Umbrellar Technology Group has won the Pax8 Beyond Partner Award for MVP Infrastructure in Asia-Pacific, marking the second consecutive year the New Zealand company has received the regional honour.
The award was presented during Pax8 Beyond 2026 in Salt Lake City, where 20 partner awards were handed out across the distributor's channel network.
Umbrellar, a New Zealand-based cloud services provider, described the award as another sign of its standing with international partners. Pax8 said its awards programme recognises partners that deliver revenue growth, increase cloud adoption and support customer outcomes through the company's marketplace.
The win places Umbrellar among a group of partners recognised across the Pax8 ecosystem. More than 47,000 IT partners and 800,000 small and medium-sized business customers use the company's marketplace platform, according to Pax8.
Award context
The MVP Infrastructure award covers the Asia-Pacific region, giving it significance beyond a single-country partner programme. For Umbrellar, the repeat win comes as the company continues to emphasise its New Zealand ownership and domestic market base while working with large international vendors and distributors.
Ian Hassell, Chief Executive Officer of Umbrellar Technology Group, linked the result to the company's customers and staff.
“Winning this award two years running reflects the trust our customers place in us and the calibre of our team here in New Zealand. When we brought Umbrellar back into local ownership, we committed to world-class cloud infrastructure with a local-first mindset. This recognition from Pax8 validates that, and it's our people who make it possible. We're proud to represent Aotearoa on the global stage,” Hassell said.
According to its corporate profile, the company has operated in cloud services for more than 25 years. It focuses on infrastructure, cloud management platforms and AI-related services, and is also a Microsoft Cloud Partner.
Channel focus
Pax8 is a major distributor focused on cloud software and services for small and medium-sized businesses. Its model centres on a marketplace used by managed service providers and other IT partners to source, deploy and manage products for customers.
The Beyond awards recognise partners whose work has contributed to revenue growth, cloud adoption and business success through the Pax8 marketplace. That places the programme within broader competition among distributors and cloud vendors to secure partner loyalty in a market where recurring software and infrastructure spending has become increasingly important.
Channel recognition has also become more prominent as service providers seek differentiation in a crowded market. Awards from global distributors can help regional players build visibility with vendors, partners and customers, particularly when the honours are repeated in successive years.
Nick Heddy, President and Chief Commerce Officer at Pax8, commented on the broader partner base recognised through the programme.
“Our partners continue to impress us with their relentless innovation and commitment to delivering transformative cloud and AI solutions to SMBs. We are proud to recognize their dedication to empowering customers with technologies that drive meaningful business growth and success,” Heddy said.
New Zealand profile
For New Zealand technology firms, recognition in overseas channel programmes can carry added weight because of the country's smaller domestic market. Companies often need to show they can compete on service quality and specialist expertise while building relationships with global software vendors and distribution platforms headquartered elsewhere.
Umbrellar's latest award suggests the company has maintained that position within the Pax8 network for at least two years. It also underlines the role New Zealand service providers can play in the wider Asia-Pacific cloud market, where demand for outsourced infrastructure, managed services and AI-related support continues to draw competition from local and multinational groups.
The award was one of 20 partner honours presented during the Salt Lake City event.