Wall Street Journal Announces Innovation Awards For 2008

The Wall Street Journal today announced the recipients of its 2008 Technology Innovation Awards. The category and overall winners are presented below.

COMPUTING SYSTEMS

Salesforce.com, U.S.

■ Force.com, a suite of tools that a company can use to build its own customized business applications online.

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS

Spot, U.S.

■ The Spot Satellite Messenger, a hand-held device that can send messages via satellite along with users' location, even if they're too remote for cellphone coverage.

ENERGY

Applied Materials, U.S.

■ The SunFab production line, which an manufacture large solar panels more quickly and cheaply than traditional production methods.

ENVIRONMENT

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, U.S.

■ The PhyloChip, a microchip that, by analyzing DNA, can identify different varieties of bacteria that might be present in air, water, soil, blood or tissue samples.

HEALTH-CARE IT

GlaxoSmithKline, U.K.

■ Molecular Clinical Safety Intelligence, software that helps researchers screen potential drugs for possibly adverse medical reactions while the drugs are still in the earliest stages of development.

MATERIALS AND OTHER BASE TECHNOLOGIES

Nanocomp Technologies, U.S.

■ Process to create large sheets of fabric and lengths of yarn using carbon nanotubes. The technology can be used to make lightweight yarns for wiring and cables.

MEDICAL DEVICES

Vidacare, U.S.

■ The EZ-IO device, a high-speed drill that uses a specially designed needle to bore into bones and deliver medication or other fluids.

MEDICAL/BIOTECH

Rosetta Genomics, Israel

■ Diagnostic tests that use short strands of genetic material to help physicians identify the type of cancer a patient has, so that they can prescribe therapies more accurately.

NETWORK/INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES

Xsigo Systems, U.S.

■ Technology that can be used to replace the physical cables in a data center with "virtual" connectors.