Top Microsoft Certified Solution Providers Recognized at Fusion 98

Top Microsoft Certified Solution Providers Recognized at Fusion 98

NEW ORLEANS, June 1, 1998 — > Steve Ballmer, Microsoft executive vice president of sales and support, presented the Microsoft® Certified Solution Provider (MCSP) Partner of the Year award to Sequoia Diversified Products Inc. and recognized eight other MCSPs at an annual awards ceremony in New Orleans. The MCSP Awards recognize and reward the outstanding work of MCSPs, independent firms that develop and implement software solutions using Microsoft products and technologies. Nine MCSPs were selected from entries submitted by members of the MCSP channel, which totals 15,500 organizations worldwide.

The winners were chosen based on their expertise and innovative approach to developing business solutions around principal market opportunities. The awards were presented last night during a banquet at Microsoft Fusion 98, the worldwide business symposium for MCSPs.

  • Microsoft Certified Solution Provider Partner of the Year

The Microsoft Certified Solution Provider Partner of the Year award recognizes the MCSP that most embodies what it means to team with Microsoft. This year the award went to Sequoia Diversified Products Inc.

“We started this company eight years ago in a garage,”
said John Bamberger, CEO at Sequoia.
“This top partnership award epitomizes everything that Sequoia strives to achieve. It is very exciting to be rewarded for our dedication and success in developing and implementing Microsoft-based solutions.”

Sequoia provides network integration services, software development, Internet programming and consulting. The company also provides many value-added services such as hardware and software sales, basic and fiber-optic cabling, computer maintenance help desk support and year 2000 solutions. Sequoia’s 1997 revenue was $30 million, an increase of 329 percent from 1996. This is the second consecutive year that Sequoia’s revenue has grown more than 300 percent. Sequoia has more than 250 Microsoft certifications.

  • Best Communication and Collaboration Solution

The Best Communication and Collaboration Solution award recognizes the company with the solution that best enables interpersonal and team communication and collaboration by providing a platform for publishing and sharing information. This year’s award went to Ultimus Inc.

Ultimus devised the Ultimus Workflow Suite, a Web-based process-automation solution for Winbond Electronics Corp., a leading semiconductor manufacturer. The Ultimus Workflow Suite allows users to graphically design, test, simulate, install, execute, monitor and measure business processes without any programming, scripting or macros. Using the suite, the semiconductor manufacturer was able to cut manual operations by over 80 percent and reduced paper consumption by 70 percent.

  • Best Custom Application Development Solution

The Best Custom Application Development Solution award is given to the firm with the most outstanding solution focused on line-of-business applications custom-developed to meet a business challenge or solve a problem specific to the customer’s business. This year’s award went to MicroOffice Ltd. for its UniChip cash-replacement system.

MicroOffice is a leader in Hungary in smart-card technologies, with a core business of smart-card-based solutions utilizing Microsoft technologies. Using the smart card as a portable data storage and security device and Microsoft SQL Server
™
as a central data server, the application implements many of the university’s administrative tasks, including student administration, exam registration, and opinion polls among students. The UniChip system has been implemented at two Hungarian universities.

  • Best E-Commerce Solution

The Best E-Commerce Solution award recognizes the company with outstanding focus on the use of Internet technology to expand business reach and streamline business processes through the implementation of business-to-consumer or business-to-business solutions designed to sell, transact and engage over the Internet. Lante Corp. received the award for creating FleetWeb, the industry’s first interactive, Web-based order-entry, customer-issue-tracking and relationship-management tool.

FleetWeb is an intuitive, Internet-based, online vehicle-ordering and inquiry system that requires little installation and support. Lante created FleetWeb for Donlen Corp., a corporate vehicle-fleet-leasing and -management service. The FleetWeb system allows Donlen to place orders, create reports and check its order status using the Internet.

  • Best Information Management Solution

The Best Information Management Solutions award is given to the company with the solution that best demonstrates an integrated approach to managing and sharing an organization’s knowledge capital and investment. Ibertech Inc. won this year’s award.

