Recognizing partners that delivered exemplary solutions to customers, Microsoft Corp. has announced the winners and finalists of its 2008 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards. The awards honor Microsoft Registered, Microsoft Certified and Microsoft Gold Certified partners that delivered exemplary solutions for their customers during the past year.

Award winners and finalists were chosen from among nominations from around the world. Winners and finalists will be recognized at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2008, the company's premier annual event for industry partners, being held July 7-10 in Houston. More than 2,000 entries were submitted by partners worldwide.

The award finalists and winners were selected from a group of nominations based on their dedicated use of Microsoft technologies to provide solutions for their customers' needs.

"The Partner of the Year Awards recognize the incredible innovation and value that Microsoft partners are delivering to our customers," said Allison L. Watson, corporate vice president of the Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft. "The winners and finalists announced today have helped raise the standard for delivery of customer solutions and support. It is a privilege to recognize their work in designing and deploying exemplary customer solutions built on Microsoft technologies."

Categories, winners and finalists appear below. A complete list including category descriptions is available at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/wwpc/docs/POTY08FS.doc.

Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Active Directory Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Oxford Computer Group, United Kingdom 
• Finalist: NetPro Computing, United States 
• Finalist: Quest Software, United States

Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Exchange Migration and Deployment Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Compugen, Canada 
• Finalist: BrightPlanIT, United States 
• Finalist: Janalent, United States

Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Hosting Solutions Partner of the Year 

• Winner: groupSPARK, United States 
• Finalist: WebCentral, Australia 
• Finalist: 7global, United Kingdom

Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Storage Solutions Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Compellent Technologies, United States 
• Finalist: HP, United States 
• Finalist: NetApp, United States

Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Systems Management Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Dimension Data, Australia 
• Finalist: CDW, United States 
• Finalist: Getronics, United States

Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Windows Desktop Deployment Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Getronics, Netherlands 
• Finalist: Sogeti, France 
• Finalist: 1E, United Kingdom

Business Process and Integration Solutions Partner of the Year

• Winner: EMC, United States
• Finalist: Frends Technology, Finland 
• Finalist: Solidsoft, United Kingdom

Citizenship Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Citrix Systems, United States
• Finalist: Travi@ta, Belgium 
• Finalist: PointBridge, United States

Custom Development Solutions, Application Infrastructure Development Partner of the Year 

• Winner: imason, Canada
• Finalist: T-Systems Enterprise Services, Germany 
• Finalist: AVIcode, United States

Custom Development Solutions, Smart Client Development Partner of the Year 

• Winner: InterKnowlogy, United States 
• Finalist: Charteris, United Kingdom 
• Finalist: SourceCode -- K2.net Workflow, United States

Custom Development Solutions, Web Development Partner of the Year

• Winner: Vertigo Software, United States 
• Finalist: TI-M Monterrey, Mexico 
• Finalist: Infusion Development, United States

Data Management Solutions, Business Intelligence Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Information Management Group (IM Group) Ltd., United Kingdom 
• Finalist: evidanza, Germany
• Finalist: Satyam Computer Services, India

Data Management Solutions, Database Management Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Integrated Services, United States 
• Finalist: Orion Technology, Canada 
• Finalist: Idera (BBS Technologies), United States

Distribution Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Tech Data Brasil, Brazil 
• Finalist: Express Data, Australia 
• Finalist: Ingram Micro, United States

Enterprise Alliance Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Accenture and Avanade, United States 
• Finalist: EDS, United States 
• Finalist: HP, United States

Global ISV Consumer Partner of the Year Special Recognition Award 

• Winner: Sonic Solutions, United States 
• Finalist: Cewe Color, Germany 
• Finalist: Pinnacle Systems, United States

Global ISV Infrastructure Partner of the Year Special Recognition Award

• Winner: Citrix Systems, United States 
• Finalist: CA Inc., United States
• Finalist: Quest Software, United States

Global ISV Line of Business Partner of the Year Special Recognition Award 

• Winner: Fiserv Inc., United States 
• Finalist: Epicor Software Corp., United States 
• Finalist: Open Text, Canada

Global ISV Technology Innovation Partner of the Year Special Recognition Award 

• Winner: Dassault Systemes, France 
• Finalist: Epicor Software Corp., United States 
• Finalist: Pitney Bowes Inc., United States

Information Worker Solutions, Data Visualization Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Idea Integration, United States 
• Finalist: Sogeti USA, United States 
• Finalist: Visimation, United States

Information Worker Solutions, Enterprise Content Management and Forms Partner of the Year

• Winner: LegendCorp, Canada 
• Finalist: Dataract, Australia 
• Finalist: Concept Interactive, Canada

Information Worker Solutions, Enterprise Project Management Partner of the Year 

• Winner: EPM Live, United States 
• Finalist: AccTech Systems, South Africa 
• Finalist: LMR Solutions, United States

