HighVail president Bradley Brodkin

LAS VEGAS – Symantec Canada channel chief Fred Patterson introduced Toronto-based HighVail Systems as the vendor’s Canadian partner of the year at the company’s Partner Engage 2010 conference here.

Patterson said the solution provider had grown its business with Symantec 300 per cent between the company’s fiscal 2009 and 2010, moving it from 10th place on Symantec’s list of Canadian partners to 5th place. The decision was based on revenue and revenue growth, enablement and capability, and the partners’ level of engagement particularly when it comes to new revenue growth.

But it was a big – and last minute – deal in Symantec’s fiscal 2010 that may have put HighVail over the top.“[HighVail] really led the way when it came to driving new license opportunities with one of [Canada’s] largest banks,” Patterson said.

HighVail president Bradley Brodkin described the award as “a surprise” to the company, especially up against fellow finalist CDW Canada.

“The planets all aligned properly, and everything came together at the right time and within the Symantec fiscal,” Brodkin said of the mega-deal with a Canadian bank.

In fact, it’s a deal that almost ended up getting pushed to beyond Symantec’s fiscal year deadline at the end of March. But the deal did get signed in time for the end of the fiscal.

Far from a one-deal partner, Patterson praised HighVail for “being very deeply enabled for years” and “a very important asset” in many of the company’s largest customers. “The majority of our customers use Symantec products,” Brodkin said.

The company also announced its Latin American partner of the year in Brazil-based EZ Security and its U.S. partner of the year in Grand Rapids, Mich.-based ITS Partners.