Allied Technology (Altech) was the overall winner in the MTN/Business Day Technology Top 100 announced in Midrand last night. The company also scooped the President`s Award and the Tech Top 100 award in the holding and management companies category.
The gaggle of awards included a section for small companies for the first time this year with the introduction of an SME award for technology and export excellence. Parsec Holdings, a Pretoria-based electronics and telecommunications company, won the inaugural award.
Other IT companies awarded include Azisa, a Microsoft partner which received the President`s Award in the IT category; card company Net1 Applied Technology, which won the Top 100 award in the category; and Laser Measurement, which won the SME export award in the IT category.
Finalists in the category included Cointel VAS, SA Microelectronic Systems and UEC Technologies.
Many of these companies have been recognised in previous years` awards. Azisa won an award in 2000, UEC scooped five awards in 1999 and others had previously been finalists.
The awards are aimed at recognising technology innovation in fields ranging from agriculture to research, and are supported by the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology as well as the presidency.
It also forms part of a drive to have South African innovation recognised internationally.
"Your achievements have once again confirmed our belief that as a nation we can hold our heads up high," arts, culture, science and technology minister Ben Ngubane told the winners last night. "Our technological prowess stunned even some of our harshest critics."
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