Microsoft Recognizes Top Microsoft Certified Solution Providers at Fusion 99
July 26, 1999	 |
SAN FRANCISCO, July 26, 1999 — Bill Gates, chairman and CEO of Microsoft Corp., presented the Microsoft® Certified Solution Provider (MCSP) Partner of the Year award to Micro Modeling Associates (MMA) Inc. of New York and Br
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o Paulo, Brazil. The awards ceremony was held on Friday, July 23, at Microsoft Fusion 99, Microsoft's annual business symposium for MCSPs. Gates recognized eight other MCSPs in additional award categories ranging from e-commerce to small business and, following the ceremony, attended a private reception to celebrate with the finalists and winners.
Ten companies were selected from a worldwide community of 19,500 MCSP organizations. The MCSP Awards recognize and reward the outstanding work of MCSPs, independent firms that develop and implement software solutions using Microsoft products and technologies. The winners were chosen based on their expertise and innovative approach to developing business solutions around principal customer segment opportunities. Microsoft representatives and a panel of independent judges selected the winners.
The Microsoft Certified Solution Provider Partner of the Year award recognizes the MCSP that most embodies what it means to team with Microsoft. Micro Modeling Associates is an eSolutions consultancy that helps businesses thrive in the digital economy. Integrating strategy, technology and creative services, MMA specializes in four digital eSolution areas – online commerce and service, knowledge management, business intellegence and analytics, and core systems innovation. MMA was number 359 on the 1998 Inc. 500 list of fastest growing privately held firms in the United States. It has a compounded annual growth rate of over 80 percent, achieving this growth in part by molding its business model specifically to take advantage of new and emerging Microsoft technologies. MMA's technical excellence is well-known throughout Microsoft, and Microsoft often looks to MMA for its technical depth and innovation as a member of several Microsoft Partner Advisory Councils (PACs).
MMA CEO and founder Roy Wetterstrom said, "This is the ultimate recognition from Microsoft, our longest-standing and most strategic partner. Ten years ago, MMA was founded on a firm belief in Microsoft's power to deliver flexible, high-impact solutions for business. And today more than ever, Microsoft technologies are enabling us to deliver solutions that help our Fortune 1000 and innovative start-up clients create and sustain competitive advantage in the digital economy."
International Partner of the Year Br
s & Figueiredo Informatica has developed more than 1,000 projects based entirely on Microsoft technology. Today it employs 200 professionals, 98 of whom are Microsoft certified, making it one of the largest Microsoft-certified technical staffs in Brazil. As a Microsoft Certified Technical Education Center (CTEC), it has achieved and sustained the highest number of students trained in Latin America since 1996, with over 40,000 students, and it shares first place for certification exams delivered.
Bill Gates also presented awards in the following solutions categories:
Best Business Operations Solution. This category considers the implementation and integration of commercial line-of-business (LOB) solutions based on the Microsoft platform. Examples of LOB solutions include, but are not limited to, ERP, customer management, sales force automation, accounting, and supply chain management solutions.
Analytical Software developed Aladdin, a centralized inventory management and point-of-sale (POS) system, for Shurgard Storage. Aladdin eliminated a costly manual process and reduced both transaction cost and time, while improving customer service. Shurgard Storage consultants can determine availability from Shurgard's nationwide inventory and create a lease for any of 350 centers through a Microsoft SQL Server TM database. Aladdin supports delivery and pickup requests for Storage-to-Go containers, selling storage retail items at shopping mall kiosks and collecting payment at the point of service. To date, Aladdin has increased Shurgard revenue by approximately 750 leases per month.
Best Electronic Commerce Solution. This category focuses on the use of Internet technology to expand business reach and streamline business processes through the implementation of business-to-business, business-to-consumer, financial and information services, and corporate purchasing solutions.
NDC Group Inc.'s winning solution was the OnlineOfficeSupplies.com Web site, a comprehensive and scalable Microsoft electronic solution, comprising Active Server Pages, SQL Server-based applications, COM objects and third-party applications.
OnlineOfficeSupplies.com is a revolutionary virtual superstore that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, has a fully searchable database and guarantees overnight delivery to 98 percent of the United States.
Best Infrastructure Solution. The Infrastructure Solution category considers implementations of Microsoft technology as the underlying architectural infrastructure for an organization. Solutions focus mainly on desktop operating systems and management, as well as server and network operating systems and applications, with an emphasis on increasing productivity and flexibility while reducing costs.
Interlink Group Inc. implemented a global ERP package for Titanium Metals Corp. (TIMET), designing a distributed computing environment spanning 15 locations throughout the United States and four locations in Europe. Interlink designed a common user interface with centralized management capability for all desktop computers throughout TIMET, which has allowed TIMET to introduce distributed computing without having to dramatically increase its IT staff.
Best Knowledge Management Solution – Business Intelligence. The Business Intelligence category recognizes solutions that capture information which helps organizations understand customer buying patterns, identify growth opportunities for sales and profit, and improve overall decision-making. Business Intelligence solutions include data warehousing, data marts, decision support and analytical applications.
IKON Technology Services-DataWiz created a winning health-care solution for UCSF Stanford Health Care. Utilizing DataWiz's Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF)-based full-service consulting methodology, an enterprisewide integrated data repository project was created with which UCSF Stanford Health Care can measure outcomes, manage contracts and reduce costs while simultaneously improving the quality of services.
Best Knowledge Management Solution – Collaboration. The Collaboration category considers solutions that enable interpersonal and team communication and collaboration by providing a platform for sharing knowledge, information and stored data.
IntelliNet helped plan and deploy an intranet site called NOCNET 2000 for Cox Communications Inc.'s Network Operating Center. Before using NOCNET, Cox operators relied heavily on flip charts to record system failures and other problems, and communication between shifts was unsystematic. The new intranet, based mostly on SQL Server 7.0, allows data to be displayed in a custom format; data can also be updated, created and manipulated within a user-friendly browser.
Best Small Business Solution. Nominees in this category demonstrated innovative and effective approaches to applying Microsoft technologies in the small-business customer segment (small businesses are defined as having fewer than 50 PCs or fewer than 100 employees).
Calypso Systems Inc. developed the AJAX Asset Management System, which extends real-time trade accounting and risk management capabilities to a preferred stock investment firm by automating day-to-day business functions and expanding capacity to manage portfolio growth. The system features comprehensive front- and back-office functionality including trade transaction reconciliation, preferred stock conversion, profit and loss and position generation, and advanced portfolio pricing, analytics and modeling. Traders and administrative users dynamically define and execute complex calculations based on portfolio and market data to identify optimal trading conditions.
Best Solution by an Independent Software Vendor. This award recognizes the ISV that has developed an exceptional and unique software application built on Microsoft technology.
ICL Retail Systems Division's winning solution is Global STORE , a scalable, open retail solution that provides retailers with the flexibility to expand and improve a customer's shopping experience within the store, at home, at work or on the move. This revolutionary platform underpins the entire operational environment and provides retailers with complete control of all aspects of their retail operation.
Excellence in Microsoft CTEC Training. This award recognizes exceptional quality and volume of training provided to IT professionals on Microsoft technology.
This year's winner is Infotec Commercial Systems, a company that provides a broad range of training solutions which demonstrate consistency in quality, delivery and technical expertise. In addition to diverse course formats, delivery methods and services, Infotec offers private and on-site training tailored to specific organizational needs. Infotec has 24 locations nationwide and offers a robust Internet online curriculum, AssessTrak for online exam preparation, and WorldTrak, a world-class enterprise learning management tool.
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. More information on the MCSP program is available at http://www.microsoft.com/certpartner/ .
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