For the week ending May 1, CRN takes a look at the companies that brought their ‘A’ game to the channel including Cornelis, Sublime, Lenovo, Sage and Net at Work.
The Week Ending May 1
Topping this week’s Five Companies that Came to Win list is Nvidia networking rival Cornelis for its decision to dedicate supplies of its high-performance networking products for channel partners at a time when hyperscaler AI data center buildouts are restricting availability.
Also making the list is Sublime Security for launching its first formal channel program as the startup seeks to accelerate the growth of its agentic email security platform with the help of solution and service provider partners.
Lenovo makes the list for buying Phoenix Technologies’ firmware BIOS business, its intellectual property and expertise in a move to strengthen Lenovo’s control and engineering capabilities across its entire PC portfolio.
Software application giant Sage is here for expanding its alliance with Amazon Web Services and making a strategic acquisition in data migration technology. And channel superstar Net at Work makes the list for its own acquisition that expands its services and expertise around Sage applications.
Nvidia Networking Rival Cornelis Gives Channel Supply Reprieve For AI Buildout
Cornelis Networks tops this week’s Came to Win list with its decision to dedicate supplies of its high-performance networking products specifically for channel partners who are working on AI and high-performance computing projects.
Cornelis, an upstart rival to Nvidia in the networking space, sees the move as a differentiator at a time when the AI data center boom is limiting hardware availability and IT vendors are under pressure to keep hyperscalers supplied with technology for their AI buildouts.
The decision is part of the Wayne, Pa.-based startup’s channel-driven strategy, which CEO Lisa Spelman said is a “foundation of our go-to-market.” Cornelis generates close to 50 percent of its annual revenue from channel partners already.
“We want to put our partners in a position where they can ship and deliver system within weeks, not multiple quarters of delay. And so we’re continuing to prioritize them from a supply perspective,” Spelman said in an interview with CRN.
Cornelis’ move comes several months after the networking hardware and software company launched the 400-Gbps CN5000 family of scale-out networking solutions that it said has better performance and price-performance than InfiniBand- or Ethernet-based offerings.
Sublime Security Debuts First Partner Program To Boost Agentic Email Security In The Channel
Sublime Security makes this week’s Came to Win list for launching its first formal channel program as the startup seeks to accelerate the growth of its agentic email security platform with the help of solution and service provider partners, according to channel chief Timm Hoyt.
As threat actors have utilized LLMs, attacks originating through inboxes have become far more personalized and targeted—leading to more-effective phishing and social engineering campaigns, said Hoyt, vice president for worldwide partners and alliances.
Founded in 2019, Sublime Security’s agentic email security platform utilizes AI agents to automate threat triaging and rapidly deploy updated defenses for inboxes.
Key features of the new Sublime Security channel program include partner margin protection on customer renewals and expansions, in addition to strong margins for new customer wins, according to Hoyt.
Ultimately, the goal for Sublime Security is to continue adding to its partner base with a focus on working with solution and service providers that can bring security expertise as well as a track record in engaging with customers on emerging technologies, Hoyt said.
Lenovo Buys Phoenix’s Firmware Business To ‘Strengthen’ PC Engineering And Control
Lenovo this week acquired Phoenix Technologies’ firmware BIOS business, its intellectual property and expertise to strengthen Lenovo’s control and engineering capabilities across its entire PC portfolio.
Phoenix’s BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) acts as the first software to run when a PC is turned on, even before Windows loads.
The Hong Kong- and Morrisville, N.C.-based PC giant will gain firmware development and additional core software expertise in‑house, enhancing its ability to manage critical firmware across its PC portfolio as well as across other AI-enabled devices.
With Phoenix’s BIOS now in-house, Lenovo gets direct control over a layer of its hardware that some of its competitors still outsource.
“By bringing firmware development in-house, we are strengthening our core engineering capabilities and gaining greater control over one of the most critical layers of the computing experience,” said Luca Rossi, president of Lenovo’s Intelligent Devices Group, in a statement.
Lenovo is planning for its PC portfolio to now have faster firmware updates and better security than rivals that run on third-party BIOS code.
“This will enable us to accelerate innovation, enhance security and deepen our vertical integration, while also unlocking meaningful cost efficiencies,” Rossi said.
Sage Expands AWS Collaboration, Acquires Financial Data Migration Startup
Business application developer Sage, which held its Sage Future event this week, got noticed for a pair of significant moves, including expanding its strategic relationship with Amazon Web Services around agentic AI and acquiring financial data migration technology startup Doyen AI.
The new collaboration with AWS, through which Sage will more closely integrate its AI-powered financial software with AWS’ cloud infrastructure and AI services, will help small and mid-size businesses modernize their operational systems faster and embed agentic AI across workflows, according to the companies.
Sage introduced Sage Developer Solutions on Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, now available in the AWS Marketplace, to fast-track AI adoption within core financial workflows, including accounts payable, cash flow management and payroll processing. The two companies will also collaborate on innovation and go-to-market initiatives and work to migrate joint customers from legacy desktop financial software to the AWS cloud.
Sage touted the benefits of the AWS alliance for ISV and developer partners who can build financial automation AI agents on AgentCore and sell them through the AWS Marketplace.
The acquisition of Doyen AI, meanwhile, will help the company’s customers and channel partners automate the steps of migrating financial data from legacy systems into Sage’s financial applications.
Net At Work Continues Its Expansion Within The Sage Software Space With Latest Acquisition
Meanwhile, Sage channel partner Net at Work has acquired Endeavor4’s Sage Intacct practice, continuing its recent string of recent acquisitions that expand the solution provider and MSP’s services and expertise around Sage applications.
Net at Work, headquartered in New York, will take on Endeavor4’s Sage Intacct clients and Endeavor4 employees focused on Sage Intacct will join Net at Work, according to a news announcement from the two companies.
Net at Work, No. 246 on the CRN 2025 Solution Provider 500 and a leading service provider to small and mid-size businesses and organizations, has been on an acquisition binge in recent years and especially since mid-2025.
Many of Net at Work’s acquisitions have been focused on services around ERP applications from Sage and application vendor Acumatica. In January Net at Work bought BHE Consulting, a Boston-based developer of solutions around Sage ERP applications, to boost its ERP consulting and vertical industry expertise.
In 2025 the solution provider’s acquisitions included e2b Teknologies in January, AppSolute in August, the Acumatica practice of Advanced Solutions & Consulting in September, and LLB Partners in October.
