Innovation happens all the time. So much so that we sometimes overlook the significance of recent technological advances. Ten years ago, we marveled at the possibilities of the Internet, instant messaging and camera phones. Now, those innovations have become commonplace. While we accept such advancements without hesitation, we should nonetheless take time to honor those individuals and institutions that bring them to the world.
The Computerworld Honors Program aims to do just that. It recognizes the men, women, companies and institutions that drive the IT revolution and records their positive impact on society.
"It"s a chance to honor the folks who are doing terrific things for the advancement of society. Some of their achievements are absolutely remarkable," says Computerworld President and CEO Bob Carrigan.
The Chairmen"s Committee, made up of CEOs and chairmen from the world"s leading IT companies, in April announced this year"s 160 laureates. Selected from more than 300 nominations, they come from leading corporations, schools, nonprofit organizations and government agencies.
A panel of judges consisting of leaders in corporate, government, academic and other organizations next chose 50 finalists in 10 categories: business and related services; education and academia; environment, energy and agriculture; finance, insurance and real estate; government and nonprofit organizations; manufacturing; media, arts and entertainment; medicine; science; and transportation. Those finalists will attend tonight"s awards gala in Washington, where the 10 winners from around the world, one in each category, will be announced.
"We really know we are going to represent best of class on a world basis," says Patrick McGovern, chairman and founder of IDG, Computerworld"s parent company.
McGovern says he established the Honors Program in 1988 to counter the negative reports about technology that dominated the general media.
"We felt how unfair it was for society to hear those stories when so many were doing innovative things," he says.
The Honors Program seeks to record that history by preserving case studies, oral histories, conference proceedings, publications, videotapes and other recordings related to the recognized innovations. These documents -- available both online and through donations to affiliated universities, libraries and research institutions around the world -- serve as rich resources for scholars and other interested individuals.
The program has grown significantly in the past 18 years, and the list of laureates is nothing short of extraordinary. Consider these diverse examples: The Egyptian Ministry of IT and Communications was named a laureate in 2004 in the government category for its work with a single, unified e-government portal that allows citizens and potential investors to directly access the services they need.
The Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Fla., was a laureate in 1998 in the medicine category for its comprehensive Web site that acts as a community health care resource. And the Non-toxic and Bio-Integral Resource Center in Berkeley, Calif., was a laureate in 1992 in the science category for its unique databases detailing nontoxic and least-toxic alternatives to certain pesticides.
As for the negative reports about technology, McGovern sees them increasingly being supplanted by stories about how IT improves our lives in countless ways. "The incidents of the bad news stories have seemed to disappear," he says. "Now you see a lot of coverage about applications that are beneficial to the company and the quality of life for people."