IBM today announced the winners of the 2010 IBM Rational Business Partner Awards at the IBM INNOVATE 2010 Conference. These awards recognize IBM Business Partners that have helped clients drive greater value from their investments in software and improve software delivery. Winners were selected in five award categories spanning the IBM Rational software portfolio.

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The IBM Rational Business Partner community continues to grow in numbers, skills and expertise. More than 1,000 business partners worldwide re-sold and fulfilled IBM Rational software products last year, providing customer solutions both large and small with more than 2,500 technical certifications. At the same time, 90 independent software vendors (ISVs) have delivered more than 150 integrations of their products with the IBM Rational portfolio of offerings through the Ready for IBM Rational validation program. In addition, IBM Rational Ensemble, a unique community of IBM Rational business partners with extensive certifications and skills dedicated to IBM's Jazz technology, has grown to encompass some 1,500 individual members worldwide, covering 90 countries.

With the rapid expansion of the IBM Rational Business Partner community, IBM is rewarding and highlighting excellence in partner solutions, which enable clients to drive greater value from their investments in software and improve software delivery. The award winners have proven that they demonstrate a deep technology and industry expertise with IBM Rational software and are delivering exceptional solutions that solve real business problems.

Selected from several hundred eligible business partners, winners will be honored during the IBM INNOVATE 2010 Conference keynote session on Wednesday, June 9. The 2010 IBM Rational Business Partner Award winners by category are:

2010 Rational Innovator of the Year: Ascendant Technology

The Innovator of the Year Award represents the top award for IBM Rational partners demonstrating their all-around excellence in sales and marketing capabilities as well as their commitment to the depth and breadth of the IBM Rational portfolio. Ascendant Technology, a Premier IBM Business Partner, helps organizations large and small achieve the flexibility, innovation and responsiveness businesses demand from technology investments. Ascendant's IBM specialization and asset-based consulting model provides a comprehensive set of capabilities and technical expertise across the IBM Rational, Lotus, WebSphere, Tivoli and Information Management software brands.

Black Diamond and ARS Computing and Consulting GmbH were finalists in the Innovator of the Year category.

2010 Rational Beacon Award: Sogeti Group

The Rational Beacon Award recognizes outstanding software delivery in product and service Innovation with Rational. Sogeti, a four-time Beacon Award winner, has demonstrated an ability to deliver innovation to the market and help its clients achieve higher value and better business outcomes. Sogeti integrated its business-driven Test Management approach and its world-class structured testing services with industry-leading IBM Rational tools into a collaborative solution for quality software delivery.

2010 Rational Award for Innovation in Sales and Marketing: Tech Data GmbH and Co.

The Innovation in Sales and Marketing Award recognizes a Rational Software Business Partner for excellence in the promotion and delivery of solutions to Rational customers. Tech Data, one of the world's largest wholesale IT distributors, provides a single point of purchase for technology resellers to acquire thousands of products for hardware and software.

Ascendant Technology also was a finalist in the Innovation in Sales and Marketing category.

2010 Rational Award for Innovation in Jazz: BSD Group

The Innovation in Jazz Award goes to the IBM Business Partner that best demonstrates excellence in implementing an effective and unique solution enabled by IBM Rational's Jazz technology. The award also recognizes expertise in integration at a customer location that improves the client's software development capability. BSD Group, a Premier IBM Business Partner, is a long-time supporter of IBM Rational's application software quality solutions. BSD Group features practice areas in Software Quality Assurance, IT Governance, Software Configuration Management, and Tivoli Application Monitoring.

  Ravenflow was a finalist in the Innovation in Jazz category.

  2010 Rational Award for Innovation in Systems: Rocket Gang

The Innovation in Systems Award recognizes a Rational Business Partner for excellence in developing an effective systems-focused product or solution enabled by or integrated into IBM Rational Software that helps customers deliver high-quality systems to market faster while also reducing costs. Rocket Gang, a Premier IBM Business Partner, offers consulting, mentoring and training solutions for the most current, best-practice technologies for application development.

  Contribyte Oy was a finalist in the Innovation in Systems category.

  2010 Rational Award for Enterprise Optimization: PKS Software GmbH

The Enterprise Optimization Award honors excellence in developing IBM enterprise modernization solutions that help customers develop cost-effective core IT systems and evolving them toward modern architectures and technologies, reducing maintenance burdens and freeing up more resources to develop new business requirements and capabilities. PKS Software works closely with IBM to ensure that customers receive technically optimal solutions with a high degree of investment security. In the area of application migration, PKS collaborates with the IBM Rational Lab on System i and System z application development tools to make migration paths for older applications in Enterprise Generation Language a reality.

XACT and Synchrony Systems were finalists in the Enterprise Optimization category.

"The continued growth of the IBM Rational Business Partner community demonstrates the important role that these partners play in the overall success of IBM," said Michael Loria, vice president, IBM Rational Business Development. "This year's Rational Award winners have demonstrated solutions that improve the software delivery capabilities of our customers, and help them drive greater value from their investments in software. We congratulate them on being selected as a recipient of this year's Rational Awards and for achieving this honor."

These IBM Rational Business Partner solutions result in quantifiable improvements in business performance through their use of IBM Rational software. Winners were determined based on criteria including the use of multiple IBM Rational software solutions in the deployment of customer applications, lists of references, and successful engagements including business partner certifications. Consideration was also given to IBM Business Partners who have actively engaged, participated and demonstrated opportunity identification and ownership of small and medium-sized business opportunities and new customers through the use of marketing and field activities, as well as participated in IBM Rational sponsored events.

For more information about IBM Rational business partner offerings and solutions, please visit: http://www.ibm.com/software/rational/partners.

To access the INNOVATE 2010 online press kit, visit: http://www.ibm.com/press/innovate2010.

  Contact:
  Holly Barnett
  IBM Communications
  919-254-6836
  hbarnett@us.ibm.com

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: hbarnett@us.ibm.com

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SOURCE: IBM