The decision to launch the CI Power 100 came after a lot of discussion. Unless we could come up with a concept that provides distinct benefits compared with the industry’s already well-established and respected lists, why bother?

What we came up with will provide the commercial integration industry with unique value. The CI Power 100 is not solely a list of top firms in the commercial integration industry. For one, it will showcase a series of elite groups that reflect the most powerful firms serving individual vertical markets — corporate, house of worship, government, K-12, higher-ed and the like.

Integrators that crack the list will achieve authoritative sales and marketing clout. A health care integrator, for instance, can forever impress prospective clients with marketing material showing it was honored on a short list of the elite firms serving that market.

CI’s editorial team is most excited about the vertical markets and product categories analysis that will stem from the CI Power 100. Through interviews and data crunching, we’ll establish formulas for success across all CI Power 100 categories. This will be valuable not only for the integrators in the CI Power 100, but every individual in the commercial electronics industry.

Consider these benefits:

Marketing Ammunition - Integrators that are recognized on these lists can leverage their unique designations by exhibiting the well-earned logos anywhere that might give them a sales edge … presentation materials, company website, business cards, you name it.

Exposure to Clients - CI will obviously cover the heck out of the companies and trends reflected on the CI Power 100 lists, but perhaps even more beneficial for integrators will be the coverage by our new sister suite of sites, TechDecisionsMedia.com, which serves end-users. These technology-purchasing decision makers will read about clear-cut, leading integrators serving their respective vertical markets.

Trends Analysis - You don’t need to be selected for the CI Power 100 to capitalize on the information we’ll glean from this research.

Brand Analysis - Again, everybody benefits from our number crunching that reveals the go-to manufacturers by top integrators in various product categories, across all vertical markets.

CI Power 100 Summit - The conference is exclusive, but the strategies, challenges and solutions discussed will be documented by CI editors. The idea is for all Commercial Integrator readers to learn from the CI Power 100.

The CI Power 100 groups will be unveiled in the April 2012 issue of Commercial Integrator, along with extensive coverage of the data, trends and select integrators.

The deadline of February 15, 2012, is fast-approaching. [UPDATE: Deadline extended] Click here to submit your application.

I’m excited about it, and I hope you’ll be a part of it with us.

About the author

Tom LeBlanc - Editor-in-Chief, CI, Tom

Tom has been covering electronics integration since 2003. Prior to being named editor-in-chief of CI, he was senior writer and managing editor of CE Pro. Before that, he wrote for the sports department of the Boston Herald. Migrating to magazines, he was a staff editor for a golf publication and an outdoor sports publication. Follow him on Twitter @leblanctom.

View all posts by Tom LeBlanc