Innovation Awards

Category Spotlight: Energy Industry Innovation of the Year

Posted by Michael Gallagher on Wed, Jan 14, 2015 @ 06:47 PM

No Entry Fee for This Spotlight on Innovation in Energy Production, Storage, Delivery or Conservation

We've added a new category to The American Business Awards for 2015 called Energy Industry Innovation of the Year.  It's one of the Company/Organization categories, and there's no entry fee for nominations submitted to this category.  Later this month we'll open entries for The 2015 International Business Awards, and that competition will feature this new category as well.

All organizations in the U.S.A. are eligible to enter the ABAs.  All organizations worldwide are welcome to enter the IBAs.  See the master calendar on the Stevie Awards website for schedules and entry deadlines.

Clean_Energy_imageThe topics of energy production, usage, conservation and environmental impact are at the top of all sensible agenda these days.  Solutions may be portrayed as controversial, inconvenient, expensive, insufficient, or otherwise out of bounds, but the fact is that many organizations around the world are doing astonishing things to drive down the cost of energy, capture carbon and other pollutants, harness renewables, and exploit the power of nature.  This category will shine a spotlight on nominated endeavors that are working to meet energy needs while minimizing harm to our shared environment.

Both the ABAs and IBAs in 2015 will recognize achievements made since the beginning of 2014.  Projects nominated in this category need not have been initiated since that time, but entries submitted to the category should focus on achievements and activities since January 1, 2014.

Requirements for submissions to this category (for both the ABAs and IBAs) include the following:

a. An essay of up to 650 words describing the nominated organization's achievements since January 1 2014

b. In bullet-list form (up to 150 words), a brief summary of up to ten (10) of the nominated organization's chief achievements since January 1 2014

c. Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges

What type of entry is likely to do well in this category?  An example is that of Newlight Technologies of Irvine, California, which won the Gold Stevie Award in The 2013 American Business Awards for Tech Innovation of the Year. 

Put succinctly, Newlight captures carbon and turns it into usable plastic. 
Read our blog story about them here.
Read the full text of their Stevie-winning entry here.

Will only stories as extraordinary as capturing carbon and turning it into plastic score well with the judges?  Absolutely not.  Over the years many energy-industry stories have won Stevie Awards, and the majority of them simply have been about innovative, well-run companies.

As with any Stevie Awards entry, storytelling is a key to success.  Portraying your achievements in a succinct, compelling way, that will capture the imagination of the judges, is key.

If you're in the energy industries, represent clients in the energy industries, or otherwise work to meet the world's energy needs and environmental obligations, take a look at this new category if you're looking to win innovation awards.

ENTER THE ABAS NOW

Questions?  Contact us at help@stevieawards.com.

Tags: innovation award, innovation awards, innovative technology, most innovative company of the year

4 Ways to Win Innovation Awards in The 2012 International Business Awards

Posted by Liz Dean on Thu, May 24, 2012 @ 06:00 PM

The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, feature a wide selection of categories to recognize the achievements of innovative professionals. (All organizations and individuals worldwide may submit nominations to the IBAs. The final entry deadline for the 2012 IBAs is 27 June, request your entry kit today.)

Here are four ways to win awards for your innovative technology in the 2012 IBAs:

  1. App Awards CategoriesThe International Business Awards
    These categories recognize excellence in apps for handheld and tablet devices, and for PCs, issued or updated since 1 January 2011.
  2. IT Awards Categories
    These categories recognize excellence in all information technology, software, web development, etc. functions. 
  3. New Product Awards Categories
    These categories recognize excellence in all product management, product development, product engineering, manufacturing, etc. functions.
  4. Website Awards Categories
    These categories recognize excellence in web sites and blogs. There is no eligibility timeframe for these categories - it doesn't matter when the site or blog was first published.

Want more ways to highlight your organization's innovations­? Submit an entry for Most Innovative Company of the Year.

