Tuesday, July 28, 2009

IGLOO Recognized as One of Canada's Leading Web 2.0 Pioneers



July 28, 2009 Kitchener ON - IGLOO Software (www.igloosoftware.com), a leading provider of online community and social software solutions for organizations of any size has placed in Backbone Magazine's Top 20 Web 2.0 PICK 20 for 2009. IGLOO's marketplace community, the Manufacturing Innovation Network or MIN (www. waterloomin.com) was featured as a solution that demonstrates innovation and carries the potential to change the way we use the Internet.

The Waterloo Region Manufacturing Innovation Network (MIN) is an innovative online community that connects over 1,000 manufacturers in the Waterloo Region. The goal of the community is to create a more responsive and globally competitive manufacturing community through improved networking, collaboration and knowledge sharing. The MIN community offers its members free access to three key online services:
• Marketplace - Job Board, Career Center, Company and Service Provider Directories, Classified Ads, Advertising, Sponsorship Program, Event Calendar
• Professional Network - Personal Profiles, Member Directory, Peer-to-Peer Messaging, Contacts
• Knowledge Exchange - Resource Centre, Expert Blogger Program, Peer Groups, Best Practices, Whitepapers, News, Educational Videos

The second annual PICK 20 roundup of Canada's leading Web 2.0 pioneers was created by Backbone Magazine (www.backbonemag.com) and KPMG and is the only national ranking of its kind. To compile the top 20, they assembled a "crack panel" of judges and asked them, along with the public, to nominate worthy companies or projects. This year, Backbone received more than twice as many nominations as they did last year, generating an even broader picture of Web 2.0 in Canada. Backbone Magazine defines Web 2.0 as "the use of online social platforms to link individuals to each other and, increasingly, to connect companies to partners and clients." According to the magazine, the defining moment of Web 2.0 occurs when "talk goes from a monologue to a dialogue, when everyone gets a say and when those voices can actually change opinions, company policy, government decisions and so on."

What the judges said: Geist said the site does a "nice job of mixing Web 2.0 with area economic promotion" and O'Connor Clarke said this is "exactly the kind of thing the read-write Web should be fostering more of. This is a terrific use of Web 2.0 tools." Napier commented that Igloo, the company behind the site, "boasts experienced technology leaders that it can leverage to grow its visibility both in North America and abroad. Still, there are an increasing number of companies offering corporate social networks in the market that will make it difficult for vendors like Igloo to stand out from the crowd. Igloo's pricing allows it to differentiate itself as an affordable solution, which will be particularly important."

Earlier this year, in April, IGLOO was recognized as one of Backbone Magazine's Top 25 Up and Comers in the Branham300 and also placed in the "The Next 50," a listing introduced by the Branham Group in 2008 that recognizes the next tier of innovative talent in Canada's ICT industry.

Nominees for the Web 2.0 PICK 20 were judged according to five criteria: ROI, competitive advantage, ongoing value, execution and innovation.


Judges and the full article can be accessed here: http://www.backbonemag.com/Web2/PICK20_Winners_2009.asp

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