Four Top Companies win Technology Awards

Media Statement
Friday 23 July 2004

Four Top Companies win Technology Awards

The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology has just announced the winners of its prestigious Technology Commendation Awards for 2004. They are Virtual Katy Limited – for its development of a sound editing software solution; Electronic Navigation Limited - for a new seafloor mapping system; Tekron International Limited – for a GPS based time code generator for the power industry, and Interactive Technologies Limited – for its innovative travel management products. The winners were announced tonight at the annual Trade and Enterprise Export Awards held in Auckland.

The Technology Commendation Awards are sponsored by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology and are designed to publicly recognise companies that have developed or applied new technology that has grown their business. The awards were established in 1999 and so far about 20 companies have received awards.

The Chief Executive of the Foundation, Murray Bain says this year all four companies have demonstrated the tremendous benefits that targeted and well managed research and development can bring to an organisation. He says the products each company has developed are highly innovative and have attracted wide interest from overseas.

Murray Bain says the Foundation, through its various investment schemes within Technology New Zealand, has done much to foster and encourage companies to invest in R&D and he says the benefits both to New Zealand the individual companies is featuring in the media on a daily basis.

The winners of the Technology Commendation Awards receive a trophy, a certificate and a logo of excellence that can be used to promote their product or service.

More about the winners

Virtual Katy Limited

Virtual Katy Development Limited, established in Wellington in 2002, is the producer of Virtual Katy, the innovative sound editing software solution for the international film and television industry

Virtual Katy, a unique tool that revolutionizes the post production process, has been used extensively on productions such as ‘The Lord of the Rings’, ‘Bridget Jones Diary 2’ and ‘Thunderbirds’.

Virtual Katy have recently secured large international orders in America and Europe, made possible under the guidance of the newly appointed CEO Paul Dixon and with the assistance of investor funding provided by Sparkbox Ltd, New Zealand’s foremost ‘business angel investment’ company.

www.virtualkaty.com

Electronic Navigation Limited

Electronic Navigation Limited is a marine electronics company based in the Westhaven marine precinct.

It supplies integrated electronic systems to the super yacht industry, technology to the fishing industry and the recreational boating market and to the Australasian maritime surveillance and safety markets.

Electronic Navigation Limited is in the process of launching a new product called Wassp - or Wide Angle Sonar Seafloor Profiler - which will provide users with very detailed information about the seafloor shape, composition and fish school size and location. The global target market for Wassp includes commercial fishing and diving; marine research, exploration, search and rescue, police and customs, education; hydrographic and obstacle avoidance markets.

Tekron International Limited

Tekron International designs and manufactures time synchronisation equipment. Their flagship product - a GPS based time code generator for the power industry - provides atomic clock accuracy for network monitoring and control.

Chaos of power blackouts in North America and Europe highlighted the importance of reliable electricity supply to modern economies. Blackouts could increase in frequency as demand escalates and networks operate under higher loads.

Tekron time synchronisation installed as part of control systems both aids in disaster recovery and provides greater efficiency, enabling networks to operate closer to capacity.

Exports account for 70% of Tekron sales, with products exported to North America, South Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australia.

SERKO® - Corporate Online Travel Solution

Interactive Technologies produces the Serko suite of advanced booking and travel management solutions for travel agents and corporate travel administrators. Within a short time-span Serko has shaken up the New Zealand travel industry and achieved 60% corporate market take-up here.

Interactive Technologies continues to expand the Serko suite and its most recently released product, Serko Online, for the first time puts the power of real-time online travel management in the hands of corporate travel administrators - while remaining fully integrated with Serko corporate/retail, used by travel agents.

With the Serko suite already well received in the Australian and Asian markets, Interactive Technologies is now set to launch Serko into new markets worldwide.

ENDS

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