We started accepting entries for our sixth annual program in November, and we were impressed not only by the sheer number of products nominated but also by the products' diversity—based on open-source and proprietary code, from vendors big and small, and targeted at organizations of all sizes and stripes. The program was open to any enterprise product or service that had been announced in 2005 and would be available before March 31, 2006.
As in the previous year, proceeds from this year's awards program will go to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Click here to read more.
We noted that it's getting more challenging to categorize products because so many products do so many things. The finalists reflect the need for technology to drive business processes and organizational growth, while keeping those organizations—and their customers—safe from internal and external threats, as well as compliant with a host of regulatory mandates.
"This year's finalists remind us that innovation comes in many forms," said eWEEK Technology Editor Peter Coffee. "Some of these are new products from new companies, some are reinventions of mature products that result from fresh thinking after a vendor acquisition. As a group, they demonstrate that every tier of the IT stack is subject to continued improvement."
The initial categorization of entries was performed by eWEEK Labs analysts, who worked with members of the eWEEK Corporate Partner Advisory Board to winnow down the entrants to three finalists in each category.
The Corporate Partners are senior IT professionals who represent eWEEK readers, and their input was invaluable in determining which products would provide the most value in real-world enterprise environments. The winners will be announced in May, and an Excellence Awards special report will appear in June.
Click here for more information on the Excellence Awards program.
E-mail Executive Editor Debra Donston at debra_donston@ziffdavis.com.
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