The Redmond Readers’ Choice Awards are truly the voice of our readers. First, the Readers’ Choice survey form is sent out to thousands of readers. Responses are collected during a two-week period in January. After gathering all the results, a team of editors examines the rankings looking for any unusual patterns. Once they’re satisfied that the list is a clean and accurate representation of our readers’ true favorites, we post the results.

It’s interesting to note that the cast of characters hasn’t changed much over the last few years. This seems to indicate that our readers have found the solutions they like, the ones they know that work well, and they’ve stuck with those favorites. One significant change this year, however, was Firefox -- the single product to receive the most votes. Firefox upset Symantec Ghost, which has been the single top vote-winner the last two years.

"I like working through the responses from the Readers’ Choice survey and examining the comments they make on the individual products," says executive editor Lafe Low, who has coordinated the awards process for the last several years. "It's sort of like having a conversation with our readers. It's important to appreciate that this is indeed direct from our readers. The winners are all chosen by our readers -- period. I salute this year's Winners and Preferred Product honorees. Redmond's readers have put you on top.”

The full article is available online at: http://redmondmag.com/features/article.asp?editorialsid=706

Here is the list of winners for each individual category:

Best Network Management Product

Microsoft Systems Management Server -- Winner

Microsoft Operations Manager – Preferred Product

HP OpenView – ISV Winner

Cisco Systems LAN Mgt. Suite – Preferred Product

Altiris Management Suite – Preferred Product

Best Application Management Product

Microsoft Operations Manager -- Winner

LANDesk – ISV Winner

Novell ZenWorks -- Preferred Product

ScriptLogic Desktop Authority MSI Studio -- Preferred Product

Best Performance Management Product

Microsoft Operations Manager -- Winner

HP Openview – ISV Winner

Solar Winds Orion Network Performance Monitor -- Preferred Product

NetIQ AppManager -- Preferred Product

Best General Network Monitoring Tool

Microsoft Operations Manager – Winner

Cisco Systems Syslog Analyzer – ISV Winner

HP OpenView Operations for Windows -- Preferred Product

IBM Tivoli Netview -- Preferred Product

Best Interoperability Product

MKS Toolkit -- Winner

Centrify DirectControl -- Preferred Product

Centeris Likewise -- Preferred Product

Best Bandwidth/Traffic Monitoring Product

Lightspeed Systems Total Traffic Control -- Winner

Network Instruments Observer -- Preferred Product

Argent Guardian -- Preferred Product

Best Web Usage Monitor

Websense Enterprise -- Winner

SurfControl Web Filter -- Preferred Product

Websense Security Suite -- Preferred Product

Best Asset Management/Resource Inventory Product

Altiris Asset Management Suite -- Winner

Novell Asset Manager -- Preferred Product

Altiris Inventory Solution -- Preferred Product

Best License Management Product

Microsoft Systems Management Server -- Winner

Altiris Compliance Suite – ISV Winner

Altiris Provisioning Suite -- Preferred Product

iInventory -- Preferred Product

Best Compliance Tools

NetIQ Security Compliance Suite -- Winner

Symantec/Bindview -- Preferred Product

Shavlik Netchk Compliance -- Preferred Product

Best Virtual Server Product

VMWare GSX Server -- Winner

Microsoft Virtual PC -- Preferred Product

VMWare ESX Server -- Preferred Product

Best Virtual PC Product

VMWare Workstation -- Winner

Microsoft Virtual PC -- Preferred Product

SWSoft Virtuozzo -- Preferred Product

Best Non-Microsoft Browser

Firefox -- Winner

Netscape Navigator -- Preferred Product

Best SQL Tool

SQL Power Tools -- Winner

Quest Spotlight on SQL -- Preferred Product

Red Gate Software -- Preferred Product

Best Software Distribution Product

Microsoft Systems Management Server -- Winner

IBM Tivoli Netview Distribution Manager – ISV Winner

CA Unicenter -- Preferred Product

OnDemand Software WinInstall -- Preferred Product

Best Software Packaging Product

Installshield Adminstudio -- Winner

Altiris Package Studio -- Preferred Product

OnDemand Software WinInstall -- Preferred Product

Best Drive Imaging Product

Symantec Ghost Suite -- Winner

Acronis True Image -- Preferred Product

Altiris Migration Suite -- Preferred Product

Best Migration Product

Quest Software Enterprise Migration Manager -- Winner

Altiris Client Management Suite -- Preferred Product

Altiris Deployment Solution -- Preferred Product

Best Server Migration Product

Altiris Deployment Solution -- Winner

Quest Software Migration Suite for AD/Exchange -- Preferred Product

Altiris Client Management Suite -- Preferred Product

Best Group Policy Manager

Microsoft -- Winner

ScriptLogic Active Administrator – ISV Winner

NetIQ Group Policy Administrator -- Preferred Product

Symantec Bindview -- Preferred Product

Best Disk Defragmentation and Drive Monitoring Tool

Diskeeper -- Winner

Winternals Defrag Manager -- Preferred Product

Raxco Perfectdisk -- Preferred Product

