Kiwi companies recognised for ICT innovation on world stage
Six New Zealand companies have been selected as finalists in this year's World Summit Awards for creativity and innovation in ICT.
The awards are a global showcase of 40 projects, across eight categories, with a special emphasis on those which show the benefits of information and communication technology for the development of communities.
New Zealand has finalists in six of the eight categories. Those are Figure.NZ, ARANZ Medical, Pond, Ngā Tapuwae Gallipoli, Wipster and Attitude Live.
Amy Adams, Communications Minister, says this year's finalists are prime examples of New Zealand companies effectively using ICT to put their innovative ideas into action.
"New Zealand companies have always pioneered global thinking and it's great to see these clever Kiwi initiatives being showcased on the world stage," Adams says.
New Zealand has participated in the World Summit Awards since 2003. Final judging will take place in Azerbaijan in September.
The New Zealand finalists:
Figure.NZ (Government - Open Data)
Democratising data, Figure.NZ (formerly Wiki New Zealand) takes the stance that everyone can be a user of data, and that technology and systems should be designed to deliver to that standard.
Figure.NZ has developed a platform to do this - it brings together and standardises data from the public sector, private sector and academia, and it provides it in formats that make it usable for everyone, from experienced users to children.
ARANZ Medical (Health - Environment)
ARANZ Medical's 3D scanning and information systems highlights the status of the healing progress and skin dimensions of patients suffering chronic wounds and amputations.
Innovations include Silhouette, an FDA-approved electronic wound assessment system, and FastSCAN II, a 3D scanning system for orthotics and prosthetics.
ARANZ Medical's mission is to use their skill in structured light technology and IT to equip researchers and clinicians alike with knowledge that will help them improve the lives of millions of people worldwide, including high risk groups such as diabetes sufferers and the elderly.
Pond, from N4L (Network for Learning) (Learning - Science)
N4L is being recognised for its work in education, more specifically its active elearning community for educators.
Pond makes learning resources more accessible to the education community (especially those buried deep in archives or otherwise unavailable via public search engines); and fosters collaboration among educators, enabling them to have an impact beyond their school walls, so they can share their talents, best-practices, and resources with the wider sector.
Ngā Tapuwae Gallipoli (Culture - Tourism)
The Ngā Tapuwae Gallipoli app effectively uses modern technology to inform and enlighten travellers about New Zealand's participation in the Gallipoli campaign during the First World War.
It is a multi-media interactive app that guides travellers to the actual locations where New Zealanders fought, while also being informative for those with a general interest in New Zealand's history at Gallipoli.
Wipster (Business - Commerce)
Wipster is a cloud-based SaaS application. The idea for Wipster was born in 2013 when filmmaker Rollo Wenlock became increasingly frustrated with the fractured video review process.
With a singular focus on creating a well-designed, intuitive video review and approval experience for anyone creating video, Wipster has carved out a niche in this emerging category.
Reviews are accelerated by 65%, and what was once a tedious process becomes a streamlined workflow. Pinpoint commenting offers an intuitive way to chat to each other about work-inprogress right on top of the video.
AttitudeLive (Inclusion - Empowerment)
In 2005 Attitude Pictures launched as a media company with the sole purpose of producing factual television content for and about people living with disabilities.
The real life stories change attitudes towards disabled people and in turn promote inclusion. In eleven years of production Attitude has made over 400 documentaries and filmed in more than 25 countries.
In 2013 it launched its web platform AttitudeLive as a way to share and distribute its library of content with the world and build connections for the disability community.
