main | sponsors | directions | award categories & application criteria | 2010 iaa judges | technology access foundation scholarships | past iaa award winners | registration & pricing | event schedule

Call for Applications is Now Closed. 

Why apply? 

• One of the oldest & most respected technology industry awards programs in the country
• A great public relations & brand awareness opportunity for your business
• Winners get coverage in local and national publications
• High profile judges – check out the judges for 2010
• “Winner emblem” can be placed on your website, marketing materials & press materials
• Awards program is a great morale booster for your team & your investors
• Bring along customer prospects to see your company shine

Application Deadline: Monday November 30^th, 2009

• COMMERCIAL PRODUCT OR SERVICE OF THE YEAR
• CONSUMER PRODUCT OR SERVICE OF THE YEAR
• SERVICE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR
• INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT INNOVATION OF THE YEAR – NEW AWARD
• INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURED PRODUCT OF THE YEAR – NEW AWARD
• BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE GOVERNMENT, NON-PROFIT OR EDUCATION SECTOR
• BREAKTHROUGH START-UP OF THE YEAR AWARD
• TECHNOLOGY LEADER OF TOMORROW (Technology Access Foundation scholarships)

Check out the winners, post award interviews & press recognition from the 2009 Industry Achievement Awards!

The Industry Achievement Awards are open to companies with employees in Washington state only. There is a $90 member and $180 non-member fee to apply per each Industry Achievement Awards application; this fee must be paid at time of submission in order for your application to be complete. Only WTIA members (WTIA Industry and Associate) are eligible for the member application fee. 

When you click to "APPLY NOW" you will be prompted to login to your profile on our site.  If you do not have a profile on our site you will need to create one.  After you have taken either of these steps and are logged in look the left side column for a link to "IAA Applications". 

Only information submitted via the online application form will be considered in the review process, unless a WTIA staff member explicitly requests additional documentation.

WTIA reserves the right to cancel any category, based on the number of applications received. Any applicants for categories later cancelled will have the option to receive a full refund.  

COMMERCIAL PRODUCT OR SERVICE OF THE YEAR
To be awarded to the product or service that delivers the highest value to businesses. This product or service must demonstrate a high level of technical innovation and a sustained ability to survive in the marketplace. It must also demonstrate the following attributes: significant user performance improvement, ease of use, compelling ROI metrics for organizations purchasing this product or service, seamless integration, open interface, and/or a migration path for future enhancements.

Products or services can include, but are not limited to the fallowing sectors: web services, wireless devices & applications, clean technologies, medical devices, advanced manufacturing, digital media and software.

This product or service must have been released between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009 - from a business with Washington state employees.  Product or service upgrades will be accepted, with the stipulation that they must contain significant enhancements to features and functionality. Beta versions will not be accepted.

Please address the following award criteria in the space provided, and limit your responses to 255 words per section for all but the last criteria.

• Describe your company’s vision and mission.
• Identify the need in the marketplace that your product or service fills.
• Describe the specific uses of your product or service, its target customers, and how your product or service provides significant benefit both to the customer using it and to the person who makes the buying decisions.
• Describe the effectiveness of your product or service as measured by performance, integration with other products and systems, open interfaces and overall technical quality as compared to the competition.
• Describe what specific metrics of success your company uses and how your product or service has performed against those metrics.
• Provide a 25-word description of your product or service. Should your company’s product or service be selected as a finalist, this description will be posted on the WTIA’s Web site and may be used in additional promotional materials.
• Optional: Please list any media recognition, awards/accolades

CONSUMER PRODUCT OR SERVICE OF THE YEAR
This award category is for those companies who have a product or service in the consumer market. The successful applicant will demonstrate technical innovation, consumer adoption, intuitiveness, value to consumers, staying power and general distinction of the applicant’s product or service in the consumer marketplace.

Products or services can include, but are not limited to the follow sectors: web services, gaming, wireless devices & applications, software, clean technologies, medical devices, transportation and digital media.

The winner of this category will have launched a product or service in this category between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009 - from a business with Washington state employees.  An upgrade of a previously launched product or service is acceptable, but it must be a significant improvement in terms of functionality, features and usability from its predecessor.

Please address the following award criteria in the space provided, and limit your responses to 255 words per section for all but the last criteria.

• Describe your company’s vision and mission.
• Identify the need in the marketplace that your product or service fills.
• Describe the specific consumer uses of your product or service, its target audience and how your product or service provides significant benefit to the customer using it.
• Describe what specific metrics of success your company uses, and how your product or service has performed against those metrics.
• Describe the effectiveness of your product or service as measured by performance, integration with other products and systems, open interfaces and overall technical quality as compared to the competition.
• Provide a 25-word description of your product or service. Should your company’s product or service be selected as a finalist, this description will be posted on the WTIA’s Web site and may be used in additional promotional materials.
• Optional: Please list any media recognition, awards/accolades

SERVICE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR
To be awarded to the company that supplies the most exemplary technology service to the technology industry. This vendor company will have demonstrated effective use of technology to bring extraordinary quality, creativity and responsiveness to technology company customers, and will have regularly exceeded their customers’/clients’ expectations.

The type of service will relate directly to the creation, development, support, publication or delivery of technology. Service categories may include, but are not limited to: design, marketing, integration, installation, maintenance, technical expertise and consultation. Categories also include the entire range of Internet-based or wireless services such as access provision, data, managed outsourced services, content/media development, hosting, advertising and software-as-a-service.

This service must have been put into use between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009 - from a business with Washington state employees.

