Top Internet talent recognised at 2013 ANZIAs

The 2013 Australia and New Zealand Internet Awards (ANZIAs) were handed out last night at a ceremony at Te Papa in Wellington, New Zealand.

The event featured New Zealand and Australia’s top Internet talent and creativity, celebrating the achievements of organisations, businesses and individuals that have made significant contributions to the development and use of the Internet in Australia and New Zealand.

The ANZIAs are a collaboration between the .au Domain Administration (auDA) and InternetNZ and are judged by an independent panel of experts from both countries.  Awards are handed out for excellence in five categories: Diversity; Information; Innovation; Internet Access & Digital Skills, and Security & Privacy.

InternetNZ Chief Executive Jordan Carter said “The ANZIAs get bigger and better each year. This year’s nominations demonstrated the way in which the Internet as an eco-system reflects the diversity of the real world.

“There were nominations for the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association, an online radio station highlighting Aboriginal Culture, the Greater Christchurch Schools Network Trust who work with schools to build and transform learning opportunities for students and teachers and with one of the nominees you can even design your own wedding shoe, with Shoes of Prey which was up for an innovation award,” said Mr Carter.

“It’s fairly obvious now that Australian and New Zealand organisations and individuals are displaying the sort of innovation and intelligence that can compete - and succeed - on the world stage. A group of highly respected judges from Australia and New Zealand had tough calls to make in awarding the prizes.

“We join with auDA to congratulate the winners in each category, and to celebrate their successes,” Jordan Carter says.

The winners were presented at a gala dinner held at Te Marae, Te Papa on September 17. The dinner featured Keynote speaker Russell Brown from former Media3 and PublicAddress and MC comedian Ben Hurley (from TV3’s Seven Days).

Winners:

Information Award: Wiki New Zealand 

Wiki New Zealand enables informed decision making throughout New Zealand.

The initiative comprises a website which serves two primary functions – to deliver data in a visually digestible but not opinion-laden form, and to redefine the audience for those with data about New Zealand. 

Innovation Award: CSIRO and the National Museum of Australia 

CSIRO has developed a system that enables students in regional Australia to participate in live, immersive, interactive, guided tours of the National Museum of Australia from a computer in their school or local library.

Currently operating in the Landmarks Gallery of the NMA, the system consists of a semi-autonomous mobile robot which accompanies a museum educator through the gallery and streams panoramic video from an omni-directional camera via the museum’s wifi network.

Diversity Award: Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association 

The CAAMA website is a platform for its audience base of over 620,000 listeners across the Australia to find and share information about the rich Aboriginal cultures of Australia, the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this country, and the current issues which continue to affect the lives of Aboriginal people. 

Internet Access and Digital Skills Award: WorkVentures Ltd

WorkVentures mission is to narrow the “digital divide” between those with access to the internet and computers and those without by assisting those disadvantaged communities in accessing these benefits. 

The initiative combines the provision of free access to computers and IT training at Neighbourhood Technology Centres in five social housing areas in New South Wales with promoting home ownership of computers through affordable refurbished computers and conducting targeted IT training programs to specific communities such as indigenous youth in remote areas, migrants/refugees and seniors. 

Privacy Award: Mega Ltd

MEGA is a cloud storage and collaboration service. Currently, the service is available via browsers, desktop and mobile, as well as APIs. 

Privacy and security is designed into the service. Collaboration features range from a single person controlled access, to a group of users, or public. MEGA has quickly emerged as a leader in the area of 'user controlled encryption'. 

Security Award: Vodafone Hutchison Australia

Guardian is a free smartphone app that lets parents and children select the best Smartphone settings to support safe and responsible age appropriate internet use.

Guardian allows parents to set parameters on their child’s smartphone use. It gives parents the ability to set rules on the phone, such as when the internet can be accessed, what applications using the internet can be used or what online games can be played.

Highly Commended:

Information:  The Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne

Innovation: Infoxchange

Diversity: Culture Infusion – Sound Infusion

Internet Access & Digital Skills: Open Universities Australia

Judges comments:

Information Award: Wiki New Zealand

• Useful and novel
• Breaking new ground

Innovation Award: CSIRO and the National Museum of Australia 

• good innovation
• clear unique proposition with respect to enabling live interaction with educator as well as multi user rather than one-to-one
• offers ability to extend current education use of internet

Diversity Award: Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association 

• The content on the website and support for this indigenous entity by a large audience not only geographically but also digitally means a lot to the survival of this very ancient culture
• Performs the role kaitiaki, or guardian and protector and promoter of all things to do with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples both in Australia and around the world

Internet Access and Digital Skills Award: WorkVentures Ltd

• Helping to narrow the digital divide with particular focus on low income, indigenous, migrants and refugees, people with disabilities and seniors. Strong focus in areas that are often neglected 
• Model could be utilised worldwide
• Importantly this intervention has assisted with enhancing people’s lives through Internet access and Digital skills. Without this program, these communities and people would have had minimal to no opportunities.

Privacy Award: Mega Ltd

• combines encryption with ease of use, makes security accessible, but invisible
• recognises that cloud services are the way of the future, and that addressing security and privacy concerns is key to encouraging adoption

Security Award: Vodafone Hutchison Australia

• Supports physical and online safety for an at risk and targeted segment of society – children
• Recognises and supports legitimate restrictions on mobile device availability during school hours

Privacy Award: Mega Ltd

• combines encryption with ease of use, makes security accessible, but invisible
• recognises that cloud services are the way of the future, and that addressing security and privacy concerns is key to encouraging adoption