Earlier this month at the Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC) Summit, Red Hat received the Gold Rising Star award. This award is based on the highest year-over-year revenue growth. Red Hat was awarded the Gold Rising Star in the $15 Million+ Software Vendor Category for 2009, ahead of IBM and VMware.

This is no small honor, given that the GTDC is comprised of the largest distributors in the industry. Members represent more than $100 billion in annual worldwide sales to IT resellers and solution providers that serve end customers of all sizes.

Recipients of the Rising Star Awards are recognized for their outstanding revenue growth through GTDC member distributors. The award, coupled with more than five consecutive quarters of growth in Red Hat’s channel bookings, is testament to the company’s channel investment and focus.

Additionally, this year alone, Red Hat has been ranked as the #1 channel program in The VAR Guy’s Open Source 50, revamped its North American Partner Program , led a group of open source ISV partners into a major distribution relationship through the Open Source Channel Alliance and increased the number of partners that the company is working with.

The GTDC Rising Star award, coupled with these proof points, serves as validation that: Red Hat’s channel program is growing; the company is continuously investing in its partners and programs to enable channel sales and success; and the investments it is making in the Channel Program are paying off and being recognized by the IT industry.

For more information on Red Hat’s channel programs please visit our program pages at /partners/.