Pricewaterhousecoopers New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards

Pricewaterhousecoopers New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards
Supreme Excellence Award Winner - Right Hemisphere

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Sunday 5 November - The PricewaterhouseCoopers Supreme Excellence Award for the NZ Hi-Tech Company of the Year was awarded to Right Hemisphere - an inspiration to other New Zealand companies looking to take on the world. Right Hemisphere which earlier in the evening received the Rakon Deal of the Year award is leading the way for this year's hi-tech winners to become "world famous" in New Zealand as well as around the globe.

It was Right Hemisphere's ground breaking licensing and partnership deal with Adobe Systems Incorporated - one of the largest software companies in the world - which caught the judges' attention. Awards Chairman, Selwyn Pellett, says the judges for this award were "impressed by the relationship building and development of a long-term strategic alliance with Adobe Systems, which has given it a global user base for any software Right Hemisphere produces that leverages 3D in PDF."

In realising the company's vision of making "3D content as ubiquitous as text," Right Hemisphere has built a dynamic company since it was founded in 1997. It remains a privately-held venture-funded corporation based in Auckland and Silicon Valley. Right Hemisphere is a leading provider of Product Graphics Management (PGM) software that supplies the right product graphics in the right format, 'right now' for technical publications, interactive training, marketing communications, design collaboration, with further applications across the extended enterprise. Five of the top six automotive OEMs, nine of the top 10 aerospace and defence contractors, 11 Fortune 100 companies and hundreds more customers around the world rely on Right Hemisphere to synchronise product development and downstream Product Lifecycle Management (PLM).

In making the PricewaterhouseCoopers Supreme Excellence Award, judges were influenced by the company's management, marketing, technical development, its partnerships and overall performance, both today and planned into the future.

The international judging panel, lead by "Father of the Internet" Vinton Cerf highlighted the important role that New Zealand's hi-tech companies have to play in New Zealand’s economic future. Fellow judge, US based Kiwi and Chief Marketing Officer for LogLogic, Andy Lark, says that, "Technology innovators do more than drive what is arguably one of New Zealand’s most important industry sectors. Their vital role in our economy extends to enhancing the competitiveness and reach of nearly every sector – from food through entertainment and into agriculture. These awards play a critical role in recognising the power of innovation in driving our success here and abroad. "

Scott Kerse, leader of Emerging Businesses at PricewaterhouseCoopers, said his firm recognised the massive contribution that businesses in the electronics, software, biotech and telecoms sectors were making to New Zealand.

"Revenues of $15 billion in this country show that this is an area that is hugely important to this country. At PwC we are investing in resources, and dedicating people to working alongside these exciting, innovative companies in what is a dynamic industry. It's been fantastic to have been involved in celebrating the Kiwi success stories at the Hi-Tech Awards this year and we're looking forward to playing our part in the industry for many years to come."

The Awards Chairman, Selwyn Pellett, was delighted with this year's record entries. "We believe PricewaterhouseCoopers involvement with this year's awards has helped us to advance the New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards to another level. They are not only our key sponsor but played a vital role as an independent, secure, collection point for all entries.

"This standard was carried through to the judging process which involved some forty local and five international judges to avoid any conflict of interest issues and provide a very robust critique of the winners," he says.

"As an industry we have not been very good at singing our own praises. We need to get more of our hi-tech companies and people on the global radar and in the New Zealand spotlight. Collectively the electronics, software, telecommunications, biotechnology and creative technology industries are making a huge contribution to the New Zealand economy yet most of these companies remain relatively unknown. We all have a part to play in making Right Hemisphere and this year's other winners, household names in New Zealand."

Selwyn Pellett highlights the involvement of sponsors from outside of the industry, such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, NZX, Bell Gully and Westpac, as being a vital step in assisting hi-tech companies to realise their potential.

"The awards programme is not just about celebrating success," he says, "but helping to create a funnel for companies to list in New Zealand as we strongly believe our hi-tech industry should be owned by New Zealanders."

Pellett says that: "While a large number of companies are very focused on the global market this should not deny them the recognition they deserve in New Zealand. Attracting enough highly skilled people to work in hi-tech industries is a global issue, but we can go a long way to solving this one at home if our Kiwi kids grow up knowing they can work for one of the world's best hi-tech companies - right here in New Zealand."

