Tech Trailblazers Awards go large: Big Data unveiled as new category

Additional category reflects the startup community’s response to the awards

LONDON, UK – July 11th 2012 – Today the newly launched Tech Trailblazers Awards introduced an additional category even before the inaugural Awards open for submissions. In addition to other enterprise technology categories such as Cloud and Infosecurity, the Tech Trailblazers are adding Big Data as a dedicated category.  This addition reflects the overwhelming interest from big data startups in participating in the awards and the agile “community spirit” approach to a new era of awards that the Tech Trailblazers are encouraging. 

Stephen O’Donnell, chairman of the Tech Trailblazers judging panel, former CEO, author, consultant and blogger at www.TheHotAisle.com, said, “The addition of the Big Data category is a natural progression for Tech Trailblazers. Big data is smoking hot in the Enterprise space with massive upside for efficiency and business competitiveness. Startups with a big data capability told us they were unclear about where to position their entries; this new category has helped make that clear.  The addition of big data will make for lively competition in one of the hottest enterprise technology spaces out there.”

The Tech Trailblazers Awards, open for entries next week on July 18th, represent a new concept in enterprise IT awards. Designed explicitly for enterprise tech startups that are less than five years old and privately held or at C-series funding or below, the awards not only recognize startup innovation, but also proactively help startups develop their businesses.

The extensive judging panel includes the IT industry’s leading figures from around the world, giving little-known startups the opportunity to present their products and services to eminent influencers.   

Sponsors and industry partners to date include MIT/Stanford Venture Lab, the Cloud Security Alliance, Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA), Startup America, RealWire, Lissted, Mynewsdesk, and ExecEvent. To inquire about sponsorship, please email innovate@techtrailblazers.com.

To be notified as soon as the Tech Trailblazers Awards opens for entries, or to subscribe to the mailing list to receive information on early bird submission savings and the “Meet the Judges” webinar series, please email innovate@techtrailblazers.com.

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Notes to editors

Stephen O’Donnell, chairman of the Tech Trailblazers Awards judging panel, former CIO, author, and consultant and blogger at www.TheHotAisle.com, is available to comment. Please contact Olivia Shannon at Omarketing for more information (contact details below).

At present the judging panel includes:

• Mohit Agrawal, Founder and Editor, Telecom Circle (Twitter: @telecomcircle)
• Cynthia Artin, President, Artin Arts (@cynthiaartin)
• Joe Baguley, Chief Cloud Technologist, VMware (@joebaguley)
• Frank J. Bernhard, Strategy and Operations Director, Deloitte Consulting (@FrankJBernhard)
• Steve Broadhead, Founder and Director, Broadband-Testing Labs (@steve_broadhead)
• Rebel Brown, Author and Startup Veteran (@RebelBrown)
• Mike Burkitt, CTO, Launchpad Europe (@launchpadeurope)
• Teresa Cottam, Founder and Chief Analyst, Telesperience (@teresacottam)
• Chris Evans, Consultant and Blogger, TheStorageArchitect.com (@chrismevans)
• Marty Foltyn, Hands-On Lab Program, SNIA (@MartyFoltyn)
• Ian French, Channel Guru, Mentor and Entrepreneur (@siceo)
• Edward P. Gibson, Director, Forensic Technology Solutions, Pricewaterhousecoopers (@EdwardPGibson)
• Martin Glassborow, Blogger, Storagebod (@storagebod)
• Mark Hillary, CEO, IT Decisions (@markhillary)
• Brian Honan, CEO, BH Consulting (@brianhonan)
• Elise Huang, Partner, WestSummit Capital
• Sam Johnston, Director, Cloud & IT Services, Equinix (@samj)
• Ben Kepes, Principal, Diversity Limited (@benkepes)
• Justin Lodge, Infrastructure Architect, National Australia Bank (@justin_lodge)
• Chris Mellor, Storage Editor, The Register (@chris_mellor)
• Steve O’Donnell, Consultant, Advisor and Author, TheHotAisle.com (@stephenodonnell)
• W. Curtis Preston, CEO, TruthInIT (@wcpreston)
• Simon Robinson, Research Vice President, 451 Research (@simonrob451)
• Kai Roer, Senior Partner, The Roer Group (@kairoer)
• Raj Samani, EMEA Strategy Advisor, Cloud Security Alliance (@raj_samani)
• Andrew Seldon, Editor, Hi-Tech Security Solutions, TechNews (@andrewseldon)
• Sarb Sembhi, Director, Consultancy Services, Incoming Thought (@sarbsembhi)
• Enrico Signoretti, Senior Consultant, Juku Consulting SRL (@esignoretti)
• Harkeeret Singh, Global Head of Energy & Sustainable IT, Thomson Reuters (@harqs)
• Jennifer Steffens, CEO, IOactive (@securesun)
• Jon Toigo, CEO, Toigo Partners International  (@jontoigo)
• Matthew Yeager, Chief Technologist, Colt Technology Services (@mpyeager)
• Monica Zlotogorski, Editor, Inside Latin America, TM Forum (@MonicaCZN)

Media Contacts

For Tech Trailblazers

Olivia Shannon

Omarketing

UK: +44 (0)208 255 5225

US: +1 781 519 0275

olivia@omarketing.co.uk

www.twitter.com/Olivia_at_O

About the Tech Trailblazers Awards

Tech Trailblazers is a new concept in awards, designed explicitly for smaller businesses and startups that are less than five years old and at C-series funding or below. The awards have low barriers to entry and prizes that not only recognize startup innovation, but also proactively help startups grow their businesses with exclusive coaching, mentoring and development from VCs and leading CTOs as well as an estimated prize fund worth in excess of $1m. The awards seek to recognize true innovators in the following enterprise technology and other areas:

• Big Data Trailblazers (announced today)
• Cloud Trailblazers
• Emerging Markets Trailblazers
• Mobile Technology Trailblazers
• Networking Trailblazers
• Security Trailblazers
• Storage Trailblazers
• Sustainable IT Trailblazers
• Virtualization Trailblazers 

Entries open on July 18th – register your interest by emailing us, following us on twitter @Techtrailblaze or follow the conversation via the hashtag – #TTAwards.