Finalists announced for 2009 PwC Hi-Tech Awards

For Immediate Release

Finalists announced for 2009 PwC Hi-Tech Awards

Auckland, March 26, 2009. The PricewaterhouseCoopers New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards finalists have been announced at simultaneous functions in Auckland and Christchurch this evening.

The Hi-Tech awards recognise excellence across New Zealand’s software, electronics, biotechnology, telecommunications and creative technology industries. This year’s awards saw a record number of entries (160 from 115 companies and individuals).

Judges have said the quality of submissions from entrants this year is extremely high, and finalists in the company, product and young achiever categories will now face a further stage in panel interviews with the judges to decide the winners.

“Our international judges will also get involved in determining the winners and we are looking forward to getting some quality feedback from Michael Dell, Cisco’s Howard Charney and our other international judges,” says NZ Hi-Tech Association Chair, Wayne Norrie.

PricewaterhouseCoopers Partner and principal sponsor spokesperson Scott Kerse: “This year we had a record number of entries – but what is especially impressive is the high quality of entrants across the board. This demonstrates the high calibre of talent among New Zealand hi-tech companies.”

Winners of the awards in each category will be announced at a black-tie, Gala event to be held in Christchurch on May 1, 2009.

The finalists for each category are as follows:
PricewaterhouseCoopers Supreme Award NZ Hi-Tech Company of the Year

Compac Sorting Equipment www.compacsort.com
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare  www.fphcare.com
Orion Health www.orionhealth.com

IRL Emerging Company Award

BookIt   www.bookit.co.nz
Sentient Software   www.sentientsoftware.co.nz
Sonar6  www.sonar6.com

Enatel Innovative Hardware Product

INRO Technologies www.inro.co.nz
NextWindow  www.nextwindow.com
Times-7 www.times-7.com
Vesper Marine www.vespermarine.com

Recruit IT Innovative Software Product Award

Biomatters  www.biomatters.com
Massive Software www.massivesoftware.com
Mobile Commerce  www.mcom.co.nz
Orion Health  www.orionhealth.com
Sonar6  www.sonar6.com
Straker  www.shadocms.com

HiFX Innovative Service Product Award

Sonar6 www.sonar6.com
Truescape Visual Reality www.truescapevisualreality.co.nz|
Xero www.xero.com

Endace Young Achiever Award

Andrew Graham
Alain Richardt
John-Daniel Trask

SwayTech Hi-Tech Journalist Award

Anthony Doesburg
Keith Newman
Divina Paredes
Tom Pullar-Strecker

Outstanding Individual Contribution Award 

Milton Bloomfield
Scott Gilmour
Dr Claire McGowan

Outstanding Industry Initiative Award

DigitalNZ  www.digitalnz.org
eDay  www.eday.org.nz
The Distiller www.thedistiller.org
 

Full details of the category finalists can be found at the Hi-Tech Awards website (www.hitech.org.nz/finalists).