Projects using IT in areas ranging from intelligent data
analysis to helping elderly people live independently are among the
finalists in the Technology section of the 2004 BCS IT Professional
Awards, run in association with Computer
Weekly.
Thirteen finalists and medal winners have emerged across the four
categories in the Technology section.
Systems
BT Exact has four finalist projects. Its Fastnets technology gives
smoother video streaming over mobile networks, avoiding start-up
delays of up to 30 seconds and the affects of congestion, which can
cause the picture to freeze.
BT Exact's iOpt Intelligent Optimisation Toolkit supports the
development of e-business systems. Users can model and sort out
problems affected by a large number of constraints. Modules are
available for specific applications, including resource scheduling
and network planning.
Kalido says users can adapt its Kalido datawarehouse package to any
business model and use data from existing files and standard
database software such as Oracle, SQL Server or DB2. Data is
validated against the rules defined in the business model. Kalido
can then be used to analyse business performance.
Plasmon Data's Ultra Density Optical has been endorsed by IBM and
industry analysts as an emerging optical storage standard for
archive data. Systems provide 30Gbytes of storage using a laser
technology which provides higher density.
Applications
Hawk-Eye Innovations' Hawk-Eye Tennis System can show television
viewers the path of a tennis ball during a rally within five
seconds of the end of the rally. It does not interfere with play
and uses data from TV cameras.
Oki Systems (UK) has developed the Oki Print Wizard to help office
staff create and design documents. It provides step-by-step
instructions, basic design advice and standard templates.
Royal Mail Group's Smartstamp service and software enable users to
print their own postage on envelopes and labels from their
PC.
Services
BT Exact has developed a data analysis system which can work from
vague knowledge bases and user requirements.
Tesco.com has given its grocery home shopping delivery drivers
rugged pocket PCs to replace paper documents showing details of
customers and products ordered and supplied.
The Dorchester Hotel's In Room Technology Service aims to give
travellers "the best in technology infrastructure and equipment" to
provide entertainment and to enable them to work.
Turning Points has combined global positioning system technology,
compressed audio data and the internet to provide local information
in audio form for tourists and other users. Its Soundscape system
determines a user's location and sends relevant information.
Social contribution
BT Exact and Liverpool Direct are working with Liverpool City
Council to install monitoring and communication systems in elderly
people's homes to enable them to live independently. Unobtrusive
sensors monitor movement around the home and check whether a cooker
has been left on, for example. If no movement is detected at a time
when a person is usually active, the system can send a voice
message and alert a neighbour or relative if there is no
response.
Lincolnshire County Council and Ramesys have set up one of the
world's biggest schools networks, integrating 17,000 PCs serving
110,000 users across 520 sites. Teachers and students can access
information from school, home, libraries, youth clubs and
hospitals. Teachers can share lesson plans and children can access
teaching information and work together.
The finalists in the Business Achievement section of the awards
were announced last week.
The finalists will present to a judging panel on 15 September and
the winners will be announced on 19 October at the Park Lane Hilton
in London.
www.bcs.org/awards/professional
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