Please address the following award criteria in the space provided, and limit your responses to 255 words per section for all but the last criteria.

• Describe your company’s vision and mission.
• Identify the need in the marketplace that prompted the creation of your service.
• Describe the specific uses of your service, its intended audience and how your service provides significant benefit to the customers using it.
• Describe the specific metrics of success your company uses, and how your service has performed against those metrics.
• Describe the unique value you are delivering to technology company customers (include ease of communication) and how your approach differs from that of your competitors.
• Provide a 25-word description of the technical significance and unprecedented benefits of using your service. Should your company be selected as a finalist, this description will be posted on the WTIA’s Web site and may be used in additional promotional materials.
• Optional: Please list any media recognition, awards/accolades

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT INNOVATION OF THE YEAR – NEW AWARD

To be awarded to the IT department within a commercial or non-profit company that has implemented an innovative technology solution or solutions that has contributed to business growth, grown market share, reduced costs, and/or improved customer service. 

The IT department must have completed this implementation between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009 – Applicants for this award must be from an IT Department/ business with Washington state employees. 

Vendors who have developed solutions for an IT Department/business are encouraged to work with them and submit an application although they will not directly be the recipient of the award.    

Please address the following award criteria in the space provided, and limit your responses to 255 words per section for all but the last criteria. 

• Describe the IT department, its goals/strategy and the innovative technology solution(s) that were implemented. 
• Identify the business driver(s) for this implementation (e.g. problem, business opportunity, etc) and how the solution has subsequently delivered value to your organization, including information on method(s) of evaluation (internal or external metrics).
• List the individual or team responsible for your leading this implementation.
• Provide a 25-word description of your IT department team.  Should you be selected as a finalist, this description will be posted on the WTIA’s Web site and may be used in additional promotional materials.

INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURED PRODUCT OF THE YEAR – NEW AWARD
To be awarded to a company that has designed and manufactured an electronic component or device that demonstrates a high level of technological innovation.  Examples of products eligible for recognition include electronic components or sub-assemblies, computing devices, communication devices, and medical devices. 

The product must have been received initial market acceptance* between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009 – and must have been designed and assembled from a business with Washington state employees. 

*Please note that products may not yet have received FDA approval, we are seeking to recognize innovation in this category.

Please address the following award criteria in the space provided, and limit your responses to 255 words per section for all but the last criteria.

• Describe your vision and mission with regard to this new innovative manufactured product.
• Describe the goals of this innovative manufactured product and how it’s success was evaluated (internal or external metrics).
• Identify the driver(s) for this innovative manufactured product and it how it has subsequently delivered value to your organization.
• Provide a 25-word description of your innovative manufactured product.  Should you be selected as a finalist, this description will be posted on the WTIA’s Web site and may be used in additional promotional materials.
• Optional: Please list any media recognition, awards/accolades.

BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE GOVERNMENT, NON-PROFIT OR EDUCATION SECTOR ($50.00 to apply)
To be awarded to a governmental entity (state, local, special purpose), educational entity, or non-profit (501c3) that demonstrates how the use of a new technology, application or service furthers the mission of its agency and serves constituents (clients/customers/taxpayers/students ) more effectively.

This new implementation must have occurred between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009.  Applicants for this award must be from a governmental, educational or non-profit entity with Washington state employees. 

Vendors who have developed solutions for these organizations are encouraged to work with them and submit an application although they will not directly be the recipient of the award.    

Please address the following award criteria in the space provided, and limit your responses to 255 words per section for all but the last criteria.

• Describe your vision and mission with regard to your organization’s new offering.
• Describe the specific uses of your offering and its intended audience.  Describe how your offering provides significant benefit to this audience.   
• Describe what specific metrics of success your organization uses, and how your new offering has performed against those metrics.
• Describe your offering’s effectiveness as measured by performance, improvement over previous methods of citizen interface, integration with other products and systems, as well as overall technical quality compared to previous methods of providing a similar service.
• Indicate the investment that was required and the cost savings, as well as any service enhancements which were made possible through your organization’s digital innovations.
• Provide a 25-word description of your contribution. Should your entity be selected as a finalist, this description will be posted on the WTIA’s Web site and may be used in additional promotional materials.
• Optional: Please list any media recognition, awards/accolades

BREAKTHROUGH START-UP OF THE YEAR AWARD
To be awarded to a start-up company that has developed a truly innovative, unique and proprietary product or service, one that demonstrates excellence through compelling potential for sustained viability. This solution must meet a demonstrable, sizable market need, and have a commercial application with an identified customer base. It should be a breakthrough solution with disruptive characteristics, and offer a new way to approach a product or service. 

Solutions may include but are not limited to the follow sectors: web services, clean technologies, wireless devices & applications, software, medical devices, advanced manufacturing, transportation and digital media.

To be eligible this solution must have been generally available for less than one year.  It must be new (not simply a new version of an existing product or service) and introduced at some point between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009 from a business with Washington state employees.  Final decisions are at the discretion of the judging committee in this category.

Please address the following award criteria in the space provided, and limit your responses to 255 words per section for all but the last criteria.

• Describe this solution and the innovative aspects that make it unique.
• Identify the need in the marketplace that prompted the development of this solution.
• Describe what specific metrics of success this solution is measured against, and how this solution has performed. These metrics may be internal or external measurements.
• List the individual or team responsible for the creation of the solution.
• Provide a 25-word description of this new solution. Should you be selected as a finalist, this description will be posted on the WTIA’s Web site and may be used in additional promotional materials.
• Optional: Please list any media recognition, awards/accolades.