Special Report | Channel leaders: Work beyond words

A lexicon of adjectives can describe this year's crop of Washington Technology Channel Leaders, but the overriding quality is dedication to their customers. If the customer suffers a setback, so does the contracting team.The 10 Channel Leaders, picked from nominations submitted to Washington Technology, epitomize some of the best things about the government market. They cover a wide range of companies, from small to behemoth.Their customers also are diverse with defense, civilian and state and local government represented.Their words speak volumes. Getting to know his customer is what drives Eric Olson of InfoReliance Corp. and his team to a Marine facility to watch new recruits take their first steps into the Corps."The drill instructors come on like the hounds of hell," Olson said. But the experience helps his team see first hand how the Marine Corps uses InfoReliance software to enter and track recruit data.Several on the list also showed their dedication in the way they supported customers hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. They moved data and call centers and stood up emergency networks, often working the same long hours in the same conditions as their government counterparts.The recovery from these disasters has been a massive effort, said Tim Schilbach, project manager with Apogen Technologies Inc. He supported the National Finance Center during and after Katrina."You would sleep a half hour here and a half hour there," he said.The stories of the Channel Leaders are compelling, and their lessons are worth remembering.