eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
I started the Mobility Awards program back in 1995 as a way to honor the best and finest products and services in mobile computing and wireless data communications. I believe there’s a need to recognize the hard work that the mobile device makers, software vendors and wireless operators are doing to provide subscribers with unique products and services. The Mobility Awards provide that needed recognition.
I had originally thought about naming these mobile and wireless awards The Mobys, just to follow the style of the famous awards in other industries. But all I could conjure up was an image of a whale. Instead, I created the Mobility Awards. I have been giving them out for 15+ years.
There are a number of ways to give out awards. Here’s my approach: I determine the major categories and then pick the most outstanding products or services that reflect that category. I have always given the award away free, and have included the companies and products in the press release that announces the Mobility Award winners.
Winners have the option to license the Mobility Award brand and logo to use online and in marketing programs after the press release is issued. That keeps the award process objective and enables the winners to optionally promote the recognition. Each winner receives a unique, blue crystal vase to display in the company’s lobby or trophy area.
I announced the winners of the 2010 Mobility Awards at the Wireless Innovators dinner at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas to a group of 60+ executives and members of the press. The dinner was sponsored by Syniverse. Michael O’Brien, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Syniverse, gave the keynote address.
Companies Demonstrate Mobile and Wireless Innovation
Companies demonstrate mobile and wireless innovation
Nine young companies gave four-minute demonstrations of their innovative, new mobile and wireless product or service:
1. Aava Mobile: new, open mobile smartphone reference design
2. Connectify: mobile hotspots for mobile devices
3. Kopin: innovative, voice-controlled, full PC headset called Golden-i
4. Loopt: mobile social networking application that uses the subscriber’s location
5. Magmito: DIDMO‘s mobile application generator with built-in mobile marketing
6. Omnilert: event cancellation notification service called RainedOut
7. Smartvue: mobile video surveillance service called S9
8. SugarSync: innovative photo and file sharing service
9. Toktumi: virtual office service called Line2 to manage personal and work phones
I’m pleased to announce the 2010 Mobility Award winners. Of particular note, I’m very pleased to award the 2010 Product of the Year Mobility Award to Novatel for their introduction of the MiFi integrated WiFi Access Point (out toward the user) and 3G wide area wireless (back toward the network), enabling WiFi access for all of your devices wherever you go. John Ross of Novatel (considered the “father of MiFi”) and Brian Finnerty, Director of Mobile Broadband Products at Sprint, accepted the Mobility Award for Product of the Year.
I wrote about my personal experiences with MiFi last August. They took the concept of something that was stationary (a WiFi Access Point) and made it mobile. I commend Novatel for their innovation. I also recognized Sprint and Verizon Wireless for bringing MiFi to market.
Winners of the 2010 Mobility Award
Winners of the 2010 Mobility Award
Many of the following award winners were present at the Wireless Innovators dinner (click here to see photos from the dinner).
Here is the list of the winners of the 2010 Mobility Award:
I commend each of the 2010 Mobility Award winners for a job well done. I hope many of you will create some exciting new mobile and wireless products and services over the next year so you’ll be a candidate to win the 2011 Mobility Awards.
J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D. is Principal Analyst of Mobile & Wireless at MobileTrax LLC. As a nationally recognized industry authority, Dr. Purdy focuses on monitoring and analyzing emerging trends, technologies and market behavior in the mobile computing and wireless data communications industry in North America. Dr. Purdy is an “edge of network” analyst looking at devices, applications and services, as well as wireless connectivity to those devices. Dr. Purdy provides critical insights regarding mobile and wireless devices, wireless data communications and connection to the infrastructure that powers the data in the wireless handheld. He is author of the column Inside Mobile & Wireless that provides industry insights and is read by over 100,000 people a month.
Dr. Purdy continues to be affiliated with the venture capital industry as well. He currently is Managing Director at Yosemite Ventures. And he spent five years as a Venture Advisor for Diamondhead Ventures in Menlo Park where he identified, attracted and recommended investments in emerging companies in mobile and wireless. He has had a prior affiliation with East Peak Advisors and, subsequently, following their acquisition, with FBR Capital Markets. For more than 16 years, Dr. Purdy has been consulting, speaking, researching, networking, writing and developing state-of-the-art concepts that challenge people’s mind-sets, as well as developing new ways of thinking and forecasting in the mobile computing and wireless data arenas. Often quoted, Dr. Purdy’s ideas and opinions are followed closely by thought leaders in the mobile and wireless industry. He is author of three books as well.
Dr. Purdy currently is a member of the Program Advisory Board of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) which produces CES, one of the largest trade shows in the world. He is a frequent moderator at CTIA conferences and GSM Mobile World Congress. He also is a member of the Board of the Atlanta Wireless Technology Forum. Dr. Purdy has a B.S. degree in Engineering Physics from University of Tennessee, a M.S. degree in Computer Science from UCLA, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Exercise Physiology from Stanford University. He can be reached at gerry.purdy@mobiletrax.com.
Disclosure Statement
: From time to time, I may have a direct or indirect equity position in a company that is mentioned in this column. If that situation happens, then I’ll disclose it at that time.