2013 NOMINATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

   The 2013 TechPoint Mira Awards Categories include:

NEW! Mobile Technology Excellence and Innovation Award

The Mobile Technology Excellence and Innovation Award honors companies, agencies or individuals whose mobile achievement exemplifies the very best of the category, sets a bar of excellence and serves as an example leader for others to follow. Nominees should demonstrate strategic development, ease-of-use, content experience, creativity and success in the marketplace.

The following guidelines might be considered in determining the winner and finalists:

·      What business challenge or market need did the nominee address through the use or development of mobile technology?

·      Did the nominee have a creative vision and did they effectively execute that vision?

·      If the nominee developed its own proprietary technology, does it demonstrate technological innovation and has it been well-accepted in the marketplace?

·      Many mobile technology strategies provide very defined measurement (i.e. usage, user demographics and impact); did the nominee define and achieve specific metrics for success as well as meeting its broader goals?

Since this is a new category, there is no 2012 Mobile Technology Excellence & Innovation Award winner.

NEW!  Marketing Technology Excellence and Innovation Award

The Marketing Technology Excellence and Innovation Award recognizes companies, agencies or individuals that have made effective use of new media and/or other online marketing content or software-as-a-service to achieve a defined goal. These would include web-based multi-media, social networking, email marketing or other one-to-one communications, multi-platform or an integration of these and other marketing strategies. (The Marketing Technology category was formerly called the New Media Excellence & Innovation Award.)

The following guidelines might be considered in determining the winner and finalists:

·      What communications challenge or market need did the nominee address through the use or development of marketing technology?

·      Did the nominee use an integrated approach applying multiple content strategies to achieve a concerted impact on its target audience?

·      If the nominee developed its own proprietary marketing technology tool, does it demonstrate technological innovation and has it been well-accepted in the marketplace?

·      Many marketing technology strategies provide very defined measurement (i.e. e-mail open rates, click-throughs, ‘followers’ of social media); did the nominee define and achieve specific metrics for success as well as meeting its broader goals?

About the 2012 New Media (Marketing Technology) Excellence Award Winner – Raidious
Raidious is an innovative, scalable software enabled services firm that is changing the way the world thinks about marketing. The Company enables brands to engage with their own audiences by making, managing, monitoring, moderating and measuring content across all of a brand’s owned-media channels, including social, email, websites, landing pages, video, mobile and more. Raidious can do this better than agencies and PR firms, because it operates just like CNN, except for brands.

Why Raidious?
Raidious impressed the judges with its Social Media Command Center that was an integral part of an unprecedented interactive effort by the 2012 Indianapolis Host Committee for Super Bowl XLVI. Utilizing its unique software and infrastructure, Raidious proactively listened to the entire Internet in order to respond to issues, showcase the city of Indianapolis, and earn the title of most connected Super Bowl in history.

Health Information Technology Excellence & Innovation

Nominees should demonstrate a measureable impact on Indiana residents (as patients) by enhancing care and/or the affordability of care through the application of technology. This may take the form of a new technology, software or networking system, or the unique application of an existing system specific to the healthcare arena, just to name a few examples.

The following guidelines might be considered in determining the winner and finalists.

·      What challenge or need in the current healthcare system is met by this system/technology/process?  What specific problems does this innovation solve?

·      What has been the scope of its impact to date?  How can its effect on patient care quality, affordability and efficiency be measured?

·      Is this innovation the result of a collaborative effort among providers, systems, et al (as in the case of a consortium, strategic alliance or health information exchange)?

·      Is the technology/system proprietary? Is it patented or patentable?

About the 2012 Health Information Technology Excellence & Innovation Award Winner – Indiana Health Information Exchange
Indiana Health Information Exchange(IHIE) is the nation's largest health information exchange organization. IHIE is responsible for securely delivering clinical information to assist with care coordination and improving patient outcomes to more than 80 hospitals and 19,000 physicians. IHIE is a non-profit corporation formed by the Regenstrief Institute, private hospitals, local and state health departments, BioCrossroads and other prominent organizations throughout Indiana.

Why Indiana Health Information Exchange?
Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE) is working to create a national exchange platform to facilitate the acquisition, aggregation, and analysis of clinical information. The judges believe IHIE’s rapidly expanding capabilities will improve care outcomes and lower costs through the more effective use of information – a proposition that will bring significant economic impact to the State of Indiana and positively impact the lives of millions of people across the country.

