Dunedin Technology Businesses scoop Top NZ TUANZ Innovation Awards
Two Dunedin technology based companies incubated by the Upstart Business Incubator, TracPlus Global Limited and TracMap NZ Limited have scooped top awards at the TUANZ 2008 Innovation Awards held in Auckland on 28th August 2008.
TracPlus has been announced as New Zealand overall winner of the Telecommunication Innovation of the Year Award for the most innovative product, service, or initiative overall developed in New Zealand, and delivered electronically to New Zealanders.
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TracPlus has also been awarded winner of the Initiative of the Year category, for a product, service or application facilitated or enabled by, the innovative use of technology in New Zealand, or by a New Zealand company overseas.
TracMap was awarded the Rural Award for “the most innovative rural product, service or initiative developed in New Zealand, and delivered electronically to New Zealanders, which enhances productivity in the rural sector, whether it be in agribusiness, farming, the dairy industry, horticulture or otherwise.”
The TUANZ (Telcommunication Users Association of New Zealand) Awards in association with General Cable are a prestigious annual awards ceremony, which recognises outstanding innovation within the telecommunications arena in New Zealand. The awards are for products or services originating or provided in New Zealand. Chris Hinch, CEO of TracPlus Global Limited and Colin Brown, Managing Director of TracMap NZ Ltd were in Auckland to receive the awards at the Auckland Museum Auditorium, The Domain.
Upstart CEO Norman Evans says, “these awards show our companies getting the industry recognition they truly deserve. TracPlus and TracMap are examples of exciting innovative companies being developed right here in Dunedin. Other successful companies under incubation are Vouchermate Ltd, Daestra NZ Ltd and Innovative Learning”.
Chris Hinch, CEO of TracPlus Global says, “These awards are not only recognition of the hard work done here in Dunedin by a wonderfully talented and hardworking team, but also of the outstanding support we have received from Upstart Business Incubator. The fact that these awards are recognition from our peers in the telecommunications industry is especially rewarding”.
TracMap started product development in 2005, Grant Gibson General Manager says “The award is fantastic recognition of the great Mosgiel based team we have, and the support that we have had from both the rural sector, and Upstart Business Incubator. There have been a huge number of people who have helped us, from when we started product development in 2005 with a team of 2, to where we are now, a New Zealand wide company with a team of 15.
Although the company names have a similar sound they are two very different businesses. TracPlus is the recent winner of the Global Technium Challenge. It has developed a revolutionary tracking service for commercial, government and non government agencies that is now operating in 14 countries and areas, including the Antarctic. TracPlus allows users to not only monitor the status and location of their assets, but also to securely share that information with other users, regardless of tracking hardware and network chosen.
TracMap provides a complete agricultural and horticultural GPS guidance and proof of placement mapping package for vehicles operating in demanding outdoor environments. For fertiliser spreading contractors it can achieve a 15% productivity gain and reduce environmental impact from fertiliser application.
Finalists in the different categories included:
Initiative of the Year 2008 – sponsored by
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Voco
* BayCity Communications
* Kiwibank
* Orcon/Nokia Siemens
* TracMap NZ Limited
* TracPlus Global Limited
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Rural Award – sponsored by
Kordia
* Cowculator
* Racewell Limited
* TracMap NZ Limited
Ends
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About TracPlus Global Limited
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TracPlus Global Limited’s core business is the seamless, reliable and secure delivery of real time global tracking, sensor monitoring and data analysis services to private, business, military, and government organizations worldwide, using guaranteed mission critical hosting infrastructure.
The TracPlus product and service occupies a unique position in the global telemetry market. In a global market where new tracking hardware is announced daily, TracPlus is the only service designed to work with any tracking terminal, across any satellite or cellular network, and deliver data to a wide variety of client applications including third party command and control systems.
TracPlus also sets a new standard in operator and agency interoperability, allowing users to easily and securely share data with each other, enabling emergency response and rescue coordination agencies to visualise time critical tracking data in the systems of their choice, regardless of the source of that data.
www.tracplus.com
About TracMap
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TracMap has created a system that allows anyone to accurately spread or spray chemicals or fertilisers on the land, and provide traceability reporting at the touch of a button, which is a growing issue for rural New Zealand. Development on the product started in 2005, with the first unit going into a fertiliser truck in October 2006. There are over 300 units around the country. Core markets were originally fertiliser spreading contractors and spray contractors, however, we have expanded that and are now getting significant sales to Dairy farmers. We have also commenced sales into the Viticulture industry, based on the same system used for farming. Users are getting productivity gains from the system, as well as reducing the environmental impact of their operations. Traceability reports are also provided of what products have been applied, where, when and by who.
We have also recently completed a GPS system designed for aviation for spreading and spraying from Helicopters or Fixed Wing. This has been developed in conjunction with Otago Helicopters. The TracMap Aviation product has started to be sold in the last month. TracMap has been selected to be used on the Island Conservation project in the Aleutian archipelago in the Bearing Sea between Alaska and Russia.
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