Best of Interop Awards

Update: 17may04: We've added an audio broadcast of the complete ceremony (requires RealPlayer).

Yesterday evening we held our Best of Interop Awards ceremony, honoring the best new products, technologies and companies emerging at this year's Networld+Interop. Unlike most awards, which string out over months and months and rely on sometimes arbitrary evaluation schemes, this awards show happens in real time, at the show. Our group of more than ten editors begin on Monday, evaluating information, meeting with vendors, and in some cases working with products. Then on Tuesday, these same vendors convene to argue for their favorite solutions. It's a great system.

 Here are some photos from the event. I will add some streaming audio to this mix later today or on Friday, so if you're interested in both the sounds and sights of one of these things, stay tuned. Fritz Nelson, our illustrious Group Publisher, revs up the crowd.Click here for a bigger picture.

 
The crowd, mugging for free hats and, well, mugs.Click here for a bigger picture.

 
Our resident AVGeek and event maven Kevin Cooke (at left) finally gets the sound clip queued to the right spot. Way to go Kevin.Click here for a bigger picture.