Corporate IT Excellence & Innovation Award

The Corporate IT Excellence & Innovation Award recognizes the internal information technology teams of mid-sized and large businesses headquartered in Indiana that have made an outstanding and unique contribution to overall business success. Eligible companies may be public or privately-held and should have approximately 50+ employees.

These contributions could include conceiving of and implementing new systems or best practices that lead to significant enhancements in productivity or customer service, realizing major budget efficiencies through technology innovation, or the creation of proprietary technologies that advance corporate priorities. Successful submissions will demonstrate (in a measurable way) the IT staff’s efforts “above and beyond” their typical mandate in maximizing the enterprise’s technology return on investment.

The following guidelines might be considered in determining the winner and finalists:

·      What challenge or problem did the IT team address through its efforts?  How did the solution demonstrate innovation, financial stewardship and technical acumen?

·      What has been the impact of the team’s effort?  How has it impacted employee productivity, customer service, other areas of the business?

·      Did the team create any proprietary technology or system in the course of addressing the issue described in question number one?

·      In terms of cost/benefit analysis, have the team’s efforts resulted in significant budgetary savings or new revenues?  Other ways to measure return on investments made?

About the 2012 Corporate IT Excellence & Innovation Award Winner – POLARIS Laboratories LLC
POLARIS Laboratories® - ISO 17025:2005 A2LA accredited laboratory offering testing for lubricants, fuels and coolants for maintenance and reliability purposes. With six laboratories in North and Central America, POLARIS Laboratories® helps reduce maintenance costs, unscheduled downtime and prevent equipment failure to improve profitability and efficiency. POLARIS Laboratories® provides critical information which can be turned into actionable maintenance decisions to global customers in the Transportation, Oil & Gas, Mining, Construction, or Power Generation industries.

Why POLARIS Laboratories LLC?
The judges chose POLARIS Laboratories LLC as the winner in the Corporate IT Excellence & Innovation category because of the organization’s ability to create a flexible, proprietary technology to accommodate rapidly evolving global business demands. This has positioned POLARIS Laboratories for growth already validated through consistent expansion over the past two years.

IT/Tech Services Excellence & Innovation Award

The IT/Tech Services Excellence & Innovation Award nominees should demonstrate significant contributions to their customer’s success through the design, build and support of IT infrastructures or managed IT services and solutions. Use of technology, scalability, cost effectiveness, creativity and measureable impact on the enterprise are all key factors that will be considered.

Finalists and winners will strive to embody their role as “partners” in their customer’s business, rather than as a reactive vendor.

The following guidelines might be considered in determining the winner and finalists:

·      What challenge or problem did the nominee address through its efforts? How did the solution demonstrate innovation, financial stewardship and technical acumen?

·      What has been the impact of the nominee’s effort?  How has it impacted the customer’s bandwidth and ability to focus on their core business?

·      Did the nominee create any proprietary technology or system in the course of addressing the customer’s problem?

·      In terms of cost/benefit analysis, have the nominee’s efforts resulted in significant budgetary savings or new revenues?  Other ways to measure return on investments made?

About the 2012 IT/Tech Services Excellence & Innovation Award Winner – Sensory Technologies, a Markey's Video Images Company
Sensory Technologies is a leading audio-visual, telepresence system and collaboration solutions provider. Their innovative, customized solutions and managed services help increase productivity and communication effectiveness for corporations, educational institutions, healthcare organizations and government agencies nationwide.

Why Sensory Technologies, a Markey's Video Images Company?
The judges chose Sensory Technologies as the winner in the IT/Tech Services Excellence & Innovation category because of its achievements creating innovative and creative solutions to previously unsolvable problems in healthcare, security, and other complex technology applications. Sensory Technologies’ immersive, collaborative solutions demonstrated exceptional results and significant return on investment.

Technology in Education Excellence & Innovation Award

Most nominees are associated with an educational institution including K-12 and post-secondary schools, however, no school association is required. The winner will demonstrate excellence and/or innovation in the delivery or use of technology to further learning and student achievement.

(See Technology Educator of the Year category for individual achievement award.)

The following guidelines might be considered in determining the finalists and winner:

·      Has the nominee demonstrated excellence in the innovative use of technology for educational achievement?

