NEW YORK, January 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Final Winners Announced in International Cloud Computing Awards

The 2012 winners for the annual Cloud Awards Program have been announced today.

Cloud computing is a field of IT and computer systems where services are typically offered remotely as a service, as opposed to within the organization's own firewall. Judged among almost 200 entries, the final winners represent "the best of the best in their fields."

The annual cloud computing awards program, open internationally across the US and EMEA regions, recognizes and celebrates industry leaders and pioneers in the field of cloud computing. Categories include B2B Customer Strategy, Best Cloud Infrastructure, Data Innovation of the Year, Developer of the Year, Most Promising Start-Up, Best Platform as a Service, Security Innovation, Best Software as a Service and Web Services Excellence.

Cloud Awards organizer Larry Johnson said: "Almost 200 organizations entered the program, which is among the first of its kind. We were swamped by entries, and the standard was remarkably high. Judging the submissions was a challenging task. But we're happy to endorse all of the winners as among the best of the best in their respective fields.

"We're seeing a happy situation where business leaders are increasingly looking to see how the cloud can help them. We know what the benefits are - lowered cost of acquisition, more responsive service updates, and tools that can work anywhere, on any device.

"As we move through 2012 and into 2013, we're going to see an increasing number or organizations leveraging cloud technologies to make their operations work harder and smarter, and our job is to ensure the innovatorswho make it all possible get the recognition they deserve.

"This first awards program is just the beginning. We know the world is full of exciting startups and established businesses alike who are discovering new ways to use the cloud. We're only going to see more of them. My prediction for 2012 is that people will stop seeing the cloud as exotic or optional and start integrating cloud technologies at every level in their operational infrastructure."

The full list of winners can be viewed at http://www.cloud-awards.com/2012-shortlist.

The Cloud Awards (http://www.cloud-awards.com/) will re-open this fallwith a fresh program seeking upcoming players in the field of cloud computing for 2013.

2012 awards winners

B2B Customer strategy
Broadview Networks

Cloud infrastructure
StrikeIron

Data innovation of the year
Birst

Developer of the year
Igor Sysoev, NGINX

Most promising start-up
Zerto

Platform as a service
Mulesoft

Security innovation
Gemalto

Software as a service
Callidus Software

Web services excellence
SkyDox

Cloud Computing Company of the Year 2012
StrikeIron

Notes for editors

About the Cloud Awards

The Cloud Awards is a premier international cloud computing awards program which recognizes and honours industry leaders, innovators and organizational transformation in the field of cloud computing. The inaugural awards, launched in June 2011, opened to large, small, established and start-up organizations, to find and celebrate the pioneers that will shape the future of the industry as we move into 2012 and beyond. Finalists were selected by a panel of international industry experts. For more information about the Cloud Awards please visit http://www.cloud-awards.com/.

Contact details

http://www.cloud-awards.com

larry@cloud-awards.com

SOURCE The Cloud Awards