WIC’07 categories

Select one of the following categories that apply. Companies may submit in more than one category, however a solution can only be submitted once.

Taking Care of Business Enterprise

• Public Sector: a solution that innovates  processes or models, improves productivity and/or saves money in the public service (utilities, education, public transportation, health, government, fire or police services).
  
  2006 winner: Elster Electricity, LLC
  
  
• Private Sector: a solution that innovates  processes or models, improves productivity or facilitates commerce in the private sector.   For example, an application or product that increases or improves efficiency, personnel systems, reliability, service delivery to customers, smooth transactions, reduces user error, or minimizes transaction costs, etc.
  
  2006 winner: Gearworks, Inc.

Taking Care of Yourself

• Home & Entertainment Convergence: a multimedia converged solution that entertains or facilitates ease and adds to quality of life in the home.  It offers and leverages multiple capabilities from a single device whether it is information or entertainment content (ie. gaming, music streaming and downloading, photo-sharing, email, internet access, instant messaging, text messages, video clips)
  
  2006 winner: Digital Chocolate

• Sports & Recreation: a solution that showcases wireless in a sport, recreation, fitness or wellness setting for personal recreation.  Last year’s winner secured the votes of the judges offering a wearable performance and vital signs monitoring appliance that leveraged the intelligence of the exerciser’s cell phone or PDA.
  
  2006 winner: MedicTouch

Taking Care of the Community

• Community & Citizenship: a solution that helps to  raise the bar for those less advantaged (disabled, elderly, illiteracy, immigrants, non-profits).  2006’s winner one-of-a-kind- Voter Registration Module enables citizens to request voter forms and instructions with the ease of their mobile phones.
  
  2006 winner: Mobile Voter

Student

• Students submit in any category but are judged against other student entries.
  
  2006 winner: mobSKY

Enter WIC’07 by 9:00 am January 29, 2007 and prove your company is driving innovation and excellence in wireless in North America.

Three finalists will be selected in each of the six categories.  Winners will be announced “live” at CTIA in Orlando in March 2007.

>ENTRY STAGE ONE

All entries will be judged on the following criteria;

Clarity and Conciseness

In 100 words or less, describe the problem your product or solution solves or how it meets customer needs and demands and the technology deployed. This is your elevator pitch. Make it specific, brief and to the point. Judges will evaluate your entry based on the clarity of your description.

e.g  Our Bluetooth networking solution allowed our financial services client to collect real time field data from multiple locations across North America.  The speed of data aggregation was increased by 30%, errors were reduced by 47% and 130 hrs per month were saved.

Compelling

In 250 words or less, describe why someone would be compelled to purchase or use your product or solution, what are the benefits to the costumer. (i.e. efficiency, effectiveness, ROI). Judging will be based on strength of description.

We suggest you include:

• Economic business case
• Demand (Market size)
• Description and state of the problem/solution, include size and urgency
• Impact and results achieved

Credibility

In 250 words or less, describe the viability of your company and solution. Judges will evaluate the entry based on the strength of your description.

We suggest you include:

• Brief company history (years in business, number of employees, annual revenue)
• Intellectual property
• Pilot projects and products deployed. Please include a 50 word customer testimonial where applicable.
• Key Partners- include service providers, investors and carriers or other technology partners who are crucial to your success

Entry deadline Stage One January 29th 9:00 am.

>ENTRY STAGE TWO

A review of Stage One entries will be completed by our judging panel of industry experts following the January 29th, 2007 deadline. Entries selected to move on to Stage Two of the contest will be contacted by WIC organizers. Company/product profiles will be required along with more detailed case study information and a working demonstration by February 5th, 2007. Contest Organizers will use customer profile information and references to validate claims of application impact.