·      Has the nominee inspired students regarding the opportunities available to them through technology?

·      Has the nominee developed innovative measures of student accountability or performance assessment?

·      Is the nominee recognized in their community or peer group as a leader in contributions to the technology industry through involvement in trade associations, charities, projects and government initiatives at the local, state, and national levels?

·      Does the nominee have any other accomplishments that distinguish it in Indiana as outstanding or reasons why the judges should select the nominated team, program or department for this Award?

About the 2012 Technology in Education Excellence & Innovation Award Winner – Courseload
Courseload is the leading device-­ and content source­neutral aggregator and distributor of digital textbooks and course materials. Courseload’s approach eliminates the barriers that have impeded the print‐to-­digital evolution in academia while providing deep cost reductions to students and institutions and improving academic outcomes. Courseload enables students to learn and collaborate more successfully and provides faculty with digital tools and analytics that support teaching.

Why Courseload?
Courseload proved to the judges that they are providing better access to better content, which has ultimately yielded better learning in both the K-12 and post-secondary spaces. Through its unique platform and business model, Courseload has successfully transferred the print textbook experience to the digital realm; enhanced it with rich, interactive content; and reduced costs by up to 25 percent.

Technology Educator of the Year Award

Most nominees are associated with an educational institution including K-12 and post-secondary schools, however, no school association is required. The winner will demonstrate excellence and/or innovation in the delivery or use of technology to further learning and student achievement.

The following guidelines might be considered in determining the finalists and winner:

·      Has the nominee demonstrated excellence in the innovative use of technology for educational achievement?

·      Has the nominee inspired students regarding the opportunities available to them through technology?

·      Has the nominee developed innovative measures of student accountability or performance assessment?

·      Is the nominee recognized in their community or peer group as a leader in contributions to the technology industry through involvement in trade associations, charities, projects and government initiatives at the local, state, and national levels?

·      Does the nominee have any other accomplishments that distinguish it in Indiana as outstanding or reasons why the judges should select the nominated team, program or department for this Award?

About the 2012 Technology in Education Excellence & Innovation Award Winner – Dr. Ali Jafari, Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, IUPUI
Dr. Ali Jafari is a visionary innovator, educator, and entrepreneur whose ideas have helped transform teaching and learning for the 21st century. Director and Founder of CyberLab, in the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, IUPUI, Dr. Jafari is internationally recognized for his research and expertise on smart learning environments and has founded and co-developed several high-profile technology solutions: IU’s Oncourse (now Sakai), ANGEL Learning, Epsilen, and CourseNetworking.

Why Dr. Ali Jafari?
Dr. Ali Jafari’s contributions to revolutionizing education through technology are as palpable as the inspiring impact he has on his students. The judges recognize Dr. Jafari’s role as the “godfather” of learning management systems – seven of his innovations have been licensed or commercialized to date. His newest innovation, CourseNetworking, harnesses social media in a new solution to teaching and learning.

Tech Startup of the Year

Nominees must be in business less than three (3) years from the initial commercialization of their principal products or services. Startups must derive at least 51% of their revenue from information technology products and/or services.  The winner will have an innovative business approach and a successful and well-balanced management team. The company must deliver new and measurable value to its customers and be able to demonstrate the ability to preserve and sustain non-merger and acquisition, organic growth.

The following guidelines might be considered in determining the winner and finalists:

·      Has the company achieved measurable growth since its inception or has it sufficiently demonstrated a strong likelihood for measurable growth?

·      Has the company grown beyond Indiana and does the company show potential for sustaining its sales growth and becoming an industry leader?

·      Is the company recognized in the community in terms of contributions and involvement with trade associations, charities, and government initiatives?

·      What characteristics of the company's product(s) or service(s) support a special/strong/unique position in the marketplace (example: barriers to entry, speed to market, life expectancy, technical challenges, solution of a major business/technical hurdle, etc.)?

About the 2012 Tech Startup of the Year Award Winner –  Tinderbox
TinderBox is a web-based application that makes it easy for sales and marketing teams to create, manage, deliver, and track interactive proposals and business communications.

Why Tinderbox?
Tinderbox addresses a visible gap in technology used for organizations’ sales and revenue processes, while providing businesses the ability to generate a measureable increase in productivity and decrease in the sales cycle. The judges strongly believe that Tinderbox’s leadership team has demonstrated proven success and embodies both the vision and execution necessary for a startup to succeed.

