IT Europa European IT & Software Excellence Awards Circa 2013

 

This was a website for the IT Europa European IT & Software Excellence Awards.
The content is from the site's 2013 archived pages.
Get all the most up to date information at the current website for the IT Europa European & Software Excellence Awards is at: http://iteawards.com/.

2013 Winners announced

The IT Europa European IT & Software Excellence Awards 2013, which recognise best practices in customer solutions by Systems Integrators, Solution VARs and ISVs across Europe, will celebrate its finalists and winners at a Gala Awards Dinner at the Lancaster London Hotel, 13th March 2013.

These are the only pan European awards that recognise real world solutions delivered by the IT and software channels, as well as channel support and partnerships with suppliers.

The awards are split into three sections. The first set of awards are for Systems Integrators and Solution VARs and acknowledge their skill and endeavour delivering world class IT solutions for their customers. The second set of awards, exclusively for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and software developers, highlight the applications that they have developed and delivered for their customers. The final set of awards, for suppliers, highlight those vendors, distributors and service providers who best support their channel partners to deliver excellence.

at the 2012 awards

If you are planning to enter these awards you may also wish to attend the European ISV Convention 2013 which will be run earlier the same day as the awards ceremony on 13th March 2013 at the Lancaster London Hotel.

isv logo

Entry Criteria

Solution Provider Awards

These awards are for real business solutions not just providing products. Entries must be submitted by the Solution Provider themselves describing how the solution met their customer’s requirements.

The judges will be keen to see how well the solution provider understood the customer requirements, how they designed and implemented the solution and most importantly how the solution met or exceeded what the customer was trying to achieve.

ISV Awards

These awards are for real business solutions and entries must be submitted by the ISV themselves describing how the application met their customer’s requirements.

The judges will put particular emphasis how the ISV met and exceeded customer expectations. In particular they will want to see evidence of how the application has improved the customer’s operations.

Supplier Awards

The supplier awards recognise support from Vendors, Service Providers and Distributors for channel partners. In particular the judges will be looking for how the suppler helped partners in identifying opportunities, specifying correct solutions and helping them deliver the solutions to meet the customer expectation.

These awards are not focused on how good the supplier's products are because there are plenty of other awards events for that purpose. This is about channel support in all its aspects.

Related: When I was working for a European company they always entered the IT Europa European IT & Software Excellence Awards. A couple of years they entered in the Connected/Mobility Application Solution of the Year category and for a few yaears they entered the Software Innovation Solution of the Year category. During the time I was there we never won, but were finalists for a number of years. So close, yet never the winner. Now that I am back in the states I work in a company that provides legacy systems modernization, making deprecated applications useful in new environments and capable of offering new solutions. If you are not familiar with this new discipline, you will be soon, as it, like DevOps and Big Data is looming large on the high tech scene. After some encouragement from TNG/Earthling's CEO Bob Sakayama, who has been actively advocating for more attention to this important disciplne, I'm certain that very soon one of the major developments in this field will be a contender in the Software Innovation catagory of the IT Europa European IT & Software Excellence Awards. Perhaps they already have and I simply don't know.

 

We are thrilled to announce that Intersoft Associates has been awarded an honorable mention at the prestigious IT Europa European IT & Software Excellence Awards 2013. This recognition is for our innovative custom software solution, which addresses the modernization challenges faced by users of Microsoft Access, a widely-used but now obsolete database application.

Despite being a U.S.-based company, our success at this event was made possible through our collaboration with a valued client based in Brussels. They graciously entered us into the Solution Provider Awards competition, a testament to the strength of our partnership and the global impact of our work.

This award is a significant achievement for Intersoft Associates, as the IT Europa Awards are the only pan-European accolades that celebrate real-world solutions delivered by the IT and software channels. It recognizes not only our technical expertise but also our commitment to delivering exceptional service and innovative solutions to our clients.

We are proud to stand among the best in the industry and are grateful for the opportunities to continue pushing the boundaries of technology and service excellence.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of our journey. This honor is a reflection of our collective hard work and dedication.

IntersoftAssociates

 

How to Enter

ENTRY DEADLINE - MIDNIGHT on 11th January 2013

If you would like to enter your company for one of the categories or put forward your supplier for one of the Supplier categories in the European IT & Software Excellence Awards, we initially need you to create a simple login with your name, e-mail address and a password. This will give you instant access to the entry forms.

Your login will allow future access to retrieve/edit your submission right up to the deadline day.

Please Register here

Once logged in you will see an additional menu in the lower left hand column, from which you can select either of the Solution Provider, ISV or Supplier entry forms.

THERE IS NO COST TO ENTER AND ORGANISATIONS CAN ENTER AS MANY SOLUTIONS AS THEY WISH IN MULTIPLE CATEGORIES

NOTE: Supplier nominations must be submitted by Solution Vars, Systems Integrators or ISVs, not the supplier.
You may then view and edit your entry right up to the entry deadline of 11th January 2013.

Finalists will be notified by 25th January 2013. 

