UK IT Industry Awards: Success breeds success at MSM

One of the aims of the UK IT Industry Awards is to showcase how new technology can have a beneficial impact on society, and that was certainly the case with the winner of last year’s Environmental Project of the Year category, MSM Software.

Software development company MSM Software helped Devon County Council solve a serious car park overcrowding problem by implementing its own management system.

This not only relieved pressure on limited resources, but enabled the council to achieve its environmental objectives, while also setting a standard for other employers in the area.

“The car park management system for Devon really helped the council to reduce its energy consumption, shrink its carbon footprint, and generate positive change,” says Luke Lang, marketing consultant at MSM Software.

“The council was really pleased with the results, and it has made a measurable difference to them in achieving their green targets,” he adds.

“One example of it having a wider impact outside the car park is that it has also helped to generate revenue for local park and ride schemes.”

MSM Software had full confidence in their entry for the awards, and the team was looking forward to hearing the result on the evening.

“We were pretty confident to be honest. We entered into three categories in total and we felt that our submissions were really strong,” says Lang.

“They demonstrated innovative thinking and highlighted we had more than achieved what our clients were looking for,” he adds.

“When our name was called out we were absolutely thrilled. We really were over the moon. It was the first time we had entered, and it wasn’t a disappointment”.

Lang feels that winning an award can have an enormous impact on an IT department, and can bring substantial recognition to the company.

“From a team point of view it’s brilliant. This is particularly true for IT where people are often forgotten about,” he says.

“It was great to put those involved in the project forward, let them go to the awards, and be part of a fantastic experience.

“We have also used it extensively in our marketing, where we can now brand ourselves as ‘Award-winning software’. This has huge benefits.”

Lang believes that the awards act as a “trusted source of information for the industry” and winning at the event can give you “extra kudos and credibility”.

He also argues that the UK IT Industry Awards give those working in the field an opportunity to highlight the innovative and exciting developments going on in companies around the country.

“This is a well-established event, and it’s great that it recognises the efforts of the companies that operate in the IT sector,” says Lang.

“It gives IT departments a real platform to shout about the fantastic work that is being done out there, and we should be championing our skills and expertise,” he adds. “We should be leading the world in IT and the awards are a great soap box for doing that.”

If you want your team to get the recognition it deserves, start working on your entry for this year’s competition now.

The closing date for the UK IT Industry Awards 2011 is rapidly approaching. The deadline for entries is 5pm on Friday 15 July.

The UK IT Industry Awards are the benchmark for excellence throughout the computer industry, and it is a fantastic showcase for those working in IT.

The awards celebrate the contribution of individuals, projects, organisations and technologies that have excelled in the use, development and deployment of IT in the past 12 months. The winners will be announced at a lavish prize-giving ceremony, to be held at the Battersea Park Arena in London on Thursday 10 November 2011.

For a full run-down of this year’s award categories, with details on how to enter, simply go to www.ukitindustryawards.co.uk.