SUMMARY OF AWARDS

PricewaterhouseCoopers Supreme Excellence Award & NZ Hi-Tech Company of the Year
Right Hemisphere

Westpac Flying Kiwi Award
Peter Maire

Rakon NZ Hi-Tech Deal of the Year
Right Hemisphere

Navman NZ Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year
Sprite Software

Highly Commended Wherescape

Microsoft NZ High Growth Company of the Year
Endace Limited

Enatel NZ Hi-Tech Innovation of the Year
Jointly awarded to: Telemetry Research Ltd
Jointly awarded to: The Optima Corporation

Highly Commended Shoko
Highly Commended Eurekster

Avnet NZ Hi Tech Corporate of the Year
Provenco Group Ltd

NZX Hi-Tech Entrepreneur of the Year
Rod Drury

Tait Electronics NZ Hi-Tech Company Leader of the Year
Rod Carr - Jade Software Corporation

Endace NZ Hi-Tech Marketer of the Year
Gavin Wright - Fraame Solutions

Nautech Electronics NZ Hi-Tech Young Achiever Award
Derek Handley - The Hyperfactory

Fronde Synergy NZ Hi-Tech Journalist of the Year
Divina Paredes - MIS Magazine

[Please see below for profiles on winners in all categories]

For more information, images or interviews please contact:
Jane Hardey
Text100
Ph: 021 185 1618
Email: jane.hardey@text100.co.nz

International Judges Comments
Vinton Cerf
Widely known as one of the “Fathers of the Internet”, Vinton G. Cerf is vice president and chief Internet evangelist for Google. In this role, he is responsible for identifying new enabling technologies to support the development of advanced, Internet-based products and services from Google.
“The New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards serve to highlight the importance of developing supra-national products and services in the IT industry. In many countries, IT-based businesses need more than the domestic market to thrive and New Zealand is as good an example as any of that need. Success in any business requires creativity and hard work, especially so in the highly competitive and global IT industry. PricewaterhouseCoopers deserves great credit for its sponsorship of these important awards and I am pleased to be able to play a small part in this constructive and gratifying programme.”
Greg Horowitt
Executive Director and Co-Founder of Global CONNECT, Greg Horowitt is leading the development of a portfolio of expertise linking regional networks and enterprises to global markets and customer channels - including New Zealand.

“It has long been the perception that New Zealand’s economy is dominated by primary industry such as agriculture and dairy, when in fact the most creativity, innovation and value-add is actually evident in the country’s rapidly growing hi-tech sector. In my current role, I observe immense talent on a daily basis that, when nurtured, can grow into global success. The PricewaterhouseCoopers New Zealand Hi-Tech awards play an important role for New Zealand in identifying and recognising its most creative and innovative hi-tech talent that, with the support of the sector, can lead the country’s international commercial recognition.”
Ann Winblad
US Venture Capitalist, Ann Winblad, is the co-founding Partner of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners. She is a well-known and respected software industry entrepreneur and technology leader with more than 25 years of experience in the software industry.

“The importance of ICT to the New Zealand economy is well beyond the measurable $5.6 billion and over 5% of the GDP. ICT has become the driver of innovation across all industries. The results of strong entrepreneurship in ICT are enormous to a strong economic future for New Zealand.”
Andy Lark
A Kiwi by birth Andy Lark’s has led award-winning programs and teams for Fortune 500 and Times 100 companies, technology leaders, start-ups and the world’s hottest advertising and communications agencies. Today, Andrew is LogLogic’s chief marketing officer - a hot technology start-up growing at over 300% per quarter.

"Technology innovators do more than drive what is arguably one of New Zealand’s most important industry sectors. Their vital role in our economy extends to enhancing the competitiveness and reach of nearly every sector – from food through entertainment and into agriculture. These awards play a critical role in recognising the power of innovation in driving our success here and abroad."
Edward Farmer
Edward joined Panmure Gordon,a London based corporate stockbroking company, as a director in the Corporate Finance Department in November 2000. Edward brings considerable corporate broking and equity capital market experience both in the UK as well as internationally in Europe, Far East and North America. Edward is a graduate in Biology (Cell Science) from Exeter University (1981).

About the award winners

Company Awards

Enatel Hi-Tech Innovation of the Year

Jointly Awarded to:
Optima Corporation
Formed in 1998, Optima specialises in providing easy-to-use, visually appealing interfaces that conceal complex mathematics to solve resource challenges. Simply put, Optima designs and implements software that optimises an organisation’s resources in order to streamline operations resulting in savings to the business.
Optima has developed a software system specifically for emergency ambulance services called Siren.
www.theoptimacorporation.com

Jointly Awarded to:
Telemetry Research Limited
Telemetry Research is part of a revolution in the treatment of heart failure, diabetes and other debilitating diseases. The company has developed technology which allows power for devices, such as pace-makers, to be transmitted across the skin without damaging tissue, using inductively coupled power transfer (ICPT). The company plans to revolutionise the medical device industry in New Zealand ensuring local employment for graduates, leading the way into the knowledge economy. www.telemetryresearch.com

Highly Commended
Shoko Limited
Formed in May 2006, Shoko is an interactive experience company specialising in computer vision technologies for active human interface through game-based interactions. Its two key products BrandPlay™ and ShoPlay offer companies the ability to connect with their customers through projected branded game content that offers full interaction through motion detection. www.shoko.co.nz