 

Making a winning entry:

The following guidelines should help you put together a strong entry for whichever category you choose.

1. Each section of the entry form describes what the judges want hear. Please try and follow the format as it helps the judges evaluate the solution properly.

2. Be concise. The judges have a lot of entries to read through in a very short time. Try and use the number of words indicated in each section of the form. The form will allow as many words as you want to write but think carefully and don't waffle.

3. Don't just cut and paste case studies. Case studies tend to have lots of fluffy marketing words that don't mean anything in this context. Edit your case studies to answer the questions in each section, in that way you will pull out the key points for the judges.

4. The judges are not looking for the cleverest solution. They are looking for ones that deliver what the customer wanted and especially solutions that exceeded the customer expectation.

5. Size doesn't matter. A good solution doesn't have to be large scale. Many of the finalists and winners in the past have entered solutions for quite small clients. The reason they got to the finals was that their solution had a major impact on the organisation.

6. The judges are keen to see how you implemented the solution. Involve your Pre-sales people in describing the implementation. They are often the ones who have the passion about what they achieved. They can give the detail of how you overcame obstacles or tailored the solution to meet and exceed the client requirements.

7. Make sure you have an end user endorsement for the Solution Provider and ISV categories. Entries will not be accepted if they are not accompanied by the end user letter or email. It is key however to make sure the customer letter says what it was the solution did for them. Not just a 'well done' note.

8. Don't rush your entry. Take the time to reread and pass around within the business. Well crafted words do help.

9. If you have any queries on how to enter please email [email protected] . He is very willing to give advice on content and structure of entries.

 

Solution Provider Categories

The following nine categories are designed to allow Systems Integrators and Solution VARs to show their skill in delivering business solutions for their customers. The judges will be looking for entries that show a real understanding of the customer’s requirements and the ability to deliver solutions to specification and time scale while meeting or exceeding agreed goals.

SME Solution of the Year

The SMB category recognises IT solutions provided to organisations with less than 250 employees. The judges will be looking for solutions that have transformed the business. This could be by enabling a different go to market strategy, completely redesigning their processes and operations or even enabling them to move into another business sector.

The judges will be looking to see how the solution provider engaged with their customer to understand what they wanted to achieve, what advice they gave as to what was possible, how they implemented the solution and most importantly what were the results.

Enterprise Solution of the Year

This category recognises solutions for larger organisations that have transformed their operations, process or go to market strategy.

In particular the judges will be looking for the skill the solutions provider has shown throughout the whole project from initial discussions through to completion.

It is important to highlight how the solution provider engaged with their customer to understand what they wanted to achieve, what advice they gave as to what was possible, how they implemented the solution and most importantly what were the results.

Datacentre Solution of the Year

Datacentres are going through an enormous change at present particularly with the implementation of Virtualisation technologies.

This category recognises these changes and is designed for solution providers who have redesigned a customer data centre or implemented a new technology within a datacentre. The judges will be looking not just at how well the solution was implemented but also at the effect it has had on the operations of the customer.

Vertical Solution of the Year

A large number of solutions nowadays are termed 'vertical' because they are designed to support an organisation that operates in a specific market segment.

This category recognises the way that solution providers have to understand the peculiarities of a specific market segment to design solutions that will improve the operations of their customer.

In particular the judges will be looking at how well the solution provider understood the special characteristics of the client’s industry and how they tailored the solution to meet those requirements.

Government Solution of the Year

Almost half of all IT solutions across Europe are implemented within local and central government as well as government agencies. This category recognises the great work done by the channel on behalf of their government clients.

The judges will be looking for solutions particularly tailored to meet the demands of the local or central government department or agency.

Managed Service Solution of the Year

Many solutions today are delivered as a managed service so this award recognises excellence in these managed services.

The managed service could range from a Managed Support Service, where the solution provider is supporting IT infrastructure and applications as a complete managed service, to any hosted or Cloud based IT service that delivers a complete solution as a managed service instead of on-premise based solution.

The judges will be looking for how the solution meets the needs of the customer and how the service level agreements are monitored and guaranteed.

Mobility/Communications Solution of the Year

Mobility is one of the strongest factors driving the deployment of IT in organisations. This award category recognises how the solution provider has helped a larger organisation to empower their mobile workforce. The judges will particularly focus on the scalability of the project and how the solution provider design, planned and implemented the solution.

Storage/Information Management Solution of the Year

Organisations of all sizes now handle huge amounts of data on a regular basis. This can be everything from email messages to large scale content including video and multi-media.

This award category recognises solutions that improve the creation, management, storage and availability of this content.

In particular the judges will be looking for solutions that have had a major impact on the organisations ability to handle current levels and the anticipated growth..

Networking/Security Solution of the Year

The local and wide area network is now at the heart of the delivery of all types of solutions and is becoming more important year by year as solutions become more sophisticated utilising multi-media content and delivering it to wherever the user is located to whichever device they are using.

This award category recognises excellence in network design and provision with special attention from the judges at how the solution provider has secured that network both at access control and for validity of the data passing over the network.

