Finalists announced for NZ Hi-Tech Awards

Four vie to be hi-tech company of the year

The New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards finalists were announced last night at functions in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Recognising excellence in the NZ hi-tech industry, the awards, are now in their 17th year.

New Zealand Hi-Tech Trust chairman Wayne Norrie says with Compac Sorting Equipment, Datacom, BankLink and Orion Health going head-to-head for the title of PwC New Zealand Hi-Tech Company of the year, the awards promise to be exciting.  

Two new categories, the International Business Wales Exporter of the Year and Recruit IT Employer of Choice have also attracted a line-up of entrants, he says.

Finalists in most categories will now undergo face-to-face judging from a line up of local judges as well as being scrutinised by the global panel of international judges including Michael Dell, the founder of Dell computers, Howard Charney, senior vice president of Cisco, and Andy Lark (vice-president of global marketing at Dell). Pat Kenealy, who runs IDG Ventures, Richard Keyse, the chair of the NZTE Beachheads Europe, and Vernon Turner, senior vice president of IDC Research are also on the elite judging panel.

“Despite the economic backdrop we also have an exceptional line up of sponsors and entries that cover the board spectrum of hi-tech companies from small to large, government and multi- national,” says Norrie.

Winners of the awards will be announced at a black-tie dinner at the Langham Hotel in Auckland on Friday May 7.

The finalists for each category are as follows:
 
PricewaterhouseCoopers Hi-Tech Company of the Year
· BankLink
· Compac Sorting Equipment
· Datacom
· Orion Health
NZX Emerging Company Award
· LanzaTech
· Sonar6
· TracMap
· Xero
Dell Innovative Hardware Product
· AuCom Electronics
· Enasolar
· EROAD
· Navico
Duncan Cotterill Innovative Software Product Award
· Aptimize
· iPredict
· Unlimited Realities
· WhereScape
HiFX Innovative Service Product Award
· Arc Innovations
· EROAD
· Harmonic
· Litmos
International Business Wales Hi-Tech Exporter of the year
· BankLink
· Compac Sorting Equipment
· Enztec
· Flotech
Maxnet Young Achiever Award
· Sam Clarke
· Anu Shrestha
· John-Daniel Trask
RecruitIT Hi-Tech Employer of Choice
· Microsoft
· Straker
· Vodafone
SwayTech Hi-Tech Journalist Award
· Anthony Doesburg
· Chris Keall
· Sarah Putt
NZ Hi-Tech Inspiring Individual
· Greg Cross
· Alastair Grigg
· Tom Reidy
NZMEA Kiwi Hi-Tech World Beaters Awards
There are no finalists for this category – only winners.  This category celebrates those that have had success in winning other Awards around the world and across New Zealand.  

The NZ Hi-Tech Trust is a not-for-profit organisation aimed at promoting and supporting the wider industry. The Board is formed by six trustees, Ross Peat and Wayne Hudson in Auckland, chair Wayne Norrie and John Fokerd in Wellington and Christchurch based trustees, Owen Scott and Andrew Plimmer.

— Computerworld and The Independent are media sponsors of the awards