Highly Commended
Eurekster Inc.
Eurekster is a leader in community search technologies that harness the knowledge and behaviour of online communities to increase search
relevance and value for site visitors, site publishers and advertisers. Eurekster SwickiBuilder and Eurekster SwickiPublisher leverage the company’s patented technology and patent-pending processes that link search algorithms to social networks and communities of interest. www.eurekster.com

Microsoft NZ Hi-Tech Growth Strategy of the Year

Awarded to:
Endace Limited
With a 181% increase in revenue and 219% increase in its customer base in the past two years, Endace Limited represents spectacular growth in
the network security and traffic analysis sector. The company attributes its success to its ability to stay ahead of the technology curve, which has seen it release eight new products in the past 12 months. www.endace.com

Avnet NZ Hi-Tech Corporate of the Year

Awarded to:
Provenco Group Ltd
Provenco is a supplier of smart technology for business. This is reflected in each business area - forecourt solutions for the international oil
industry; payment technology and EFTPOS in the domestic New Zealand market; and retail technology including mobile and wireless for the
Australasian market. Provenco has a strong foundation in payment and EFTPOS solutions, and has since diversified in specialist businesses that
focus on particular market segments. www.provenco.co.nz

Rakon NZ Hi-Tech Deal of the Year
Awarded to:
Right Hemisphere
Founded in 1997, Right Hemisphere is the leading provider of Product Graphics Management (PGM) software. Successfully establishing a ground
breaking licensing and partnership deal with Adobe Systems Inc., Right Hemisphere’s PGM technology is now embedded in Adobe’s Acrobat platform,
allowing the company to deliver differentiated and compelling enterprise solutions around the .pdf global standards. www.righthemisphere.com

Navman Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year

Awarded to:
Sprite Software
Sprite Software was founded in 2001 by Chairman Murray Haszard and CEO Sean Connolly, both formerly of Binary Research Inc, the developer of the well known Ghost software that was sold to Symantec in 1998. Sprite has since developed Sprite Backup, the world’s leading backup and recovery software for Windows Mobile PDAs and Smartphones and Sprite Clone, imaging software for the deployment of multiple handhelds, configured identically. www.spritesoftware.com

Highly Commended:
WhereScape Inc.
WhereScape provides the software and expert guidance to enable its customers to quickly build and manage data warehouses. Its software, WhereScape RED, is the first lifecycle management software specifically designed for data warehousing. By supporting the entire data warehouse lifecycle its customers can build, enhance and prototype data warehouse solutions 10-100 times faster than using traditional software products.
www.wherescape.com

Individual Awards

Tait Electronics NZ Hi-Tech Company Leader

Awarded to:
Rod Carr - Jade Software Corporation
Dr Rod Carr heads the highly successful information technology research and development organisation, Jade Software Corporation. Prior to taking up his current position, Rod had a distinguished career in the banking sector including Acting Governor of the Reserve Bank, and senior executive roles at the National Australia Bank and the Bank of New Zealand. Rod is an alumnus of the School of Business and the University of Otago.

NZX Hi-Tech Entrepreneur of the Year

Awarded to:
Rod Drury
Rod Drury is an experienced entrepreneur and investor passionate about software development and building value. Rod was founder and CEO of Aftermail which was acquired by Quest Software in January 2006 and subsequently won Best Exchange Product at TechEd 2006 in Boston. Rod co-founded USA based Context Connect Incorporated which provides Directory solutions for mobile device and he was recently awarded a significant patent in the directories area. In addition to this Rod established the software company we now know as Intergen, was NZ's first representative on the Microsoft MSCN Regional Director program and an independent director of TradeMe remaining on its Advisory Board post sale to Fairfax. www.drury.net.nz

Endace Hi-Tech Marketer of the Year

Awarded to:
Gavin Wright - Fraame Solutions
As founder and managing director of Fraame Solutions, Gavin Wright has extensive experience in the commercial and government IT sectors of the Australian, UK and New Zealand markets. His particular focus has been on the use of information technology to deliver complex and large scale solutions, principally to the healthcare industry. Gavin is the current national Chairman of the New Zealand Health Information Technology Cluster and has sat on the formation Board of ICT-NZ for the past two years. He also holds a range of directorships and industry affiliations. www.fraame.com

Fronde Synergy Hi-Tech Journalist of the Year

Awarded to:
Divina Paredes - MIS
Divina Paredes has been covering the ICT sector since November 2000. As editor of MIS magazine (now CIO magazine), her distinctive articles focus on the management challenges IT executives face. Meticulously researched, Divina’s renowned interviews provide profound insights from New Zealand and offshore IT directors, analyst firms and management experts.

Nautech NZ Hi-Tech Young Achiever of the Year

Awarded to:
Derek Handley - The Hyperfactory
As co-founder and CEO of awardwinning company The Hyperfactory, Derek Handley has been the visionary responsible for the company’s strategic growth and direction. Driving the company from two people at its inception in 2000, to close to 40 people in six offices around the globe today, Derek has spent last year eveloping The Hyperfactory’s offering in the US. www.thehyperfactory.com

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