ucsd connect's 1998 most innovative new products awards winners announced
December 18, 1998
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)More than 900
people gathered to celebrate technology
and innovation at the 1998 Most
Innovative New Products Awards, held
today at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla.
Awards were presented in seven
categories.
A special award, the Gray Cary Ware &
Freidenrich Award for Technology
Innovation, was presented to CONNECT
Director, William Otterson.
This annual award recognizes those
individuals in the San Diego region whom,
through their business activities and
community involvement, have
encouraged innovation and diversity of
thought, thereby increasing the chances
of success for San Diego entrepreneurs.
"There is no other program quite like the
Most Innovative New Products Awards,"
said Paul Kreutz, senior partner at Gray
Cary Ware & Freidenrich. "Gray Cary
Ware & Freidenrich couldn't think of a
better way to recognize the importance
of technology to the San Diego region,"
said Kreutz in reference to his firm's
major sponsorship of the event. "We are
also pleased that we were able to
personally salute the driving force behind
CONNECT -- Bill Otterson."
In honor of the award, $10,000 was
donated to The Preuss School at UCSD.
The Preuss School is UCSD's charter
school, scheduled to open in fall of 1999.
Almost as surprised, and every bit as
happy as Otterson, were this year's
winners in the seven categories.
In the Entertainment & Leisure category
the winner was Select Tee Times for
Select Tee Times.com. Select Tee
Times.com is golf course reservation
network where golfers can secure a
preferred tee time via the Internet 24
hours a day, in under 60 seconds -- for
free with no membership, broker or
transaction fees. At
www.selectteetimes.com you can view
the best golf courses in San Diego and
Ensenada, Mexico.
In the General Business category the
winner was NEXTEC Applications, Inc. for
Nextec(R) Fabric. NEXTEC Applications'
patented process encapsulates individual
fibers and places a durable barrier film
between fiber bundles. Applications
include reusable medical protective
fabrics, making them more comfortable,
lighter weight, fluid proof, and fluid
repellant; and traditional outerwear
fabrics, making them more lightweight,
packable, breathable, and windproof with
excellent water properties and fast dry
time.
In the High Tech Electronics category
the winner was Maxwell Technologies for
the PowerCache Ultracapacitor. The
PowerCache Ultracapacitor stores power
for everything from automobiles to
consumer electronics products. Its
ability to provide power on demand
extends battery life by up to four times
for many consumer products. By
providing "turbocharging" power to
automobiles and mass transit busses,
the ultracapacitor can reduce harmful
exhaust gases by up to 60 percent.
In the Internet category the winner was
ATCOM/INFO for IPORT Server Software.
IPORT Internet Access System v2.5
provides high-speed Internet access for
public places, including hotels, office
buildings, apartments, retail locations
and airports. By simply plugging into an
IPORT jack and launching their browser,
users can surf the Internet, check
e-mail, access corporate networks or
view premium Web content and services.
For the first time ever there were two
winners in a category. In the Life
Sciences category both Biosite
Diagnostics Inc. and IDEC
Pharmaceuticals were honored as
winners. Biosite Diagnostics was
recognized for their Triage (R) Cardiac
System. The Triage(R) Cardiac System is
a point-of-care assay used to aid in the
diagnosis of myocardial infarction. The
system enables the simultaneous
quantification in 15 minutes of CKMB,
troponin I and myoglobin in blood. The
assay is performed simply by adding
blood to a disposable device and
inserting the device into a hand-held
portable instrument.
IDEC Pharmaceuticals Inc. was
recognized for Rituxan(R). Rituxan(R) is a
targeted monoclonal antibody engineered
for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma. Using the patient's own
immune system, Rituxan(R) provides a
response rate equivalent to
chemotherapy with none of the side
effects. Although not yet a cure,
Rituxan(R) offers patients hope and
improved quality of life while fighting the
disease.
The winner in the Software category
was Orincon Technologies inc. for the
Aircraft Classification and Tracking
System (ACATS). The Aircraft
Classification and Tracking System is a
cost-effective system that detects,
classifies and tracks aircraft and ground
vehicles on airport surfaces at night and
during periods of reduced visibility. The
system consists of distributed inductive
loop sensors imbedded in the runways
and taxiways that communicate with
detection and classification electronic
devices, IVS 2000s.
In the Telecommunications category the
winner was USA Talks.com Inc. for their
Internet Telephony Long Distance
Service. USA Talks.com's Internet long
distance telephone-to-telephone service
combines its proprietary technologies in
audio compression, phonetic speech
recognition, and voice
verification/identification, creating an "all
you can talk" flat rate per month,
customer-friendly, "toll-quality" Internet
long-distance telephone service.
The company's long distance service
provides its customers with a new low
cost alternative to traditional
costs-per-minute phone services.
"The quality and the quantity, of
companies participating in this program
just continues to grow," said Otterson.
"San Diego has one of the most diverse
technology communities in the country.
Once a year we at CONNECT truly
celebrate that success."
UCSD CONNECT's 1998 Most Innovative
New Products Awards Winners
Entertainment & Leisure: Select Tee
Times for Select Tee Times.com
Contact: Eric P. Campbell, 619/638-4555
phone, 619/638-4556 fax General
Business: Nextec Applications Inc. for
Nextec(R) Fabrics Contact: Peter Ellman
760/438-5533 phone, 760/438-5818 fax
High-Tech Electronics: Maxwell
Technologies for the PowerCache
Ultracapacitor Contact: Elizabeth Downs
619/576-7552 phone, 619/576-7672 fax
Internet: ATCOM/INFO for IPORT Server
Software Contact: Neil Senturia
619/699-4000 phone, 619/699-4040 fax
Life Sciences: Biosite Diagnostics for the
Triage(R) Cardiac System Contact:
Kenneth Buechler, Ph. D. 619/455-4808
phone, 619/452-8613 fax IDEC
Pharmaceuticals for Rituxan(R) Contact:
Steven Kelly 619/458-8805 phone,
619/458-8888 fax Software: Orincon
Technologies Inc. for the Aircraft
Classification and Tracking System
(ACATS) Contact: Michael Chaffin
619/455-5025 ext. 270 phone,
619/455-5026 fax Telecommunications:
USA Talks.com Inc. for Internet
Telephony Long Distance Service
Contact: Peggy Linear 619/260-0974
phone, 619/260-0975 fax -0-
<<Business Wire, 12-17-98, 15:39
Eastern>>
CONTACT: Media Contact | Andrea
Moser, 619/534-0677
[Copyright 1998, Business Wire]
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