Information Worker Solutions, Office Deployment Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Dimension Data, Australia 
• Finalist: Atos Origin, Netherlands 
• Finalist: Citrix Systems, United States

Information Worker Solutions, Office Solutions Development Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Goodsen Technology, South Korea 
• Finalist: Fujitsu Consulting, Canada & Navantis, Canada 
• Finalist: Triomis, Germany

Information Worker Solutions, Performance Management Partner of the Year

• Winner: Mariner, United States 
• Finalist: TGO Consulting, Canada 
• Finalist: Information Systems Partners, South Africa

Information Worker Solutions, Portals and Collaboration Partner of the Year

• Winner: Ascentium, United States 
• Finalist: Datatel, United States 
• Finalist: IMPACT Management, United States

Information Worker Solutions, Search Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Tam Tam, Netherlands 
• Finalist: Beyond IT, Argentina
• Finalist: Getronics (Australia), Australia

Information Worker Solutions, Unified Communications Partner of the Year 

• Winner: MTS Allstream, Canada 
• Finalist: Ensyst, Australia 
• Finalist: Siemens IT Solutions and Services International, United States

ISV/Software Solutions Partner of the Year 

• Winner: ICONICS, United States 
• Finalist: Integrated Solutions, Hong Kong 
• Finalist: Mimosa Systems, United States

ISV/Software Solutions, Innovation Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Verdiem Corp., United States
• Finalist: ImageTag, United States 
• Finalist: NewsGator Technologies, United States

Learning Solutions Partner of the Year 

• Winner: iSolve Business Solutions, South Africa 
• Finalist: Koenig Solutions, India
• Finalist: QuickStart Intelligence (Irvine), United States

Licensing Solutions, License Delivery Partner of the Year

• Winner: Bytes Technology Group, United Kingdom 
• Finalist: DAQUAS, Czech Republic 
• Finalist: Softcat, United Kingdom

Licensing Solutions, Software Asset Management Partner of the Year 

• Winner: DATALOG Software, Germany 
• Finalist: Specialist Computer Centres, United Kingdom 
• Finalist: Dell, United States

Microsoft Dynamics AX Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Fullscope, United States 
• Finalist: XAPT Hungary, Hungary 
• Finalist: Hitachi Consulting, United States

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner of the Year 

• Winner: i5, South Africa 
• Finalist: Ascentium, United States 
• Finalist: Sonoma Partners, United States

Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner of the Year 

• Winner: InterDyn -- Socius, United States 
• Finalist: BDO Dunwoody, Canada 
• Finalist: Touchstone Group, United Kingdom

Microsoft Dynamics NAV Partner of the Year

• Winner: Eclipse Computing Australia, Australia 
• Finalist: Tectura, Germany 
• Finalist: Tegos, Germany

Microsoft Dynamics Point of Sale Solutions Partner of the Year

• Winner: Elypsis, United States
• Finalist: Davidson-Richards, United Kingdom 
• Finalist: POSitive Technology, United States

Microsoft Dynamics SL Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Synergy Business Solutions, United States 
• Finalist: Strategic Information Solutions, United States 
• Finalist: Tribridge, United States

Mobility Solutions Partner of the Year 

• Winner: CDC, Russia 
• Finalist: Tibco Mobile, France 
• Finalist: Trust Digital, United States

Networking Infrastructure Solutions Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Quadrasystems.net, India 
• Finalist: IT Matters, Canada 
• Finalist: LPI Level Platforms, Canada

OEM Hardware Solutions, Device Manufacturing Partner of the Year

• Winner: Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Germany 
• Finalist: GN Netcom, United States
• Finalist: Quintum Technologies, United States

OEM Hardware Solutions, System Building Partner of the Year

• Winner: Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Germany
• Finalist: THIRD WAVE, Japan
• Finalist: UNIT.COM, Japan

Security Solutions, Identity and Secure Access Partner of the Year

• Winner: Omada, Denmark
• Finalist: Oxford Computer Group, United Kingdom
• Finalist: Certified Security Solutions, United States

Security Solutions, Infrastructure Security Partner of the Year

• Winner: Eurodata Systems, United Kingdom
• Finalist: Sentry Metrics, Canada
• Finalist: Quadrasystems.net, India

Small Business Specialist Partner of the Year

• Winner: Quadrasystems.net, India
• Finalist: ITnorth.ca Network & Consulting Service, Canada
• Finalist: Kinetics Group Ltd., New Zealand

International Association of Microsoft Certified Partners Partner of the Year

• Winner: Tech Data Brasil, Brazil

About the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference

The Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference provides Microsoft's partner community with access to key marketing and business strategies, leadership and information regarding specific customer solutions designed to help partners succeed in the marketplace.

Along with informative learning opportunities covering sales, marketing, services and technology, the Worldwide Partner Conference is an ideal setting for partners to garner valuable knowledge from their peers and from Microsoft. More information can be found on the Partner Program home page at https://partner.microsoft.com.