Tags: business awards, app awards, website awards, International business awards, innovative technology, most innovative company of the year, it awards, new product awards

How Innovation Awards Winner Used Emerging Technology to Secure 140 Million Customers

Posted by Liz Dean on Fri, Apr 13, 2012 @ 02:36 PM

Etisalat of Abu Dhabi, UAE won a Stevie® Award for Most Innovative Company of the Year, Middle East and Africa, in the company awards categories of The 2011 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards program. (The 2012 IBAs are now open for entries. Download your entry kit here and submit your entries by the 16 May entry deadline.) Here we look at how Etisalat used technology innovation to advance their organization.

Etisalat LogoEtisalat is a leading telecom company which serves over 140 million customers in 18 countries around the world. In 2010 the innovation awards winner committed $1.5 billion into infrastructure and other CAPEX brining new services and advanced functionality to its customers across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Using emerging technology, Etisalat secured several key developments and launches including:

  • The completion of a nationwide fiber-optic network and introduction of ‘triple-play’ services (eLife) –telephone, Internet and television. What makes this more impressive, is that with Etisalat’s network the UAE today offers the fastest broadband (30Mbps) connectivity to the home in the Middle East region.
  • The launch of 3DTV services in time for the World Cup placed the UAE amongst the first five nations in the world to deploy this technology. Etisalat now offers a variety of sports channels in 3D and is supporting the boom in advanced TV technologies such as IPTV.
  • For businesses, Etisalat’s fiber network allows connection speeds of up to 100Mbps – which is a key landmark for the region. It is also supporting the overall economic development of the nation.
  • The future broadband access technology will be wireless, and Etisalat has made ground deploying the latest standard – LTE – in the UAE. Commercial trials started and progress has been made for deploying the largest network in the Middle East.
  • In Africa, Etisalat introduced BlackBerry services to six countries including Benin, Gabon, Togo, Central African Republic, Niger and Ivory Coast. This popular business and social tool is bringing a new world of services to these markets.
  • In Sudan Etisalat’s fiber optic network has been enhanced with a new Internet gateway. This is supporting corporate customers in oil, banking and education and is geared up to enable Wi-Max and Wi-Fi in the future.
  • Also in Sudan, the company has introduced EVDO for broadband, enabling wireless broadband access of up to 3.1 Mbps.
  • In Egypt Etisalat deployed the latest GSM wireless broadband technology HSPA, bringing speeds of up to 42Mbps to smart phones and mobile devices across 88% of the country. Etisalat Misr is now preparing to introduce advanced ICT services such as m-commerce, m-advertising, mobile applications and payment services.
  • In Saudi Arabia, Etisalat’s HSPA+ subscriber base crossed 2,000,000 making it the largest active HSPA+ base in the world. This wireless technology and network is now consuming 90 Terabytes of data a day.
  • Etisalat’s associate in Pakistan introduced EVDO technology for wireless broadband and has set itself up to be the first 3G wireless service provider in Pakistan using CDMA –based technologies. Ufone, the mobile operator, has also introduced various Value Added Services, bringing new innovations to the hands of Pakistani youth.

Etisalat is an innovative organization which has helped the UAE to become one of the top 10 nations in the world in terms of the availability of new technologies, through the company's support and strategic vision on a number of government initiatives. Through the launch of innovative new technologies and its regional growth strategy, Etisalat aims to become one of the top 10 telecom operators in the world.

About Etisalat
Etisalat is a leading telecommunications corporation committed to consumers, businesses, international telecommunication companies, ISPs, content providers and mobile operators. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Etisalat is the largest operator in the Middle East and Africa regions with a market value in excess of AED 80 billion (US$20 billion) and annual revenues of approximately AED 30 billion (US$8 billion). Etisalat operates in 18 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa, a coverage area which reaches more than two billion people. To date, the group’s global subscriber base exceeds over 140 million subscribers through mobile and Landline voice and data services. To learn more, visit www.etisalat.ae.

Tags: business awards, International business awards, innovation awards, Etisalat, most innovative company of the year, company awards, technology innovation, emerging technology