Prestigious award recognizes SMART’s product innovation and outstanding accomplishments
CALGARY, Alberta --- September 20, 2007 --- SMART Technologies announces that it has won the prestigious Leadership Award in the industry subcategory of hardware in the 2007 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards. The program is celebrating its tenth anniversary as the preeminent technology awards program in Canada. SMART was recognized as the leading Canadian-based company for hardware product development and received the award for its ability to create a distinct competitive advantage in a high-growth market. The Leadership Awards celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of elite companies in the Canadian technology sector within the categories of emerging technologies, hardware, software and telecommunications.
SMART’s innovation and product development history spans over 20 years, beginning with the introduction of the world’s first interactive whiteboard in 1991. Since then, more than 650,000 SMART Board™ interactive whiteboards have been installed in classrooms, meeting rooms and training rooms around the world. SMART has built a leadership position globally in providing products that encourage and support collaboration, with sales in over 100 countries worldwide. In 2006, the company surpassed CDN$1 billion in cumulative sales. SMART continues to create new products and find new ways to enhance its current product offerings for a growing global market. SMART has also been presented with the Lifetime Achievement Canada Export Award from the Canadian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and has qualified for the country’s most prestigious national business award, Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies, for eight consecutive years.
“The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Leadership Awards celebrate the elite companies in the Canadian technology sector,” said John Ruffolo, Deloitte’s national leader, technology, media and telecommunications industry group. “We salute the outstanding accomplishments of SMART Technologies for its ability to create a distinct competitive advantage in a high-growth market is proof of its superior technology and business leadership in North America and around the world.”
“Being identified as a leading company for hardware innovation and development by the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Program is extremely rewarding,” says Nancy Knowlton, SMART’s CEO. “Continuous product innovation has been a priority for our company. This award recognizes the hard work and ingenuity of so many people working at SMART who are contributing to enhancing the way people learn, work and collaborate.”
About the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards program, which celebrates business growth, innovation and entrepreneurship. The program features four distinct categories, including the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Ranking, Companies-to-Watch Awards (honouring early-stage Canadian technology companies in business less than five years), Leadership Awards (Deloitte Technology Fast 50-ranked companies that demonstrate leadership in each of the four industry subcategories of emerging technologies, hardware, software, and telecommunications) and the Deloitte Technology Green 15 Awards (honouring companies creating innovative and economically viable intellectual property in the burgeoning field of green technology). Deloitte Technology Fast 50 winners are automatically eligible for the prestigious Deloitte Technology Fast 500 ranking. Program sponsors include Deloitte, Gowlings, GrowthWorks, COBC World Marts, Stonewood Group, Behr & Associates, and CATAAlliance. For more information, visit www.fast50.ca.
