TechAmerica Oregon Names Winners of 2011 Oregon Technology Awards

PORTLAND, Ore., May 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- TechAmerica Oregon announced its 2011 Oregon Technology Award winners in a ceremony held last night at the Portland Art Museum. The winners represent the year's top Oregon and Southwest Washington-area technology companies in four categories: System/Hardware, Software, Technology-Service and Rising Star, as well as the Cool Product of the Year, which was selected via live voting at the event.

"We received many compelling applications this year from a wide range of innovative local technology companies that we're fortunate to have in our region," said Jennifer Bosze, Regional Vice President of TechAmerica Oregon. "The selection committees had a difficult job choosing only a handful of these companies to be recognized, and we thank them for their assistance as well as the event sponsors and volunteers whose continued support makes it possible for us to hold this event year after year."

The annual Oregon Technology Awards program, now in its third year managed by TechAmerica Oregon, celebrates excellence and achievement in the region's technology industry. This year's celebratory event provided sponsors and attendees an opportunity to invest in Oregon's future innovators with proceeds going to support local math, science and technology education. The 2010 Awards program generated over $12,500 for the Oregon Robotics Tournament and Outreach Program (ORTOP), and nearly $2,000 for Chess for Success.

The 2011 Oregon Technology Award winners are:

System/Hardware Company of the Year

FLIR Systems, Inc.

Software Company of the Year

Jive Software

Technology-Service Company of the Year

EthicsPoint, Inc.

Rising Star Company of the Year

Elemental Technologies, Inc.

The Cool Product of the Year was decided upon last night via a live vote. Event attendees used their mobile devices to select one of three finalist products as the winner. Results were tabulated and announced in real-time. The winner of this award is:

Cool Product of the Year

Elemental Technologies, Inc. - Elemental Live

Gregory K. Hinckley, President of Mentor Graphics, was also honored as the Executive of the Year, and Richard "Dick" I. Knight, former Tektronix executive, the Lifetime Achievement recipient. A selection committee made up of the program's previous Technology Executive of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award recipients chose these winners from a group of nominees that came in from committee members as well as the greater technology community.

The Oregon Technology Awards Program is produced by TechAmerica Oregon and supported by various generous financial and in-kind sponsors. The presenting sponsors of the 2011 event are CresaPartners and UnitedHealthcare. Other sponsors include Woodruff Sawyer & Co., First Tech Federal Credit Union, KMPG LLP, Spitball Media, Zurich, McClenahan Bruer Communications, Pop Art, Inc., USI, Stoel Rives LLP, Perkins Coie LLP and Spirit Media. To learn more about the Oregon Technology Awards, please visit http://www.oregontechawards.com.

About TechAmerica

TechAmerica is the leading voice for the U.S. technology industry - the driving force behind productivity growth and jobs creation in the United States and the foundation of the global innovation economy. Representing approximately 1,200 member companies of all sizes from the public and commercial sectors of the economy, it is the industry's largest advocacy organization and is dedicated to helping members' top and bottom lines. TechAmerica is also the technology industry's only grassroots-to-global advocacy network, with offices in state capitals around the United States, Washington, D.C., Europe (Brussels) and Asia (Beijing). It was formed by the merger of AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association), the Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA), the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) and the Government Electronics & Information Technology Association (GEIA). Learn more about TechAmerica at www.techamerica.org.

Contact: Tarah Hartzler, McClenahan Bruer Communications for TechAmerica Oregon, at 503.546.1014 or [email protected]

Jennifer Bosze, Regional Vice President, TechAmerica Oregon, at 503.624.3608 or [email protected]

SOURCE TechAmerica