Netrix Global Named to CRN’s 2026 AI Innovators List

Recognition highlights a business-first approach to AI adoption, alongside Netrix's 2026 MSP 500 Elite 150 and Solution Provider 500 honors

CHICAGO (Nov. 4, 2026) - Netrix Global, an engineering-led IT, security and AI partner, has been named to CRN's 2026 AI Innovators list. The inaugural list from CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, recognizes North American solution providers that have built AI into the solutions they deliver to customers.

For Netrix, AI innovation starts with a business question: what should this investment help the organization achieve? Its approach connects use-case discovery and technical delivery with the security, governance and employee enablement needed to put AI to work. The focus is business value realization-moving beyond deployment to understand how AI supports productivity, operational efficiency and lasting organizational capability.

That distinction matters as organizations move from experimentation toward broader adoption. A business case establishes the value an initiative is expected to deliver; adoption and outcome measurement help determine whether that value is realized. Clear priorities, practical use cases and continued support provide a foundation for evaluating progress and deciding where to expand.

The recognition reflects a year focused on helping clients adopt AI with security and governance in place from day one. At the center of that work is the Netrix Managed AI-Ready Business Program, which makes enterprise-style AI governance more accessible to small and mid-sized businesses. The end-to-end program encompasses shadow AI discovery, permissions hardening, policy design, staff training, and security vetting before launch. These capabilities help organizations address adoption barriers while keeping sensitive data and responsible AI use central to implementation.

"Most of the companies we talk to aren't asking whether to use AI. They're asking how to use it without exposing data they can't afford to lose," said Dean Gels, CEO of Netrix Global. "Our answer is to start with governance and security, then build. Being named a CRN AI Innovator tells us that approach is working, and the credit belongs to the engineers and Field CTOs who do that work with our clients every day."

In a recent engagement, a large national life insurance and annuities provider came to Netrix with minimal AI adoption and no clear direction. Netrix started with a Microsoft Copilot discovery engagement to define real use cases and measure the productivity return. That foundation allowed the client to expand the scope by including additional departments, Copilot Studio and custom Copilot agents. Netrix worked alongside the client's IT team to develop and implement security and governance controls so agents could run at scale.

Netrix's AI practice is backed by its Microsoft Copilot Specialization, its AWS Generative and Agentic AI Services, Machine Learning, and Data and Analytics Competencies, and its AWS Managed Service Provider designation. Netrix is also a member of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) and has dedicated Field CTOs for AI and Security, along with a data fabric blueprint that keeps every AI initiative built on governed, trustworthy data.

Three CRN recognitions in 2026

The AI Innovators honor caps a strong year of CRN recognition for Netrix:

• 2026 MSP 500, Elite 150: Netrix was named to the Elite 150 category of CRN's annual list of North America's top managed service providers. This is Netrix's 12th appearance on the MSP 500.
• 2026 Solution Provider 500, No. 263: CRN's ranking of the largest solution providers in North America by revenue. 2026 marks Netrix's 15th consecutive year on the list.

"AI gets the headlines, but it runs on the same things it always has: secure infrastructure, clean data and a team that picks up the phone," Gels added.

Organizations that want to see what governed AI adoption looks like in practice can join Netrix's live and on-demand webinars on AI readiness, Microsoft Copilot, and security here.

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