The deadline to enter Technology Top 100 (TT100), the business excellence awards programme organised and hosted by Da Vinci Enterprises, is 15 July.
Over 300 South African companies are expected to take part in the technology showcase, which has a 15-year history.
The awards are a platform for local businesses to exhibit their technological innovations and technology applications that make their operations more competitive, says Stephan Lamprecht, GM of TT100.
The TT100 seeks to recognise organisations that are developing new technology or using existing technology in innovative ways. This includes organisations in non-technology sectors, such as banking, retail, consulting or services that use technology to achieve a competitive-edge.
Lamprecht says TT100 serves to dispel the widespread myth that the best technology is sourced from other countries and acts as a yardstick to measure the level of technological advancement in SA.
He points out that local companies have enjoyed great success in the international technology arena, with petrochemicals giant Sasol leading the way with almost 400 international patent applications, followed by groups like power utility Eskom and defence group Denel.
"We would like to see the programme develop credibility and relevance, similar to the Fortune 500 in the US."
Usually, Lamprecht says, 55% to 65% of entries received are from ICT companies, which have been an important component of the TT100 awards in the past, as much real innovation is seen around hardware and software solutions in SA, tailored to the requirements of the country`s business sector.
The awards process recognises two separate categories, namely corporates and small and medium enterprises, offering bigger organisations an opportunity to showcase their business and social responsibility achievements, providing a means of communicating new technology and innovations to their customers.
For the first time since its inception, the TT100 awards programme aims to present tangible prizes as part of the awards process, says Lamprecht. "We are talking to patent and trademark law firms to perhaps offer winning emerging businesses free patent advice and patent filing as prizes."
To enter the TT100 awards programme, companies need to develop technology or radically use it to gain a competitive-edge. "This is not about gadgets, but the business of technology. We want to understand how people use technology, how they manage technology to an exemplary level."
The category winners and final 100 corporates will be announced at a function in November.
Entries can be made online at www.tt100.co.za.
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