What is the Channel Program Category Leader badge?

Channel Program’s Category Leader badge recognizes vendors who land in the top-right quadrant of StackCharts for their category — meaning they’re among the highest‑rated, most trusted solutions as ranked by MSPs. The badge isn’t a pay‑to‑play logo; it is driven by verified product reviews and real‑world experience from the MSP community, highlighting quality, reliability, and impact in the IT channel. Earning it signals that a vendor consistently delivers on performance, innovation, and customer satisfaction for the partners who depend on these tools every day.

How Blacksmith earned this recognition (again) in Q4

Blacksmith secured the Category Leader badge for another quarter by maintaining a top position in StackCharts and continuing to earn exceptional feedback from MSPs and IT providers. Channel Program aggregates scores from verified, partner-submitted reviews, so this win reflects ongoing real‑world results: strong client outcomes, a product that keeps improving, and a channel experience MSPs are willing to vouch for publicly.

That repeat performance matters. It shows Blacksmith is not just having a “good quarter,” but sustaining the kind of consistency MSPs need in a compliance and security partner—especially when those MSPs are the ones doing the voting with their reviews.

What this means for Blacksmith and the MSP community

For the industry, the Category Leader badge is an external signal that Blacksmith has risen to the top tier of solutions in its space as judged by the people actually deploying and running it. Within the MSP community, it elevates Blacksmith’s visibility and credibility, placing the platform among the “go‑to” options for compliance‑driven security programs.

Because Channel Program reviews are refreshed and badges are awarded quarterly, Blacksmith has to keep earning this trust—through product updates, partner enablement, and consistent results in the field. That ongoing pressure is a good thing: it reinforces Blacksmith’s commitment to being a dependable, forward‑leaning ally for MSPs navigating complex compliance and risk requirements.

Why this matters for MSPs

For MSPs, this latest Q4 win is less about bragging rights and more about validation. A Category Leader badge backed by active MSP reviews tells you that peers are succeeding with the platform in real customer environments, not just in demos. It confirms that Blacksmith’s guidance, workflows, and governance outcomes are resonating with providers who live and die by renewal rates, audits, and incident response.
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