Website Wins ITS Place on Awards' Shortlist

Industrial Technology Systems Ltd’s (ITS) new website has achieved regional recognition by being shortlisted for The North East Digital Awards, being run this year for the first time.

The awards celebrate innovation, professionalism and excellence in the digital world, acknowledging the talent of North Eastern companies, large and small, that use, create and develop digital technologies to progress and promote their business.

ITS has been shortlisted in the Best b2b Website category of the Digital Users’ Website Awards’ section.  The organisers have been overwhelmed by the response to the inaugural awards, receiving 240 nominees from 139 businesses.

The categories are broken down into three main headings: Digital Users, for businesses using digital technology; Digital Suppliers, for businesses providing digital solutions, or designing digital campaigns or websites for clients, and Digital Innovators, for businesses creating and developing new digital technology and new uses for it.  The 30+ different awards range from Best Use of Animation, through Best Use of Blogging and Best Youth Enterprise Website, to the category with the most entries, Best eCommerce Website.

Emmanuelle Martinot, eBusiness Technical Adviser for regional development agency One NorthEast, which has funded the Awards, said:  “The North East of England is a hotbed for digital talent and these awards are an opportunity to highlight and celebrate those achievements. We’re really looking forward to seeing the nominations.”

Shortlisting was based on the number of votes achieved, and entries will now be assessed by the judging panel comprising: Peter Scargill, National IT Chairman for the Federation of Small Businesses; Mark Elliott, Director of Middlesbrough’s Digital City; Stephen Carey, One NorthEast Specialist Adviser; Andrew Robson of Codeworks; Andy Walton of Knowledge IT; Charlie Nettle, Head of Marketing at the North East Chamber of Commerce, and Nicki Clark from Business Link North East.  They are joined by Norma Foster, Chris Fleetwood and Pascal Fintoni from The North East Regional Portal, the e-business champion behind the awards.

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on May 15, to be held at Newcastle’s Hyena Comedy Club.    The organisers hope the event will inspire other companies in the region who have not yet joined the digital age, to embrace the significant opportunities it offers.

The North East Regional Portal’s head of e-business Pascal Fintoni said that the rapid expansion and development of digital technologies in the North East of England was undeniable, and that successful and inventive companies deserved full credit.

“The Awards’ entries so far demonstrate that the region has some very innovative businesses with strong digital elements,” he said.  “We are confident that the awards will come to truly represent the diversity of e-business development in the region.

“These awards celebrate the achievements of businesses, companies and organisations that have recognised, developed and used digital techniques to generate and maintain effective online activities. This means that all Award nominees will be winners.”