Milford, Iowa, February 2026 — RDI® (R & D Industries, Inc.), Akative's parent company, is proud to announce that it has been recognized by CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, on the 2026 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list. This year, RDI is specifically honored in the Pioneer 250 category, marking a significant milestone as the company celebrates its sixth year of inclusion on this elite industry ranking.

The annual MSP 500 list identifies the most influential North American service providers—those who are not just managing IT, but actively reshaping how businesses operate through innovation. While RDI has previously been recognized for its deep security expertise, the 2026 selection for the Pioneer 250 highlights the company’s broader impact on the small-and-midsize-business (SMB) sector. This recognition points to RDI’s mastery in driving enhanced business efficiency, delivering simplified IT services, and providing the strategic foresight necessary for clients to extract maximum value from their technology investments.

"Securing a spot on the MSP 500 list for the sixth year is a powerful validation of our team's dedication," said Don Van Oort, CEO of RDI. "Our position in the Pioneer 250 category this year reflects our intentional focus on the 'big picture' for both our regional and national clients. We aren't just providing technology; we are serving as a catalyst for our partners' growth by stripping away IT complexity. By leveraging cutting-edge AI within our patented product lines—specifically through our AkativeSD™, RocketFailover® and autonomous connectivity solutions and Thinix GuestFirst™ technologies & AssuredSecurity® endpoint security services —we ensure every technology dollar invested translates into a competitive advantage."

In an era where technology moves faster than ever, RDI stands out by bridging the gap between complex enterprise-grade solutions and the practical needs of the SMB and enterprise markets. By optimizing IT budgets and streamlining workflows, RDI allows business owners to stop worrying about their infrastructure and start focusing on their mission.

“The companies on our 2026 MSP 500 list are redefining what exceptional managed services look like—helping organizations of every size stay agile, maximize their IT investments and scale with confidence,” said Jennifer Follett, VP of U.S. Content and Executive Editor, CRN, The Channel Company. “These are the innovators who stay ahead of customer needs and deliver transformative services that free businesses to focus on what they do best and accelerate their success.”

 

The MSP 500 list is featured in the February 2026 issue of CRN and online at www.crn.com/msp500.

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About RDI® - R & D Industries, Inc. (RDI.com) delivers a wide range of technology-driven solutions, focusing on delivering exceptional value to its customers. As 2025 marks the 41st Anniversary of RDI, this important milestone underscores RDI's steadfast commitment to its foundational principles: to Research, to Develop, and to Innovate (RDI). These principles guide the creation of highly effective solutions grounded in integrity and trust. RDI takes pride in its unwavering commitment to always 'Do the Right Thing' for our customers, employees, vendors, and resellers.

Thinix® - (Thinix.com) (thin-ix) provides best-in-class managed technology solutions; Thinix furnishes a worldwide customer base with distinct business advantages by making technology simple, safe, and secure. Thinix specializes in FamilySafe® Guest WiFi, Guest-Use Thinix Secure Kiosks, Thinix AssuredSecurity®, network monitoring software, managed firewalls, and high-availability Internet connectivity solutions. Thinix currently manages over 17,000 devices installed in thousands of locations around the globe. Thinix is a trusted technology service provider to many of the largest and most respected brands in hospitality.

Akative® - (Akative.com) (uh-KATE-iv) provides high-availability data connectivity solutions, patented iStatus® monitoring, and multi-carrier 4G LTE/5G services to customers throughout the United States. With AkativeSD™ critical applications, such as VoIP, are supported by leveraging integrated SD-WAN hardware, monitoring, and connectivity in fully managed Akative Autonomous Connectivity® solutions. Akative has over 32 million hours of connectivity uptime and our iStatus platform services over a billion requests per year. Akative’s mission is to help businesses eliminate data connectivity issues, ultimately achieving ZeroDowntime.

RDIworks® - (RDIworks.com) is a regional leader in providing IT infrastructure, network architecture, and complete management solutions for IT services. RDI has highly trained technicians in specialized areas such as servers, networking, virtualization, security/HIPAA & PCI compliance, backups, and infrastructure. Key partners include Aruba Networks, Cisco, HP, Dell, VMware, Microsoft, WatchGuard, and Veeam.

Audio Engineering™ - (AudioEngineering.com) is a Midwest leader in professional audio-visual services. With 100+ certifications, decades of experience, and partnerships with the world’s best equipment manufacturers, the Audio Engineering team designs, plans, and installs sound and video solutions for houses of worship, all levels of education, businesses, and government facilities.