 

ISV Categories

The following nine categories are designed to allow ISVs and software developers to show their skill in delivering business applications for their customers. The judges will be looking for entries that show a real understanding of the customer’s requirements and the ability to deliver software to specification and time scale while meeting or exceeding agreed customer targets.

Entries will have to describe a particular solution for a client and focus on how the application met their needs. These categories are NOT to be seen as software product awards. They are about real world customer solutions.

Relationship Management Solution

This category recognizes the best software solution designed to expand a company's knowledge and relationships with its current or potential customers and/or partners. This includes CRM, PRM, SFA, marketing automation, personalization products and services.

The judges will be looking for innovation in the way the software solution is designed around the organisations operations or transforms those operations.

ERP/Supply Chain Management Solution

This category recognises the best solution for managing the operations of an organisation and enabling coordination and collaboration with suppliers, partners, external service providers, and customers. The solution could include tracking of goods from sourcing raw materials, through manufacture, scheduling and delivery to the end customer.

Information & Document Management

Most information is now stored digitally. Recording, cataloguing, managing, reporting and integrating this information into real business systems is a massive issue to all businesses. This award category looks at software solutions that help businesses manage digital information through its lifecycle. The judges are looking for real world examples for particular customers.

Business Intelligence and Analytics Solution

As organisations struggle to keep up in the fast modern business environment they are looking more and more to the software industry to help them understand their business better and make more informed decisions. This category is for Business Intelligence and Knowledge Management applications that have enabled businesses to gain an advantage from understanding and capitalising on the information they already possess in the organisation.

Communications/Mobility Solution

Communications and mobility are changing the way organisations and individuals work and interact. Underpinning this communications revolution are software applications that help service providers to deliver and bill these services, organisations to mobilise their work force and individuals to access their critical applications wherever they are located. This award is looking for the most innovative communications or mobility software solution across any industry sector.

Vertical Market Solution

Organisations across all industry and government sectors have benefited over the years from software applications specifically tailored to the needs of their business. Solutions in this category must be innovative and have given the customer a business advantage in their sector.

The software provider must show their understanding of the industry sector and how they have tailored the software to match its characteristics.

Government Solution

Almost half of all IT solutions across Europe are implemented within local and central government as well as government agencies. This category recognises the great work done by software companies on behalf of their government clients.

The judges will be looking for solutions particularly tailored to meet the demands of the local or central government department or agency.

SaaS Solution

With more and more software applications being delivered using aSoftware as a Service business model, this award category is designed to recognise ISVs who have most successfully adopted the SaaS model. ISVs should describe a solution for one of their customers and how it transformed their business.

Software Innovation Solution of the Year

The software community is recognised as a leading innovative industry and at the forefront of our new digital economy. This final category in the ISV section is for software solutions that are particularly innovative in the way they address the customer’s issues or use leading edge technology to give their customer a business advantage.

 

Supplier Categories

Behind all good solution providers are suppliers who go that step further to help them deliver real business solution.

This series of awards are designed to recognise their excellence in channel support.

All entries must be supplied by Solution Providers and ISVS describing how their suppliers have helped them grow their business.

Suppliers are NOT allowed to enter their own submissions.

Hardware Vendor of the Year

Hardware vendors are still most often the drivers of innovation, developing products that revolutionise the world we live in.

This category recognises how hardware vendors support, train and motivate their channels to deliver solutions around their products.

The judges will be looking for entries from their channel partners describing how particular vendors have supported them on specific marketing or sales opportunities. Entries will have to describe in detail what the vendor did for them and the effect that support had on their business.

Software Vendor of the Year

Software vendors are at the heart of industry supplying software products that the channel utilises to provide innovative solutions for their customers.

This category recognises how software vendors support, train and motivate their channels to deliver solutions around their products.

The judges will be looking for entries from their channel partners describing how particular vendors have supported them on specific marketing or sales opportunities. Entries will have to describe in detail what the vendor did for them and the effect that support had on their business.

Service Provider of the Year

Mobility, Cloud Computing and Unified Communications are the driving forces of our industry and at the heart of solution delivery are telcos, ISPs and hosting and cloud providers.

This category recognises how these service providers support their channel partners in the delivery of these complex solutions.

The judges will be looking at how these service providers have helped channel partners deliver innovative solutions for their customers.

Distributor of the Year

Distributors are at the heart of the channel bridging the gap between vendors and solution providers providing sales, marketing and technical support as well as credit facilities.

This award category recognises excellence in the way distributors support channel partners and the judges will be looking for specific instances where the distributor has had a major impact on that partners business.

Finance/ Support Services Provider of the Year

Within the channel there are many organisations that provide services that are vital to the delivery of a product or service. This can be from the finance company helping put together a proposal that enables the customer to budget for the solution to the maintenance and support company who helps the channel partner’s customer on their behalf.

This category recognises all those independent finance and support organisations who are a vital part of the channel community.

The judges will be looking for entries from channel companies describing how their finance or support partner has helped them both win business and look after their customers.


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