Microsoft and Real Business magazine have unveiled Britain's Digital Elite, the winners of a national search for Britain's most innovative users of software, with WEBMART winning its second major award in as many months for its FREEPRINTMANAGEMENT.co
Microsoft and Real Business magazine have unveiled Britain's Digital Elite, the winners of a national search for Britain's most innovative users of software, with WEBMART winning its second major award in as many months for its FREEPRINTMANAGEMENT.com software.
Winning the category 'Taking on the Big Guys', WEBMART was described by the judges as a great example of how a growing business is using technology to compete with business heavyweights and furthermore make fundamental changes to the way its marketplace operates.
WEBMART Managing Director Simon Biltcliffe says: "Being recognised as one of Britain's Digital Elite is a huge accolade for us. There is nothing like our software anywhere else in the world and our goal was to help both the printer and print buyer to work better together to mutual benefit - looks like we're getting there!"
Last month, FREEPRINTMANAGEMENT.com was the key to WEBMART's success in being named one of the UK's most outstanding entrepreneurial organisations, as BT Business announced the 20 winners of its 2007 'Essence of the Entrepreneur' Awards. Simon Biltcliffe continues: "These competitions celebrate the achievements of small businesses that have demonstrated exceptional dedication and have found new directions to succeed in business with the help of technology. Our FREEPRINTMANAGEMENT.com software and its instant print pricing system is the engine behind our success, having estimated £3.8bn of print jobs, five times more than our nearest rival."
Real Business magazine and Microsoft set out to identify the nation's most intelligent users of software, firms who are harnessing software to radically improve performance, transforming their sector in the process. The winners were decided by a panel of four judges including two entrepreneurs, Charles Orton-Jones from Real Business and Simon Hughes of Microsoft. Entrants were judged on three criteria, including excellence in execution of IT projects, support from the Board of IT projects that drive growth and place technology at the heart of the business, and recognition of that IT as a driver for growth - and success in driving this growth.
Simon Hughes, director for small and medium sized businesses at Microsoft UK, adds: "British business is often criticised for a lack of innovation but we've been deeply impressed by the sheer variety and quality of businesses in the competition. These businesses may not seem like the most innovative organisations at first glance but they are all using software to the full to create slick, agile businesses well equipped to stand up to and even beat larger competitors."
He continues: "It's easy to get carried away by flash ideas and blue sky thinking but where these businesses really excel is through execution. These businesses have demonstrated excellence in not only what they provide, but innovation in the way they provide it."