The past 30 months have been the most trying period in the history of the IT industry,but not for all high-tech companies. During that time, the dot-com speculative bubble burst and deflated the stock market, in turn bogging down the booming economy and grinding business technology spending to a near halt. The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks exacerbated the slowdown, and the nation hasn't seen a sustained economic recovery since. All in all, the events brought a heavy dose of reality back to the high-tech sector, solution providers included.

However, business didn't shrink for everyone. In fact, some solution providers found ways to grow,and grow rapidly,during these turbulent economic times. Those companies are now being recognized in CRN 's 25 Rising Stars report, which spotlights 25 fast-growing solution providers.

For the study, CRN invited solution providers to submit data relating to their sales, key vendor partners, major vertical markets, company location and number of employees. To qualify for the Rising Stars list, applicants had to meet eligibility criteria on the size, length and scope of business operations and submit financial documentation confirming revenue figures. More than 100 solution providers were examined. The final ranking is based solely on their sales growth between 1999 and 2001.

CRN profiled the top five fast-growing solution providers on the list to give an up-close and personal look at their business models and, hopefully, to uncover how these companies were able to achieve such sharp growth at a time when much of the industry is hurting.

The diversity of the top five Rising Stars is striking. Holbrook, N.Y.-based Future Tech Enterprise, ranked No. 1, is heavily involved in wireless, security, and Web site design and deployment, while No. 2, Houston-based PCPC, banks on its Linux know-how to fuel a business specializing in hardware and software solutions for energy companies.

Yet the top five Rising Stars don't have a monopoly on knowledge about what it takes to spur growth. So CRN canvassed executives from the other companies on the list to learn more about their "secrets" to fast growth,that is, the strategies that have enabled them to prosper in a tough sales environment.

A database of the 25 Rising Stars is included in this report and contains information such as headquarters, company size, 2001 revenue and the growth percentage from 1999, key vendors and verticals. An online database is also available at crn.com and includes a link to each solution provider's Web site.

Published for the Week Of October 7, 2002