18/08/2010 - Region recognised for the impact of ICT excellence

This year’s ICT Excellence Awards secured recognition for the impact ICT businesses in the region are making across all facets of industry.

From farming to healthcare, education to utilities and media to HR, ICT businesses from the West Midlands are using their specialist knowledge to create and sell innovative solutions to a global client base that are located in countries including the USA, Poland, Australia, Sudan, Germany and Japan.

Held at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull, the Awards acknowledged innovative ICT companies from across the UK. From the ten organisations that were honoured, three firms were given particular recognition – Mi-Zone Ltd won the Technology Strategy Board (TSB)’s Special Award for High Growth Potential Business, while Wapple walked away with the ICT Excellence Overall Champion and the Chair’s Award for Excellence was given to Start Software.

The three companies operate in a diverse range of sectors that represent how ICT firms in the Heart of England provide innovative solutions across all markets to help many different industries manage or improve their own work.

Technology firm Wapple, which creates platforms for companies and brand owners to develop mobile internet sites, was crowned the ICT Excellence Overall Champion and received £2,000. The judges selected Bromsgrove-based Wapple for its technical brilliance and provision of a product that taps into the rapidly growing use of the internet via mobile phones. Wapple’s Architect mobile plugin product enables existing website content, data and applications to be presented for mobile users and mobile browsers. All graphics, forms, text and functionality fit perfectly within the phone screen and are optimised to every unique mobile web device – from wml browsers to smartphones such as the Blackberry and iPhone.

Start Software’s cow feed management software earned the company the Chair’s Award for Excellence, which this year was for Social, Environmental and Economic Impact. The Bridgnorth-based firm’s Total Diet Management v3 uses sophisticated algorithms to enable farmers to maximise their profit margin by analysing the cost and formulation of their feed and the value of the milk produced.

Finally, Halesowen-based Mi-Zone won the TSB Special Award for High Growth Potential Business 2009 – its Stay Close at All Times (SCAAT) technology monitors the presence and proximity of valuable objects, pets or people to a mobile phone device with active Bluetooth tags. The phone will be able to search for the tag or be alerted, via an alarm and flashing light, if the tag moves out of a pre-determined ‘safe’ zone. The TSB will provide a tailored package of support for Mi-Zone, which could include advice and support for market analysis, intellectual property protection, business planning, knowledge transfer, European funding schemes, public relations or international trade.

Sponsored by regional development agency Advantage West Midlands, the event is now in its sixth year and has received an increase in the number of award entries every year. Mike Musson, Advantage West Midlands’ ICT Cluster Manager, said: “The level of innovation, creativity and business effectiveness in these companies really impressed the judges. They should be proud of their achievements, and the Awards are testament to the growing technology sector in the region – which in turn helps other industries boost their own achievements.”

Ends

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NOTES TO EDITORS:

About the West Midlands ICT Cluster
More than 3,000 ICT-related companies are based within the West Midlands, and one third of all UK publicly quoted software and computer companies are represented in the region. Major ICT players present within the region include Fujitsu, Capgemini, IBM, EDS, Oracle and SCC. The region has a strong talent base to service the ICT sector, with 21% of the region’s undergraduates studying computer science and business courses and Staffordshire University recognised as one of the largest providers of computing courses in the UK.

About the West Midlands Cluster Programme
The ICT Cluster is just one of eleven Cluster groups that have been established by the regional development agency for the West Midlands – Advantage West Midlands – as part of the Cluster Programme. More than 3,000 businesses within the region actively participate in the Cluster Programme with the aim to increase economic opportunities for the region and build the reputation of the region’s industries across Automotive, Aerospace, Building Technology, Business & Professional Services, Digital Media, Environmental Technology, Food & Drink, ICT, Interiors & Lifestyle, Medical Technology and Rail sectors.