Pax8 Named 2026 ASCII Cup Vendor of the Year
The company secured the top honor during the annual event hosted in San Antonio.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in eSports
Live Poll
Do you trust peer-voted industry rankings to help you select reliable business partners?
Pax8 has been named the 2026 ASCII Cup Vendor of the Year, marking its second win in three years. The results were officially announced following voting by ASCII members across North America.
Why it matters
The ASCII Cup serves as a benchmark for vendor performance in the IT industry, determined by direct member feedback. Members evaluate companies across 12 distinct categories to recognize excellence in service and support.
Pax8 outperformed nine other finalists, including first runner-up Atakama and third-place Kaseya, based on evaluations across 12 unique categories. This victory marks a return to the top spot after Pax8 placed as the first runner-up in 2025.
The players
Pax8
This cloud marketplace company connects IT professionals with cloud products and services.
ASCII
This is a network of independent information technology managed service providers in North America.
Atakama
This data security company specializes in decentralized encryption solutions.
Kaseya
This organization provides unified IT management and security software for managed service providers.
The details
The rankings are based on voting from ASCII members who evaluate participants at regional ASCII Edge events held throughout North America. SonicWall, ThreatMate, Monjur, RYTHMz, Vircom, Proofpoint, and Cynet rounded out the top ten positions in this year's competition.
Timeline
Pax8 secured the top title in 2024.
Pax8 finished as the first runner-up in 2025.
Awards were presented on Oct. 22, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas.
Season Trajectory
The ASCII Cup reflects a broader trend of managed service providers using peer-driven rankings to filter their product portfolios. This hierarchy directly influences which vendors gain wider adoption across North America throughout the following calendar year.
For IT service providers, these rankings clarify which vendors currently hold the most trust among industry peers. This data often drives procurement decisions for the upcoming year by highlighting providers that scored highest across 12 performance categories.
The takeaway
Maintaining consistent performance remains key to winning industry-recognized awards. Providers looking to partner with top-rated vendors should use these annual standings to identify which companies consistently meet member service expectations.
Further reading
Find more industry coverage in the eSports section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Commercial Integrator.
Live Poll
Do you trust peer-voted industry rankings to help you select reliable business partners?