Emerging Tech Company of the Year Award

To qualify, the Indiana Company with 100 employees or fewer must demonstrate exceptional innovation and market position that it is helping Indiana to become a recognized technology leader. The company must utilize technology to enhance its business and be a model company from which others can learn. The company will derive the majority of its revenue from the sale of products and/or services in the information technology industry. The winner should demonstrate an outstanding and/or innovative product or service, company financial strength, and overall success. Key considerations are positive financial performance, sustainability, impact on the industry and market, and accomplishments as an exceptional corporate citizen.

The following guidelines might be considered in determining the winner and finalists:

·      Has the company demonstrated positive financial growth for the previous three years, and has the company’s value increased as a result of its financial performance?

·      Has the company grown its employee base in Indiana substantially in the past three years?

·      Has the company grown beyond Indiana or gained national exposure for its product/service?  Has the company grown beyond the United States in terms of product/service sales?

·      Does the company meet the commitments it makes to consumers in terms of product/service development and release to market or value of services?

·      Is the company recognized in the community as a leader in terms of contributions and involvement with trade associations, charities, and government initiatives?

·      What characteristics of the company's product support a special, strong, and/or a unique position in the marketplace (i.e., barriers to entry, speed to market, life expectancy, technical challenges, solution of a major business or technical hurdle, etc.)?

·      Does the company have any other accomplishments that distinguish it as an outstanding Indiana organization, or are there other reasons why you believe your company should receive this award?

About the 2013 Emerging Tech Company of the Year Award Winner – iGoDigital
iGoDigital personalizes the shopping experience across retail channels through web, email, mobile, call centers & stores. Product Recommendations delivers predictive, real-time recommendations based on consumers’ site behavior, transaction history and “wisdom” of the crowds. Guided Selling Tools increase customer engagement and assist in the buying process by asking shopper questions about their needs, wants and lifestyle, then delivering recommended products based on their answers.

Why iGoDigital?
The judges honor iGoDigital as Emerging Tech Company of the Year based on the demonstration of its stable foundation, rapid growth trajectory, successful sales model, and commitment to both innovation and community involvement. The company culture at iGoDigital is an integral part of the eight-year-old firm’s significant revenue and employment growth, as well as its rise to prominence in its product category.

Tech Company of the Year Award

To qualify, the Indiana Company with more than 100 employees must demonstrate exceptional innovation and market position that it is helping Indiana to become a recognized technology leader. The company must utilize technology to enhance its business and be a model company from which others can learn. The company will derive the majority of its revenue from the sale of products and/or services in the information technology industry. The winner should demonstrate an outstanding and/or innovative product or service, company financial strength, and overall success. Key considerations are positive financial performance, sustainability, impact on the industry and market, and accomplishments as an exceptional corporate citizen. 

The following guidelines might be considered in determining the winner and finalists:

·      Has the company demonstrated positive financial growth for the previous three years, and has the company’s value increased as a result of its financial performance?

·      Has the company grown its employee base in Indiana substantially in the past three years?

·      Has the company grown beyond Indiana or gained national exposure for its product/service?  Has the company grown beyond the United States in terms of product/service sales?

·      Does the company meet the commitments it makes to consumers in terms of product/service development and release to market or value of services?

·      Is the company recognized in the community as a leader in terms of contributions and involvement with trade associations, charities, and government initiatives?

·      What characteristics of the company's product support a special, strong, and/or a unique position in the marketplace (i.e., barriers to entry, speed to market, life expectancy, technical challenges, solution of a major business or technical hurdle, etc.)?

·      Does the company have any other accomplishments that distinguish it as an outstanding Indiana organization, or are there other reasons why you believe your company should receive this award?

About the 2012 Tech Company of the Year Award Winner – ExactTarget
ExactTarget is a leading global provider of email marketing and cross-channel interactive marketing software-as-a-service solutions that empower organizations of all sizes to communicate with their customers through email, mobile, social media and websites. ExactTarget’s powerful suite of integrated applications enable marketers to plan, automate, deliver and optimize data-driven interactive marketing and real-time communications to drive customer engagement, increase sales and improve return on marketing investment. For more information, visit www.ExactTarget.com

Why ExactTarget?
As one of the state’s newest publicly traded companies, ExactTarget’s ascendancy is well-documented. Beyond the remarkable revenue and employment growth, the judges recognize ExactTarget’s commitment to Indiana as its global headquarters, including investing in a third facility, growing its charitable foundation, hosting its annual global conference in Indianapolis, and partnering with other local companies whenever possible.

