What, exactly, is influence? This year, CRN editors took a slighly different tack with the long-running Top 25 Most Influential Executives report, building a list of the executives and technologists that got people talking in 2006.

1(Mark Hurd)

President and CEO, Hewlett-Packard
Becoming chairman should have been Hurd's finest hour as a reward for revigorating HP and its channel. Now partners are hoping the boardroom leak probe scandal won't undermine all he has accomplished.


2(Ray Ozzie)

Chief Software Architect, Microsoft
Ray Ozzie is leading Microsoft into the brave new world of software as a service. If he succeeds, it will be proof positive that nice guys can finish first and visionary technologists still matter.


3(Eric Schmidt)

Chairman and CEO, Google
With a blizzard of product launches and splashy $1.65 billion YouTube acquistion, Schmidt continues to demonstrate why Google has risen to the forefront of the Web 2.0 crowd.

Hector Ruiz

4(Hector Ruiz)

Chairman and CEO, AMD
The empire may be striking back, but it is doubtful that Intel will be able to suppress the Advanced Micro Devices rebellion this time, not if Ruiz keeps executing and pushing innovation.


5(John Chambers)

President and CEO, Cisco Systems
Does this guy ever rest? Chambers is charting a growth path that could keep the networking leader in double digits for the foreseeable future.

6(Sam Palmisano)

Chairman, President and CEO, IBM
Palmisano's software and services strategy appears to be kicking in, as evidenced by third-quarter results. Now he just needs to clue his field sales force in on the importance of playing nice with partners.


7(Paul Otellini)

President and CEO, Intel
Otellini appears to have Intel out of the wilderness, with a little help from his Israeli engineers. Now he needs to show that Intel can expand its horizons.

8(Joe Tucci)

President and CEO, EMC
Tucci's acquistion of RSA Security may be his boldest move yet as he continues to execute on his life-cycle management strategy.


9(John Thompson)

Chairman and CEO, Symantec
Thompson is beginning to deliver on promised synergies between security and storage software, but is facing a myriad of new threats to Symantec's market leadership.


10(Gavin Garbutt)

President and CEO, N-able Technologies
If there is one guy among the managed services platform pioneers who stirs up emotions, it is Garbutt with his all-or-nothing business transformation gospel.

11(John Edwardson)

Chairman, President and CEO, CDW
Will Edwardson's stunning move to acquire solution provider Berbee Information Networks help bolster CDW's flagging corporate sales? Mixing distribution with solution selling is easier said than done.


12(Matt Szulik)

Chairman and CEO, Red Hat
Szulik has new middleware from JBoss, a new channel program and a new challenge in the form of Oracle's services arm.


13(Brian Dunn)

President and COO, Best Buy
Solution providers may not be too worried about Dunn's Geek Squad, but some are keeping close watch on his beefed up small-business services initiative -- while occasionally dropping by to source products.


14(William J. Amelio)

President and CEO, Lenovo
While HP is making hay with Dell's missteps, Lenovo is still struggling with profitability in the U.S. Appointing Amelio, who has been around the block a few times, as CEO could be the key to building the company's brand and channel.


15(Andy Bechtolsheim)

Senior Vice President and Chief Architect, Sun Microsystems
The triumphant return of Sun's co-founder is doing more than lifting spirits at the beleagered vendor. Bechtolsheim, once again proving he's a master of design, is reviving Sun's fortunes with his Galaxy servers.

16(John Edwardson)

Chairman, President and CEO, CDW
Will Edwardson's stunning move to acquire solution provider Berbee Information Networks help bolster CDW's flagging corporate sales? Mixing distribution with solution selling is easier said than done.


17(Matt Szulik)

Chairman and CEO, Red Hat
Szulik has new middleware from JBoss, a new channel program and a new challenge in the form of Oracle's services arm.


18(Brian Dunn)

President and COO, Best Buy
Solution providers may not be too worried about Dunn's Geek Squad, but some are keeping close watch on his beefed up small-business services initiative -- while occasionally dropping by to source products.


19(William J. Amelio)

President and CEO, Lenovo
While HP is making hay with Dell's missteps, Lenovo is still struggling with profitability in the U.S. Appointing Amelio, who has been around the block a few times, as CEO could be the key to building the company's brand and channel.


20(Andy Bechtolsheim)

Senior Vice President and Chief Architect, Sun Microsystems
The triumphant return of Sun's co-founder is doing more than lifting spirits at the beleagered vendor. Bechtolsheim, once again proving he's a master of design, is reviving Sun's fortunes with his Galaxy servers.

21(John Edwardson)

Chairman, President and CEO, CDW
Will Edwardson's stunning move to acquire solution provider Berbee Information Networks help bolster CDW's flagging corporate sales? Mixing distribution with solution selling is easier said than done.


22(Matt Szulik)

Chairman and CEO, Red Hat
Szulik has new middleware from JBoss, a new channel program and a new challenge in the form of Oracle's services arm.


23(Brian Dunn)

President and COO, Best Buy
Solution providers may not be too worried about Dunn's Geek Squad, but some are keeping close watch on his beefed up small-business services initiative -- while occasionally dropping by to source products.


24(William J. Amelio)

President and CEO, Lenovo
While HP is making hay with Dell's missteps, Lenovo is still struggling with profitability in the U.S. Appointing Amelio, who has been around the block a few times, as CEO could be the key to building the company's brand and channel.


25(Andy Bechtolsheim)

Senior Vice President and Chief Architect, Sun Microsystems
The triumphant return of Sun's co-founder is doing more than lifting spirits at the beleagered vendor. Bechtolsheim, once again proving he's a master of design, is reviving Sun's fortunes with his Galaxy servers.