Technology Awards

The Governor's Award for Technology Company of the Year: Kepware Technologies, Inc.

Kepware, which released a new core platform in May, has become the industry standard supplier of connectivity software to all major Automation vendors in the US, and many in the world.

Collaboration Studios, LLC. (finalist)
Collaboration Studios' new business-to-business communications system, CS, allows business partners to store/share sensitive information and collaborate with their colleagues anywhere in the world.

Tyler Technologies, Inc. (finalist)
Tyler Technologies is now the largest company solely focused on providing software and services to the state and local government market. Tyler products are used by over 7,000 clients in the U.S., Canada, the UK,  U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

Gazelle Company of the Year: FetchDog

FetchDog, a Portland-based company dedicated to serving the comprehensive needs of passionate dog owners, recently closed a $4 million round of funding to improve its infrastructure, develop new content and initiatives and expand its executive team.

Kepware Technologies, Inc. (finalist)
Since 2000, Kepware has grown from startup to profitability and has seen a 35% annual five-year compounded growth rate. Kepware employs 45 people in Portland, and focuses on hiring Maine people.

Tilson Technology Management (finalist)
Tilson Technology Management had a banner year in 2008, growing their workforce from six to sixteen. Their creative entrepreneurship has taken the Tilson family of companies from $1M in 2007 to $1.7M in 2008.

CxO of the Year: Joshua Broder (Tilson Technology Management)

In three short years, Josh has progressed from Consultant to General Manager to his current position as President of Tilson Technology Management. Josh works hard to foster growth and personal development with his employees.

Martin Grimnes (Harbor Technologies, LLC) (finalist)
Martin works tirelessly to promote the composites industry. Under his leadership, Harbor Technologies was granted exclusive manufacturing rights to a newly developed hybrid composite bridge beam written up in Popular Science Magazine in 2008.

Brian Rahill (RainStorm Consulting) (finalist)
Brian has led RainStorm Consulting into the most exciting period of the company’s history: heading into their third consecutive year of record profits, hiring new staff and making investments in the company that will drive its long-term success.

New Technology of the Year: CrossRate Technology, LLC

(for the eLGPS 1110 GPS/eLoran receiver)
CrossRate has developed an integrated GPS/eLoran receiver which dramatically improves the reliability and capabilities of current GPS systems, making it the most reliable marine navigation receiver on the market.

mCaddie, Inc. (for the AccelGolf site) (finalist)
Bult by a young team of developers based in Portland, Maine, mCaddie’s AccelGolf, a social network wrapped around an intuitive GPS-based scorecard, is poised to become the premier golf destination on the Internet.

SolarSite1 (for the SolarSite1 "green" web hosting service) (finalist)
SolarSite1 brings true green, solar-powered web hosting to Maine, employing a 100% solar-powered datacenter which directly eliminates the production of Carbon Dioxide (CO2/GHG), Nitrogen Oxide (NOX/Smog), and Sulfate.

Technology Innovator of the Year: Carl Spang

Falcon Performance Footwear. Carl believes that technology can revive traditional business sectors, and create new sectors and new manufacturing jobs. He has turned this belief into action at Falcon, merging new technologies with traditional products.

Rich Brooks (flyte new media) (finalist)
Rich is a champion of social networking, and personifies the daring, relentless energy and generosity required to bring disparate people together and show them that they are already united in a common cause.

Tony Paine (Kepware Technologies, Inc.) (finalist)
Tony Paine, Executive VP/CTO and co-owner of Kepware Technologies, has guided the company to a position of industry leadership through diligent and creative engineering, rational and strong management leadership, and hard work.

Best of the Web Awards

Corporate Image: www.energycircle.com

Designed by Integra Strategic / Puelle Design / Joe Myers. The Energy Circle site targets the residential energy efficiency market in the US and Canada with a refreshing brand that resonates with financially conscious and green consumers.

www.ebc.com (designed by Pemaquid Communications, LLC) (finalist)
The Eastern Book Company site, with its stunning visual appeal and user-friendly ordering system, provides books and other materials and services to thousands of libraries worldwide. 

mainemeadworks.com (designed by Jamie Peloquin Design) (finalist)
The official site of HoneyMaker™ mead, a truly unique wine, hand-crafted from the finest Maine wildflower honey, the Maine Mead Works site honors the honeybee and the environmental harmony it brings.

Arts & Entertainment: balldontliethemovie.com

Designed by KG Partners / Tilson Technology Management. The website for the A-list movie from the LA arts scene, Ball Don’t Lie is a state-of-the-art web site created and produced in Maine through a happy marriage of creative design and high technology.

www.bluezberryjam.com (designed by Pemaquid Communications) (finalist)
In addition to a great look that embodies the fun-loving attitude of a local blues band, the Bluezberry Jam site incorporates connections to social networks and serves as a virtual media kit to promote the group's upcoming album release.

www.wabi.tv (designed by Sephone Internet Solutions) (finalist)
The new WABI.tv website allows local tv to compete on the web with the large networks. The attractive interface offers interactive services to accept viewer-provided content.

Non-Profit: www.maineadulted.org

Designed by RainStorm Consulting. At MaineAdultEd.org, people can search more than 3,000 state-wide adult education courses and register and pay for courses online. The site, a new model for inter-connected educational websites, has increased revenue, enrollment, and visibility.

www.dempseychallenge.org (designed by Sephone Internet Solutions) (finalist)
This site is instrumental in bringing attention to the Patrick Dempsey Center for Hope and Healing, their cause, and their desire to raise funds through an event in Central Maine.

www.mainemerchants.org (designed by Pemaquid Communications) (finalist)
The Maine Merchants Association is the voice of Maine's retailers. The organization's website features a unique, searchable Legislative Affairs section allowing easy access to the status of pending legislation.

E-Commerce: www.energycircle.com

Designed by Integra Strategic / Puelle Design / Joe Myers. A comprehensive content/ecommerce site for the residential energy efficiency market, Energy Circle offers articles, video and blogs to drive organic traffic, while providing credibility and buying confidence.

giftcard.brinker.com/chilis (designed by Oak Leaf Systems) (finalist)
With a major redesign in the Summer/Fall of 2008, this restaurant gift card site enhances customer experience and achieves PCI DSS compliance, while offering a streamlined ordering process and custom gift card design tools.

www.themainemarketplace.com (designed by Sephone Internet Solutions) (finalist)
TheMaineMarketPlace.com offers the people of Maine an easy-to-use Classified Ads service, which can be used as a primary site or as an additional site to post ads. The service is promoted on WABI-TV as well as their website.

Special thanks to our Masters of Ceremony:

The Maine Hysterical Society, variety artists, actors, musicians and Downeast humorists Randy Judkins, Barney Martin and Steve Underwood, for adding a lot of fun to the Awards Ceremony.