Biznet IIS tops at ICT awards
02-05-2008
by Emmet Ryan

 

The Belfast-based business software firm won the awards for IT Project of the Year (Private Sector) and Best Use of Technology in Education & Training.

The ICT Excellence Awards recognise professional standards in the ICT sector and the 2008 winners were announced at a ceremony in Dublin on Thursday.

The awards' judging panel was chaired by Eoin O'Driscoll, the chairman of Forfas, and managing director of technology consultancy Aderra. Among the other judges was Dr Jim Mountjoy, a director of the Science Foundation of Ireland and chairman of the ICT Ireland R&D Advisory Committee. Also on the judging panel were chairman of the Irish Software Association Pat Brazel; Dr Tom McCarthy, chief executive of the Irish Management Institute; and Jim OHara, Intel Ireland general manager.

The big winners on the night included Magnet Business, which, in one of the most hotly-contested categories on the night, came up trumps, claiming the title of Telecommunications Company of the Year. Airspeed Telecom and Complete Telecom also competed in this category.

Other notable winners included mobile marketing firm Puca Ireland, which won the award for Mobile Technology Project of the Year. This was the third time Puca has taken the title in four years.

"To win this award for the third time in four years is a great endorsement for Puca and its employees. In a highly-competitive industry like ours, this award is testament to the technology, people and service offered by Puca," said Andrew McGovern, sales manager with Puca Ireland.

Ian Cahill, former chairman and managing director of Ericsson in Ireland, was named ICT Industry Person of the Year while Origina won the award for IT Project of the Year (Public sector) and Heavey RF took the equivalent gong for SMEs.

The much-publicised success of Limerick teenagers Patrick and John Collison from Limerick was also recognised. The duo received the award for the Young IT Person of the year for their business Auctomatic, which was sold to Canadian firm Live Current at the end of March for a multimillion euro price tag.

Meanwhile, a new award for achievements in corporate and social responsibility was also presented at the ceremony on Thursday, with IT giant Microsoft claiming the honours. Not to be outshone, fellow behemoth Intel was named Best IT Company to Work For.

Now in its eighth year the ICT Excellence Awards were organised by media group Mediateam and sponsored by Lenovo.