Which EPiServer versions are the Solution Partners running?

With the New Year and the release of CMS6 R2 just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to take a look at which EPiServer versions the (Premium) Solution Partners are running on their own websites. It was interesting to see that some of the Premium partners are severely outdated, while other Premium partners are not even running EPiServer at all.

Please note this post is not intended to either glorify or mock any of the mentioned partners, just to present an overview of current facts.

The list of partners was collected from the official EPiServer Partner list, and I focussed on the countries which have the most, or most active, number of partners. To determine EPiServer version, I simply tried to add /util/login.aspx to each website's URL. (Sites that returned a 404 were deemed Non-EPiServer - please correct me if I'm wrong!) The list consists mainly of Premium Solution Partners, but I have thrown in some of the "regular" Solution Partners I recognized, to indicate that company size does not necessarily equal updatedness.

NORWAY

Premium Solution Partners

• EDB - EPiServer CMS 6

• ErgoGroup - EPiServer CMS 6

• Epinova - EPiServer CMS 6

• Itera Consulting - EPiServer CMS 6

• Making Waves - EPiServer CMS 6

• Creuna - EPiServer CMS 5

• Reaktor - EPiServer CMS 5

• Prokom - EPiServer 4

Solution Partners (selection)

• Bekk Consulting - EPiServer 4

• Bouvet - Non-EPiServer

• Geta - Non-EPiServer

• Emagine - Non-EPiServer

• Logica - Non-EPiServer

 

SWEDEN

Premium Solution Partners

• Circuit - EPiServer CMS 6

• Cloud Nine - EPiServer CMS 6

• NetRelations - EPiServer CMS 6

• Softronic - EPiServer CMS 6

• Sublime - EPiServer CMS 6

• Connecta - EPiServer CMS 5

• Creuna - EPiServer CMS 5

• Cybercom Group - EPiServer CMS 5

• EDB - EPiServer CMS 5

• Hallvarsson & Halvarsson - EPiServer CMS 5

• KnowIT - EPiServer CMS 5

• Meridium - EPiServer CMS 5

• Mogul - EPiServer CMS 5

• Nansen - EPiServer CMS 5

• Ottoboni Group - EPiServer CMS 5

• QD System - EPiServer CMS 5

• Sogeti - EPiServer CMS 5

• Valtech - EPiServer CMS 5

• Avantime - Non-EPiServer

• Ciber - Non-EPiServer

• Logica - Non-EPiServer

Solution Partners (selection)

• AddPro - EPiServer CMS 6

• Cap Gemini - Non-EPiServer

• Inexor - Non-EPiServer

• LBi - Non-EPiServer

• Steria - Non-EPiServer

 

UK

Premium Solution Partners

• eibDigital - EPiServer CMS 5

• Fortune Cookie - EPiServer CMS 5

• Rufus Leonard - EPiServer CMS 5

• LBi - Non-EPiServer

• NetCel - Non-EPiServer

• RAPP - Non-EPiServer

• RedWeb - Non-EPiServer

• Syzygy - Non-EPiServer

• TwentySix Digital - Non-EPiServer

Solution Partners (selection)

• Making Waves - EPiServer CMS 6

• CubeWorks - Non-EPiServer

• Interakting - Non-EPiServer

 

USA

Premium Solution Partners

• Blend Interactive - EPiServer CMS 6

• Nansen Digital - EPiServer CMS 5

• Adage Technologies, American Eagle, Associated Computer Systems, Avantgarde Media, Aware Web Solutions, BGT Partners, BlueBolt, ComSys, Consejo, DesignKitchen, Engine Digital, First Line Software, G2, Gesfor USA, HDNY, Imano, InfoStrat, LBi, LightMaker, MarketNet, MindShift, MindTree, Opus Interactive, Orckestra, Oshyn, Simple Truth, SiteWorx, Space 150, SpeedShape, YoodleCorp - Non-EPiServer.

 

Interesting notes

• In Norway, one of the Premium partners selling the most licenses, is theonly Premium partner worldwide still running EPiServer 4.

• In USA, while I had no idea there were so many Premium partners, there are no "regular" Partners listed.
  Ufortunately, the list of US Premium partners does not include the number of ECDs per company. Surely these companies couldn't achieve Premium status based on license sales alone?
  Update: Allan Thraen informed me via Twitter that some new markets like USA, currently only have one partner level.

• In Norway, 8/8 (100%) of the Premium partners are running EPiServer.
  In Sweden, 18/21 (85,7%) of the Premium partners are running EPiServer.
  In the UK, 3/9 (33,3%) of the Premium partners are running EPiServer.
  In the US, only 2/32 (6,2%) of the Premium partners are running EPiServer.

• Using statistics from Norway, Sweden, UK and USA (a combined total of 70 Premium partners):
  11 of 70 (15,7%) Premium partners are running CMS 6.
  19 of 70 (27,1%) Premium partners are running CMS 5.
  1 of 70 (1,4%) Premium partners are running EPiServer 4.
  39 of 70 (55,7%) Premium partners are not running EPiServer at all.

• Norway have 8 solution partners, and 7 Premium partners.
  Sweden have 25 solution partners, and 21 Premium partners.
  Finland have 22 solution partners, but no Premium partners.
  Denmark have 16 solution partners, but no Premium partners.
  UK have 19 solution partners, and 9 Premium partners.
  Australia have 13 solution partners, but no Premium partners.
  India have 11 solution partners, but no Premium partners.
  USA have no solution partners, but 32 Premium partners.
  The mighty technology nations Botswana and Tanzania have the same number of solution partners as France, Japan and Singapore (1).

What can these statistics tell us?

For starters, a great number of partners are not using EPiServer for their own site. Also, a great number of partners have not updated their own website to the CMS 6 version.

I'm sure there are many good reasons for this, but from a customer perspective I would rather put my trust in a vendor who themselves are using the product they are trying to sell me.
From a professional perspective, a company not investing time and money in their own website, is not likely to attract the most qualified employees.

Do you agree with these views?

 

Statistics in this blog post are based on the information gathered from the EPiServer Partner list as of Dec 29th 2010, and includes only a selection of countries.