pro version also offers field-of-view visualization tools and cinematic tours. 

Crucially, there's no need to upgrade blindly since both Sky Guide Plus and Sky Guide Pro come with a one-week trial period, allowing you to cancel if you find that you don't use the extra features. If you've ever purchased Sky Guide before, you'll retain the same features you paid for.

Sky Guide looks incredible. Hold it up to the sky in front of you and it displays the Milky Way and, just for fun, dynamic displays of the aurora borealis and aurora australis (though this can be toggled off). Bright stars and planets are labeled, with fainter objects revealed the more you pinch to zoom in on the night sky. There's an AR mode to overlay this data via a smartphone's camera, which is useful for identifying obstacles. On that score, comes the pièce de résistance: an AR mode that uses the Lidar chip in Apple devices to substitute a ceiling for the night sky. It's clever stuff, as it has the ability to sub in realistic magnitudes (taking into account horizon haze) and, of course, the all-important Night Vision mode to display everything in less damaging red light.  

The planetarium page is uncluttered, with icons down the bottom for Settings, Featured, Calendar and Search. Settings allow the toggling on and off of constellation lines, mythological constellation art (sadly, it's Western/Ancient Greek only), object labels and satellites. Featured is a blog-style scrolling section of news articles, a Constellation of the Month feature and Sky Sights of the Month round-ups. 

Next comes Calendar, which begins with a bite-size forecast of if/when you’ll have a clear sky and then presents a date-driven list of celestial events coming up — such as moon phases, moon/planet conjunctions and meteor showers. Click on any of them and you get an image, a description, some background information and, best of all, the chance to inspect it in Sky Guide's planetarium. It's useful to see exactly what will be visible for many nights or weeks ahead, but it would be even better if they could be saved to an observing list — and a notification configured. 

Meanwhile, Search contains a link to Tonight's Best, which includes planets, bright stars and constellations.

Everything is presented in a colorful, well-designed manner that never looks crowded or off-putting.

Sky Guide goes all-in on Apple devices and ignores Android. For now, that means it's available on iPhone and iPad, but also on Apple Watch where it shows a variety of simple screens — Earth with the position of the International Space Station (ISS) in orbit, the Sun with the latest space weather reports, a simple clock face with a dynamic moon phase icon and a page giving a countdown to the next visible ISS pass.

Sky Guide also has an eye on the future. In June 2023 it featured in Apple's Worldwide Development Conference 2023 Keynote as a fully-immersive version specifically for the forthcoming Apple Vision Pro spatial computer headset.   

Sky Guide looks simple, uncluttered and is easy to use, but it's packed with simple customization features. One of the most useful, which is available in the basic free version, is Notifications. Accessed via the Settings menu, it's possible to set reminders for astronomical events (meteor showers, eclipses etc.) and satellite passes over your location by the ISS. Helpfully, it's also possible to tweak how much notice it gives you before each event is visible, set a 'do not disturb' timer and opt in or out of notifications about news articles published on Sky Guide.   

Those news articles, available across all versions of Sky Guide, come from astrophysicist and science communicator Jenifer Millard, PhD. (@DrJeniMillard on Twitter) and are always of high quality.

By default, Sky Guide has 24 constellations, 100 deep-sky objects and ISS tracking, which is likely enough for casual stargazers, but the Plus and Pro in-app purchases are worth considering for serious amateur astronomers. As well as a larger database, you get meteor shower forecasts tailored to your location and a Dark Sky Finder for the local area. Meanwhile, Pro expands the database further, adds exoplanets and Cinematic Tours and brings to life greyed-out options in the Settings menu for setting fields of view for equipment, an imaging calculator for working out exposure times and the ability to input coordinates.

Since Sky Guide identifies objects in the night sky, it's useful for helping astrophotographers to orient a camera, though the Plus and Pro in-app purchases are advisable if you're photographing deep-sky objects such as nebulas. Just as important to most will be the notifications for upcoming events — just remember to set the alert to an hour or more before the event if you need lots of time to set up or to get to a specific location.

If you're after an app that gives you an easy-to-use, comprehensive and beautiful-looking planetarium, but which also comes with the latest news articles about astronomy, Sky Guide is hard to beat. The customization options are great, as well as the notifications about upcoming celestial events. However, it's a shame that there are no upgrades for WiFi telescope control and that future events can't be saved to observing lists. Overall, Sky Guide is a really impressive app that will delight most casual stargazers and amateur astronomers alike.

If you want something more comprehensive than Sky Guide, then the obvious choice is SkySafari 7 Pro (from $19.99/£18.99) for iOS and Android, which includes WiFi control of telescopes, including the latest Celestron StarSense products. Although it's one of the more expensive stargazing apps around, SkySafari 7 Pro has a database of 100 million stars, 3 million galaxies down to 18th magnitude, 750,000 solar system objects and every comet and asteroid ever discovered. It also has news and advice articles, though with more of a focus on astrophotography than Sky Guide.

If you're after something free and like the idea of a pay-as-you-go app, Vito Technology's Sky Tonight for iOS and Android offers a simple, minimalist design and data on the exact amount of cloud cover expected where you are. You can upgrade to Premium for a month for $0.99 (£0.79), which removes advertisements and beefs up the Visible Tonight and Calendar pages, with a lifetime subscription costing $5.99 (£4.99).