As part of the annual Partner Program Guide, CRN designates some vendor channel programs as 5-Star Programs. Here are the 5-Star Programs among MSP platform vendors for 2026.
More businesses and organizations today are choosing to have their IT resources delivered as a service – everything from computational servers and data storage to security and operational applications – rather than purchased and installed in an on-site data center.
No surprise, then, that managed service providers have become a major segment of the IT channel and a critical way that IT vendors reach their customers. But MSPs need the right platforms and tools to effectively IT services to their clients.
The CRN 2026 Partner Program Guide offers the information solution providers need to evaluate the channel programs operated by the IT vendors they work with or are considering partnering with. The guide is based on detailed applications submitted by vendors outlining all aspects of their partner programs.
As part of the Partner Program Guide, CRN designates some programs as 5-Star Partner Programs because they provide the most comprehensive lineups of incentives, resources, training, services and benefits.
Here we provide snapshots of the 5-Star designees in the MSP platform space, a category that includes Professional Services Automation (PSA) and Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) systems.
Details of every vendor’s partner program can be found at CRN.com.
Slide shows in the 5-Star Partner Program Guide series include companies that provide products and services in eight technology categories: cloud, computing, data center, MSP platforms, networking, security, software and storage. A separate list will highlight startup companies with 5-Star partner programs.
While many companies provide products and services that span multiple technologies, we’ve assigned each vendor to the slide show for the technology category in which they are most prominent.
The text concerning the biggest changes to partner programs has been taken from each company’s PPG application and lightly edited.
AvePoint
Program Name: AvePointPartner Program
Channel Chief: Scott Sacket, Senior Vice President, Partner Strategy
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year:
Building on last year’s overhaul, we introduced a points-based structure that rewards behaviors driving long-term mutual growth, such as enablement, customer success, and solution adoption, rather than revenue alone. This shift reflects our commitment to helping partners build sustainable, security-centric service offerings. To operationalize the program, we made significant investments in systems and platforms that streamline onboarding, tracking, and reporting, ensuring a seamless partner experience.
Additionally, we added a dedicated program operations manager to optimize processes and maintain program integrity as we scale globally. These changes position our partners to capitalize on market opportunities with confidence, while giving us the agility to evolve based on feedback and trends.
Our focus remains clear: empower partners to grow profitably and deliver exceptional outcomes for customers.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=18
ConnectWise
Program Name: ConnectWise Partner Program
Channel Chief: Peter Kujawa, Executive Vice President and General Manager, IT Nation and Service Leadership
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year:
Over the past year, the ConnectWise Partner Program remained largely stable, with targeted refinements focused on strengthening partner marketing support. These refinements centered on enabling partners to drive growth in data protection and cybersecurity through improved access to subject matter expertise and brandable marketing campaigns.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=41
Kaseya
Program Name: Kaseya Global Partner Program
Channel Chief: Dan Tomaszewski, Executive Vice President of Channel
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year:
Over the past year, we’ve introduced several meaningful updates to our program. We launched the Kaseya Lunch Giveaways, offering pizza each week to three partners worldwide, regardless of company size, to show our appreciation.
We also completed the TMT acquisition and introduced the new Kaseya Community, a digital platform that provides partners with industry insights, assets and tools, MSP thought leadership, training resources, a federated knowledge-based search, and more.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=104
N-able
Program Name: N-able Partner Program
Channel Chief: David Weeks, Vice President of Partner Experience
Most Significant Changes To Partner Program Over The Past Year:
Increased training and support via our Head Nerds team. Additional resources for partners for go to market, certifications, marketing and sales. Enhanced coverage for partners through our Partner Success teams.
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=119
.jpg?ssl=1 "OpenAI Is Preparing to Launch a Social App for AI-Generated Videos")
