This evening I represented Engineers Ireland at the Software Industry Awards in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin. About 400 people attended, with Des Cahill as an excellent host for the evening. Minister Conor Lenihan was the guest of honour, and spoke passionately about the opportunity for the software industry and the smart economy.
Sean Baker, Chair of the Irish Software Association, spoke articulately and to the point on the industry's need for more mathematics and science students from secondary schools. He also noted the improvements in the public sector's approach to procurement from indigenous software companies. He argued that the Business Expansion Scheme should have the per company limit raised. He noted a deeper working relationship with Enterprise Ireland.
The undergraduate student award went to Yuandong Zhu, of UCD, for his work on a forensics tool for Windows. Norkom won the Corporate Social Responsibility award, for their focus and work on education. Local Social, an initiative between Rococo Software and the NDRC, won the Collaboration award. Percana won the Sales Achievement award, based in part on a recent 28M$ contract. ITab won the Technical Innovation award.
Avego was the Emerging Software Business of the Year, and the Company of the Year was Openet.
Paul Kerly, a colleague in the industry for many years, won the Software Industry Person of the Year award.
The evening was great fun, and I was delighted to see the event to well supported by so many companies and guests. Those I spoke to in general felt that the indigenous software industry was bearing the recession well, and several seeing significant growth opportunities in export markets.
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