OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill., Aug. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA) today announced that Sentry Technology Solutions and Nucleus Networks are the winners of the inaugural GTIA Innovate Awards at ChannelCon 2026 in San Diego.
The GTIA Innovate Awards recognize AI solutions that deliver measurable business impact across the IT channel, honoring IT service providers (ITSPs) that have successfully implemented innovative AI-driven solutions with tangible results for their clients or their own organizations. Spotlighting solutions that are in production and solving real-world business challenges, the awards are judged on measurable impact, innovative use of AI, and real-world scalability. Top-rated entrants in each category earned the opportunity to present at ChannelCon 2026, where attendees voted live to select the winners.
“The inaugural GTIA Innovate Award winners exemplify the leadership and innovation shaping the future of the IT channel,” said Dan Wensley, CEO, GTIA. “Their ability to translate AI investments into measurable business outcomes sets a high bar for the industry and provides a powerful model for organizations seeking to drive growth, efficiency, and customer value.”
Best Customer-Facing AI Solution
Sentry Technology Solutions won the Best Customer-Facing AI Solution award for Source to Story: AI-Powered Intelligence, which demonstrates how applied AI can deliver measurable business outcomes for customers.
Through this dual-layer AI intelligence platform, Sentry Technology Solutions automates monitoring of 50+ organizations across websites, social platforms, Google, and email. External and privately hosted LLMs support collection, relevance scoring, research, and reporting, eliminating ~65% of irrelevant data while delivering daily client-ready intelligence digests and protecting client confidentiality.
The customer-facing AI solutions category recognizes ITSPs that leverage AI to solve customer challenges, including:
- Automating compliance processes
- Reducing manual reporting time
- Providing field technicians with instant expert-level knowledge
- Turning large-scale intelligence collection into actionable insights
Finalists in this category were FP Service Desk & Field Technician Assistant from GoWest.ai and ComplyBook by J&M Solutions LLC.
Best Internal AI Solution for an ITSP
Nucleus Networks won the Best Internal AI Solution for an ITSP award for its innovative use of AI to improve operational efficiency and business performance through its AI-Powered QBR & Configuration Sync System.
The solution has two sequentially built internal systems: one that keeps asset records synchronized across NinjaRMM, ITGlue, and ConnectWise PSA automatically, and one that generates NIST/CIS-aligned client security scorecards in minutes. Nucleus Networks reduced scorecard creation time from 5-6 hours involving 8-10 people to supporting 200+ clients before every QBR with two people.
The internal AI solutions category recognizes channel organizations that are successfully integrating AI into their operations to:
- Automate tasks
- Accelerate service delivery
- Improve data integrity
- Drive business growth
Finalists in this category were Thrive and Xenex.
“Congratulations to the inaugural GTIA Innovate Award winners,” said Kelly Ricker, Chief Operating Officer, GTIA. “These organizations represent the best of what our community can achieve when innovation is paired with execution. Their solutions are delivering measurable impact today, and we’re proud to recognize their leadership and contribution to advancing the IT channel.”
Each category winner received a $20,000 cash prize, the opportunity to present at a future ChannelCon event, and GTIA-produced digital content regarding their AI solution, complemented by GTIA promotional support and official winner designation for marketing, sales, and recruitment purposes
About the Global Technology Industry Association
The Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA) is the only vendor-neutral, 501(c)(6) nonprofit membership community connecting and representing the worldwide IT channel. We set our members up for success by providing benefits that include trusted resources and networking opportunities. In addition, the association sets industry standards that enable companies to build sustainable, secure, and profitable businesses in an ever-changing technology landscape. Internationally, GTIA represents hundreds of thousands of professionals from nearly 3,000 ITSPs, vendors, distributors and other companies serving the IT channel.
For more information, visit gtia.org.
Media contact: Suzanne Collier WhiteFox Marketing for GTIA suzanne@whitefoxpr.com