Innovation of the Year Award

The Innovation of the Year Award is given to the individual, organization, educational institution, or company that has created an innovative and novel proprietary technology or service. This product or service must demonstrate potential superiority and sustained viability in an industry, market, or field. This new technology-based product/service must meet a demonstrable, sizable market need and have a commercial application with an identified customer base. This product/service will be an innovative solution that offers a new approach to a product or service. This technology-based product/service must be developed in Indiana. The awarded individual, organization, education department, or company must develop a new innovation. New versions of a previously marketed technology will not be considered.

The following guidelines might be considered in determining the winner and finalists:

·      What characteristics of the innovative product or service support a special, strong, and/or a unique position in the marketplace (i.e., barriers to entry, speed to market, life expectancy, technical challenges, solution of a major business or technical hurdle, etc.)?

·      Does the product/service have any accomplishments that distinguish it as an outstanding Indiana organization, or other reasons why you believe the innovative product/service should receive this award?

·      What need does the innovation fill?  What is the commercial application for the product/service?  What is the size of the market and/or base to which the product/service would be applied?

·      Is the product/service patented or patentable?

About the 2012 Innovation of the Year Award Winner – IVM, Inc.
IVM, Inc. provides exceptional distribution solutions to companies that strive to contain costs and manage distribution of consumable supplies to their employees. Today IVM manages distribution systems for more than 70 clients through "The Technology of Total Control". IVM is the only company in the world that currently applies cutting edge technology utilizing cellular connectiviey to achieve these ends.

Why IVM, Inc.?
IVM’s journey to winning Innovation of the Year began 21 years ago when they developed the first vending machine solution for distributing supplies and products to employees. Today, IVM has developed the most technologically advanced distribution systems for consumable products needed by employees, such as keyboards, batteries, and flash drives. IVM has successfully proven its model saves money and is highly efficient for diverse customers ranging from the world’s largest railroad to Americas fastest growing tech company.

TechPoint Young Professional of the Year

The nominee must be a professional under 30 years old associated with the Indiana technology industry. The winner will demonstrate excellence in her or his professional position as well as contribute to the industry and society in positive ways outside of career. Nominees should demonstrate success and leadership in one or more of the following areas: entrepreneurship, education, volunteering, industry development and advocacy, community service, alumni and civic participation, and mentoring.

Nominees must be 30 years old or younger as of April 20, 2013. There is no minimum age limit. Students and teen entrepreneurs who hold professional positions and/or run their own businesses are eligible.

The following guidelines may be considered in determining the finalists/winner:

·      Has the nominee demonstrated excellence in the innovative use of technology?

·      Has the nominee inspired others regarding the opportunities available to them through technology?

·      Has the nominee achieved more than would be expected from someone at her or his level of training and experience?

·      Is the nominee recognized in the community or peer group as a leader in contributions to the technology industry through involvement in trade associations, charities, projects and government initiatives at the local, state and/or national levels?

·      Has the nominee demonstrated a desire to stay in the state of Indiana and continue to be an integral part of Indiana’s emerging and thriving tech sector?

·      Does the nominee have any other accomplishments, civic activity or community involvement that distinguish him/her in Indiana as outstanding, or other reasons why judges should select her or him for this award?

About the 2012 TechPoint Young Professional of the Year Award Winner – Mike Langellier
Mike Langellier was chosen by the TechPoint board of directors in part for his remarkable achievement of creating a technology company and leading it full-circle to an equity event after less than nine months on the market. As an active member of the Orr Fellowship board, Langellier is passionate about recruiting excellent graduates, mentoring new entrepreneurs, and supporting current and past Fellows as they develop new businesses of their own.

Langellier’s vision for a better money management software and model for engaging with financial advice was the inspiration behind his company MyJibe, which was acquired by MoneyDesktop late last year. Prior to starting MyJibe, he was director of account management for Experian, where he managed multi-million dollar bank and credit union relationships, enterprise software installations and key alliance partnerships.

TechPoint Foundation for Youth BridgeBuilder & TechPoint Trailblazer in Technology