Awards 2014 UP-Start Cloud Awards

Overview

History and Participants

Far from the eagerly anticipated event it is today, the first UP-Start Awards ceremony took place out of the public eye during an inaugural first annual UP conference at Hyatt Regency Hotel. About 75 people attended the November 2010 ceremony. It was a long affair filled with speeches, but organizers made quick work of handing out the plaques. Public interest grew quickly - the first presentation was the only one to escape a media audience; by the second and consecutive years, enthusiasm for the Awards was such that our online voting website often had a short downtime, unable to keep up with enormous amount of visitors, willing to cast their ballot. UP-Start Awards Milestones:

  • 5th Awards (San Francisco, 2014) - TBA
  • 4th Awards (Santa Clara, 2013) - List of Winners, Finalists and Nominees
  • 3rd Awards (South San Francisco, 2012) - Winners, Finalists, Nominees
  • 2nd Awards (Mountain View, 2011) - List of Winners, Finalists and Nominees
  • 1st Awards (Bulringame, 2010) - List of Winners, Finalists and Nominees

Opportunity, Cost & Benefits

UP-Start Awards is a perfect platform to bring entrepreneurs, business owners and investors (angel investors and venture capitalists) closer together. It's been a tested springboard to success for new products to find its route to market, regardless of size and maturity.

There's no cost to nominate and participate in all rounds of public voting. Nominating in multiple categories is permitted, however only one nomination is free of charge. Additional nominations carry a fee of $250 per category.

UP-Start Awards alumni counts hundreds of start-up companies that became noticed, funded or acquired, mature companies successfully launched new product lines, getting immediate market acceptance.

Selection Process

Nomination Categories

  1. Best Business Intelligence Solution
  2. Best Business Process Management Solution
  3. Best Enterprise Resource Planning Solution
  4. Best Business Performance Management Solution
  5. Best Supply Chain Management Solution
  6. Best Sales & Marketing Automation Solution
  7. Best Workforce Management Solution
  8. Best Content Management Solution
  9. Best Digital Asset Management Solution
  10. Best Document Management Solution
  11. Best Knowledge Management Solution
  12. Best Electronic Discovery Solution
  13. Best Web Collaboration Solution
  14. Best Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Solution
  15. Best Cloud Security Solution

Entry Requirements

Nominations will be considered on following criteria:

  • Innovation – Does the product have new or improved capabilities? Does it introduce new or improved technologies?
  • Integration – Does the product operate and easily integrate with existing systems? Does the product fit to budget, team size, technologies and vendors involved?
  • Functionality – Does the product delivers what it claims?
  • Value – Is the solution cost effective and adds value to the firm?
  • Usability and Scalability – Are the products functions clear and easy to use?

Process Description

Round 1
Nominations are received, reviewed and verified, qualifying entries are posted to public voting system using Borda Count voting method. Public online voting defines top five companies in each category, who will progress to the final stage.

Round 2
In the final and decisive round, one winner in each category is chosen by onsite conference attendees casting their individual votes into a ballot box. Votes are counted, verified, and audited by independent authority and winners in each category are announced at the Closing Awards Ceremony. Winners will receive coveted industry wide recognition as well as a tangible award.

Deadlines
Nominations Open - Sept 15, 2014
Nominations Closed - Oct 11, 2014
Qualifier Voting Open - Oct 15, 2014
Qualifier Voting Closes - Nov 21, 2014
Finals (On-site Voting) and Closing Awards Ceremony - Dec 11, 2014

How to Participate

Nominating

There's no cost to nominate and participate in all rounds of public voting. Nominating in multiple categories is permitted, however only one nomination is free of charge. Additional nominations carry a fee of $250 per category, payable through Eventbrite. Please also read rules of engagement.

Voting

Public voting for the first round of Cloud Awards is available between October 15 to November 21, 2014 at this location. In the final and decisive round, one winner in each category is chosen by onsite conference attendees casting their individual votes into a ballot box.

Vote Now

Current Standings

List of 2014 Awards Winners

  1. Best Business Process Management Solution: Lagrange CloudMaestro
  2. Best Document Management Solution: Dovetail
  3. Best Knowledge Management Solution: Smartex
  4. Best Web Collaboration Solution: XaitPorter
  5. Best Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Solution: OfficeSuite PrivateCloud
  6. Best Cloud Security Solution: FortyCloud
  7. Best Business Intelligence Solution: MicroStrategy Analytics Platform
  8. Best Sales & Marketing Automation Solution: Workbooks
  9. Best Workforce Management Solution: KensiumHR
  10. Best Content Management Solution: Documentum

List of 2014 Nominees

  1. Best Business Intelligence Solution
  2. Best Business Process Management Solution
  3. Best Enterprise Resource Planning Solution
  4. Best Business Performance Management Solution
  5. Best Supply Chain Management Solution
  6. Best Sales & Marketing Automation Solution
  7. Best Workforce Management Solution
  8. Best Content Management Solution
  9. Best Digital Asset Management Solution
  10. Best Document Management Solution
  11. Best Knowledge Management Solution
  12. Best Electronic Discovery Solution
  13. Best Web Collaboration Solution
  14. Best Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Solution
  15. Best Cloud Security Solution