Everything Channel's CRN Test Center Unveils The Sprout Award Winners

Awards Program Recognizes Leading Technology Startups Creating Promising New Technologies

PRNewswire-FirstCall
WASHINGTON
Aug 20, 2009

Everything Channel, a division of United Business Media, today announced The Sprout Award winners which were revealed at XChange '09. The Sprout Awards spotlight companies that are in the earliest stages of promising technology and product development in areas including Client application, Client hardware, Server application, Server hardware, Cloud computing, Storage, Networking, Wireless, Mobility, Social Networking, Consumer Electronics and more. The award program was created in conjunction with The Sightline Group to recognize leading technology startup companies.

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"The next wave of technology innovation is being pioneered right now in rented office spaces, garages - even tables at coffee shops. We created The Sprout Awards to introduce these promising new technologies to marketplace and learn why they are on track to become the next hot company," said Robert C. DeMarzo, senior vice president and editorial director, Everything Channel. "All of the startups and technologies that were introduced to us were very impressive. However, the technologies we chose are the cream of the crop. We're looking forward to showcasing them this week with the industry's most important decision markers at our XChange conference."

  The 2009 Sprout Award winners, in alphabetical order, include:

  --  Agito Networks - Location aware, mobile phone integration into unified
      communications and WiFi/networking systems
  --  RioRey - Distributed denial of service security appliance
  --  Mindtouch - Enterprise 2.0 collaborative networking platform
  --  Purewire - SaaS (software as a service) security platform/service
  --  Myabui - Secure social communications platform
  --  Pranah Storage Technologies - Purpose built, solid state storage
      appliance
  --  StarWind Software - Ukrainian to U.S. startup, iSCSI SW solution for
      std servers

  --  WhipTail Technologies - Solid state storage appliance, 10X faster, 90
      percent energy savings, 60 percent floor space savings

The Sprout Award winners were chosen by a selection committee composed of The Sightline Group, the CRN editorial department and the CRN Test Center. Selection criteria was based upon a variety of aspects such as the unique nature of the product or service, the dedication and commitment of founders necessary to bring their products to market, the compelling background story of the founders, and the story behind how the product idea came about - "born in a garage" or "designed on a coffee shop napkin."

The Sprout Awards will be featured in the August issue of CRN as well as on www.channelweb.com.

  The Sprout Awards were sponsored by Cisco.

  About The Sightline Group

The Sightline Group offers sales and marketing strategy, execution assistance and product launch expertise across numerous consumer technology product categories. The firm works with clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. The firm has earned an unparalleled reputation for forging vital alliances. Using its strong relationships with key executives across all major channels -- retailers, e-commerce vendors, catalogers, VARs, SIs and OEMs -- the Sightline Group can quickly introduce clients and their products to the right people. Past clients include Logitech, iRobot, Acer, Qualcomm and Eye-Fi. For more information, visit sightlinegroup.com.

About Everything Channel (www.everythingchannel.com, www.channelweb.com)

Everything Channel is the one-stop shop for managing and accelerating technology sales. From branding and recruiting to marketing and sales, Everything Channel offers technology marketers the unmatched breadth and depth of global brands and market intelligence combined with unparalleled audience loyalty and credibility serving all technology sales channels through an extensive database. Everything Channel provides innovative field sales and marketing solutions to arm the sellers of technology with the resources they need to achieve measurable and significant results.

About United Business Media Limited (www.unitedbusinessmedia.com)

UBM (UBM.L) focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information distribution, targeting and monitoring; and, the development and monetization of B2B communities and markets. UBM's businesses inform markets and serve professional commercial communities - from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists - with integrated events, online, print and business information products. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, bringing buyers and sellers together, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.

  Contact
  Allison Cohen
  Everything Channel
  516 562 7870
  accohen@everythingchannel.com

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: franzman@beyondwords.com

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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

SOURCE: Everything Channel

CONTACT: Allison Cohen of Everything Channel, +1-516-562-7870,
accohen@everythingchannel.com

Web Site: http://www.everythingchannel.com/