Ibertech developed the Aloha Arena, a Windows® operating system-based restaurant automation application featuring open architecture, a high level of system redundancy, and real-time information management capabilities. Aloha management extensions offer a complete (including credit card) authorization, property management system interfaces, delivery and customer loyalty programs, accounts receivable, labor schedule, and inventory.

  • Best Infrastructure Solution

The Best Infrastructure Solution award recognizes the company completing outstanding implementations of Microsoft technology as the underlying architectural infrastructure for an organization, with an emphasis on increasing productivity and flexibility while reducing costs. This year’s award went to Aspect Computing Pty Ltd.

Aspect Computing Pty Ltd. developed Maxi, an electronic-commerce service developed to enable all government services in Victoria, Australia, to be online and accessible from work, home, public libraries or kiosks by 2001. Maxi makes product purchasing and transaction information – for example the status of a building permit application – readily available to citizens.

  • Best Small-Business Solution

The Best Small-Business Solution award is given to the company with the solution that best demonstrates innovative and effective approaches to applying Microsoft technologies in the small-business market (with small businesses being defined as having fewer than 50 PCs or 100 employees). This year’s winner is Intranet System.

Intranet System developed Intranet Sentral, an
“in-a-box”
intranet solution that includes 12 ready-to-use applications for the quick deployment of an intranet, including news, a bulletin board, a handbook, an employee and telephone directory, employee status, a document archive and purchase registration.

  • Excellence in ATEC Training

The Excellence in Authorized Technical Education Center (ATEC) Training award is given to the ATEC that provides outstanding value-added training solutions that result in the customers’ successful use or adoption of the Microsoft BackOffice® family of products. Training must be based on Microsoft Official Curriculum but may be supplemented by other training offerings. This year’s winner is Boston University Corporate Education Center (BUCEC).

In addition to offering a broad range of manufacturer-authorized seminar- and conference-based training, BUCEC has developed seven vocational training programs called Computer Career Programs. The intensive, hands-on, skills-based programs range in length from 10 to 20 full-time weeks. BUCEC has assisted more than 9,000 people to enter and thrive in the information technology field by developing innovative training programs in the most current technology.

  • Best Business Solution by an Independent Software Vendor

The Best Business Solution award recognizes the independent software vendor developing outstanding line-of-business solutions for vertical or horizontal markets. Platinum Software Corp. received this award.

Platinum implemented a Platinum SQL financial accounting solution to track research grants and increase the accuracy and timeliness of fund processing at the Children’s Hospital Research Foundation (CHRF). The solution enabled CHRF to handle the unique business rules of its various grants, including multiple cost centers, budgets and fiscal cycles. Since implementing the solution, no grants have gone into deficit, and CHRF has shortened its month-end close from 20 days to five days.

Award Winners Receive Recognition, Publicity

Ballmer congratulated the award winners before an audience of an estimated 2,600 Microsoft Certified Solution Providers from around the world. Also on hand was Sam Jadallah, vice president of the organization customer unit at Microsoft.

“Microsoft depends on its Microsoft Certified Solution Providers to develop and implement solutions for corporate customers,”
Jadallah said.
“This year’s award winners showcase some of the most innovative work being completed in the services industry today. We are honored to have such outstanding firms working with Microsoft.”

Microsoft will showcase the winners and their work in advertisements in major business and industry trade publications and on the private MCSP Online Web site at https://mcsp.one.microsoft.com/ .

Every day, nearly 15,500 Microsoft Solution Providers apply Microsoft technologies to business challenges in 50 countries around the world. They do so with the help of more than 200,000 Microsoft Certified Professionals, who have proven expertise in designing, implementing and supporting solutions using Microsoft products and technologies.

Microsoft Certified Solution Providers are independent organizations working with Microsoft that include a wide range of companies, such as systems integrators, custom application developers, installation and deployment service providers, business consultants and training organizations. MCSPs add value by offering their customers a full range of services, including Internet, intranet and e-commerce solutions, line-of-business applications, and client/server implementations. For more information on the MCSP program, visit http://www.microsoft.com/certpartner/ .

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, Windows and BackOffice are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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