Best Remote Troubleshooting Solution

Altiris Carbon Copy -- Winner

NetSupport Manager -- Preferred Product

Netopia Timbuktu -- Preferred Product

Best Network Automation and Batch Processing Tool

ScriptLogic Desktop Authority -- Winner

HP Openview Operations for Windows -- Preferred Product

MKS Toolkit for Enterprise Developers -- Preferred Product

Best Scripting Tool

Sapien PrimalScript -- Winner

iTripoli AdminScriptEditor -- Preferred Product

XLNowOnScript -- Preferred Product

Best Patch Management Product

Microsoft Software Update Services -- Winner

Shavlik Technologies HFNetChkPro – ISV Winner

Altiris Patch Management Solution -- Preferred Product

Patchlink Update -- Preferred Product

Best Application Sharing Tool

Microsoft Terminal Services -- Winner

Citrix Metaframe – ISV Winner

New Moon Canaveral IQ -- Preferred Product

Best Application Conflict Testing Tool

InstallShield AdminStudio -- Winner

Altiris Package Studio -- Preferred Product

On Demand Software WinInstall -- Preferred Product

Best Firewall Product – Hardware-based

Cisco Systems PIX series -- Winner

SonicWall TZ and Pro series -- Preferred Product

Symantec Velociraptor -- Preferred Product

Best Firewall Product – Software-based

Microsoft ISA Server -- Winner

Checkpoint Software Technologies Firewall 1 – ISV Winner

Symantec Enterprise Firewall -- Preferred Product

McAfee Personal Firewall Plus -- Preferred Product

Best Security Auditing Product

GFI EventsManager -- Winner

CA eTrust Access Control -- Preferred Product

Tripwire for Servers -- Preferred Product

Best Intrusion Detection System

Cisco Systems Cisco Secure IDS -- Winner

Snort -- Preferred Product

Network ICE BlackICE Pro -- Preferred Product

Best Intrusion Prevention System

Cisco Systems Okena StormWatch -- Winner

Network Associates Intrushield -- Preferred Product

Symantec Manhunt -- Preferred Product (tie)

Internet Security Systems -- Preferred Product (tie)

Best Smart Card/Biometric/Two-factor Authentication System

RSA SecureID -- Winner

Digital Persona -- Preferred Product

ActivCard Trinity -- Preferred Product (tie)

Griffin Technologies SecuriKey Pro -- Preferred Product (tie)

Best Secure Messaging Tool or Service (Spam and Content Filtering)

Microsoft Exchange Server -- Winner

Symantec – ISV Winner

Microsoft Defender (now Forefront) -- Preferred Product

Barracuda Networks Spam Firewall -- Preferred Product

Best Anti-Virus Tool

Symantec Anti-Virus -- Winner

McAfee GroupShield -- Preferred Product

Trend Micro -- Preferred Product

Best Anti-Spyware Tool

McAfee -- Winner

Trend Micro Antispyware -- Preferred Product

Webroot -- Preferred Product

Best Backup System

Symantec/Veritas Backup Exec -- Winner

Symantec/Veritas Netbackup -- Preferred Product

CA BrightStor Enterprise Backup -- Preferred Product (tie)

Acronis True Image -- Preferred Product (tie)

Best Storage Management Product

Symantec/Veritas Storage Central -- Winner

EMC ControlCenter SRM -- Preferred Product

Symantec/Veritas Volume Manager -- Preferred Product

Best Disaster Recovery Product or Service

Symantec/Veritas Backup Exec -- Winner

Symantec/Veritas Netbackup -- Preferred Product

Winternals Recovery Manager -- Preferred Product

Best Clustering and Failover Solution

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Clustering Services -- Winner

Veritas Cluster Server -- ISV Winner

Neverfail -- Preferred Product

NSI Software Doubletake -- Preferred Product

Best Load Balancing Product

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Load Balancing -- Winner

F5 Networks 3-DNS Controller -- ISV Winner

Mercury Loadrunner -- Preferred Product

Quest Shareplex -- Preferred Product

Most Reliable Windows-based Server Platform

Dell -- Winner

HP -- Preferred Product

IBM -- Preferred Product

Best Exam Preparation Product or Service

Transcender -- Winner

Microsoft Press -- Preferred Product

Cisco Press -- Preferred Product

Best On-line, Disk-based or Instructor-led Training

Microsoft Press -- Winner

Global Knowledge – ISV Winner

LearnKey -- Preferred Product

SkillSoft -- Preferred Product

Best Windows Certification-based Boot Camp

Global Knowledge -- Winner

The Training Camp -- Preferred Product

Mountainview Systems -- Preferred Product

About Redmond magazine
Redmond magazine provides cutting-edge product, business and how-to information to network professionals, IT managers and IT directors working on the Microsoft Windows platform. The monthly publication reaches 120,000 qualified subscribers. For more information, visit http://redmondmag.com



About Redmond Media Group
The 1105 Media Redmond Media Group provides B-to-B media solutions targeting the Microsoft market. The growing portfolio includes Redmond magazine, Redmond Developer News, Visual Studio Magazine, Redmond Channel Partner magazine, a dozen web sites and numerous events. We provide news, in-depth analysis, and hands-on information for IT directors, managers, developers, administrators and partners in the Microsoft community. For more information, visit http://redmondmediagroup.comContact:
Lafe Low, Executive Editor, Features
(508) 875-6644, ext. 14