Automation software and learning algorithms are the winners at the Swiss ICT Award 2017

From the ten nominated, innovative IT-based projects and companies, the interdisciplinary jury of experts at the Swiss ICT Award 2017 chose the universally usable IoT automation software from Nomos System AG. It decodes all currently known automation protocols for multimedia, software, service as well as buildings and connects them at will with proprietary IoT apps. The Newcomer Award goes to Advertima for its Experience Management System (EMS), which can learn from past data thanks to machine learning algorithms to constantly improve performance. Around 800 guests from the Swiss ICT industry, research, business and politics attended the award ceremony in Lucerne on November 14, 2017.

Automation software paves the way for the Internet of Things

Nomos System AG's win of the Swiss ICT Award 2017 is justified in several ways in the jury's commendation. Those who begin to use IoT quickly discover that the protocols, software and hardware are mostly proprietary and not compatible with each other. An IoT automation software that decodes all automation protocols for multimedia, software, service and building and connects them with proprietary IoT apps at will is then the solution. The jury therefore honored the foresight, courage and implementation of this initiative and declared Nomos System the winner. The number of IoT components and protocols is growing rapidly in the coming years. It is therefore becoming increasingly important to enable simple and integrated operation. In its laudation, the jury went on to say that Nomos System had created a strategic advantage for itself through the modularity of its platform.

Swiss ICT Newcomer Award 2017 for learning algorithms

This year's winner of the Newcomer Award is Advertima AG. According to the jury, this company impressively demonstrates how technology can increase the efficiency of advertising and information. Advertima combines advertising in public spaces with a variable target group approach, which is made possible by the latest technology. The electronic billboard uses sensors to record anonymized, biometric key data of the person approaching it and is thus able to make an allocation according to gender, age and other profile data relevant to advertising. The jury was particularly impressed by the overall concept of the Experience Management System (EMS). Thanks to machine learning, EMS can learn from past data and thus constantly improve target quality. Such machine learning algorithms are forward-looking and capable of producing even more amazing applications.

Swiss ICT Special Award 2017 for Urs Hölzle

The Swiss ICT Special Award 2017 was presented to Urs Hölzle, Senior Vice President of Technical Infrastructure at Google. Urs Hölzle, who grew up in Liestal/BL, started at Google in 1999 as the eighth employee. The Swiss computer scientist, previously a professor at the University of California in Santa Barbara, was Google's first chief engineer, responsible for "30 PCs with improvised cabling" and gave himself the job title "Search Engine Mechanic" because there was "always something to physically mend". Today, as Senior Vice President of Technical Infrastructure, he is responsible for the entire technical infrastructure of the Internet giant worldwide, whose development and expansion he has played a key role in shaping. In the process, Urs Hölzle is also consistently committed to reducing energy consumption in data centers.

In addition to the high standard of education in Switzerland and the proximity to the technical universities of Zurich and Lausanne, it is not least thanks to Urs Hölzle that Google started with a few employees in Zurich in 2004. The expansion of the Zurich offices into the largest Google development center for machine learning outside the U.S. would probably not have been possible without the Swiss computer scientist. Patrick Warnking, Managing Director of Google Switzerland, calls him the "godfather" of the project.

At the time of moving into the new offices on Europaallee at the beginning of 2017, 2000 employees were working at Google Zurich - in the next few years, up to 5000 employees are expected to be stationed here. Zurich's Director of Economic Affairs and Cantonal Government Councillor Carmen Walker Späh, commented at the opening event in January 2017: "Google is an important employer, cooperation partner of universities and image bearer for Zurich as an ICT location. With the opening of the new development center on Europaallee, Google is reaffirming the great importance of the Zurich region as an international starting point for digital transformation. I am extremely pleased with this commitment to our business location, and I would like to thank Google and its employees for their trust in our location."

Swiss ICT Public Award 2017

For the second time, the audience at the conference was able to vote for the winner of the "Swiss ICT Public Awards" in addition to the readership of Swiss IT Magazine. The most popular candidate turned out to be swisscognitive. The winner was chosen from among the nominated finalists of the Swiss ICT Award and the SwissICT Newcomer Award.

Videos with further information about the finalists and prize winners of the Swiss ICT Award 2017 are available at here.