ers . ▁ ▁Part ner ▁programs ▁Vert ical ▁s ells ▁almost ▁exclus ively ▁through ▁a ▁value - added ▁res eller ▁( VAR ) ▁channel . ▁Part ners ▁must ▁meet ▁certain ▁minimum ▁requirements ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁V AR , ▁including ▁purch asing ▁a ▁demo ▁system ▁and ▁qual ifying ▁technical ▁personnel ▁by ▁having ▁them ▁attend ▁online ▁training . ▁ ▁Art iso ft ▁T uc son , ▁Arizona - based ▁Art iso ft ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁company ▁to ▁offer ▁peer - to - pe er ▁networking . ▁The ▁name ▁of ▁its ▁network ▁operating ▁system ▁was ▁L AN t astic . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁the ▁company ▁acquired ▁ ▁for ▁$ 1 2 . 8 ▁million . ▁St yl us ▁In nov ation , ▁noted ▁for ▁its ▁Bar code - based ▁remote ▁sho pping ▁product , ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁by ▁K ris zt ina ▁' Z ' ▁Hol ly , ▁Mike ▁Cass id y ▁and ▁John ▁Bar rus . ▁▁ ▁St yl us ▁In nov ation ▁came ▁to ▁public ▁attention ▁by ▁winning ▁the ▁Grand - P ri ze ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁M IT ▁$ 1 0 0 K ▁Entre pr ene ur ship ▁Compet ition . ▁ ▁Leg acy ▁Art iso ft ▁bought ▁Tele V antage , ▁and ▁renamed ▁the ▁latter ▁Art iso ft ▁Tele V antage . ▁However , ▁with ▁Microsoft ' s ▁Windows ▁for ▁Work groups ▁" e ating ▁into " ▁L AN t astic ' s ▁lead ▁( as ▁was ▁Nov ell