A Tasmanian developed IT software innovation has been named as Tasmania's emerging information communication technology business at this year's Tasmanian ICT Awards.

Zaptz , a subsidiary business of leading Tasmanian integrated technology company Tops, won the Emerging ICT Business Award for its innovative computer software packaging application.

In September, the newly developed Zaptz was a finalist in the State Government's annual ©-Star awards for science and technology commercialisation.The unique computer software repackaging and virtualisation solution was launched onto the market earlier this year. It is being managed nationally and internationally from TOPS Hobart base through its dedicated software repackaging company Zaptz.

The Zaptz system is a revolutionary software packaging and management application that makes computer environments more stable, resilient and easier to manage. Zaptz has developed technology and a methodology (patent application filed) to remotely 'zap' any software application creating a Zaptz Blueballs© advanced software packaging product. This greatly reduces the time required to install, deploy or stream software applications and simplifies computer image management.

Zaptz Blueballs offer premium benefits and can be provided in three different formats: Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI), Microsoft SoftGrid, Altiris Software Virtualisation Solution (SVS), enhancing any existing server deployment technology.

Technical Director Andrew Hennessy said Zaptz enables clients to standardise, manage, install and uninstall applications and licences over their entire IT environment. They can also audit and track applications and licences held by their organisation locally, nationally and internationally.

Mr Hennessy said winning the ICT Industry Award so recently after the Zaptz release provided an enormous fillip as the application was being rolled out to the market. "This local recognition is important and certainly lets people know that we are at the forefront in innovation,' he said. "We have already attracted strong interest in the Zaptz product from around Australasia and are now looking to establish markets in countries around the Pacific rim. "Our major partners Altiris and Symantec are currently using Zaptz throughout Australasia for all their clients' software repackaging needs."

Symantec area services director, Darren Walton says Zaptz's extensive knowledge and experience of application packaging enables customers to standardise and manage software throughout their entire IT environment. "This solution helps reduce support costs and streamline software operations by providing faster, simpler and more manageable deployment of desktop applications and improves system supportability by reducing the complexity of the software environment," Mr Walton said.

Tops CEO Noel Brown said the award from the Tasmanian ICT industry recognised the company's achievement of commercialising an innovative product and demonstrated that the business was on the right path.

"It is a clear indication that we can develop these innovations in Tasmania," he said. "Our local and international expertise provides the cutting edge system management and support that can be delivered online throughout Australia and worldwide through Zaptz. "Our ICT Industry Award and ©-Star success is a signal of our confidence in the Tasmanian ICT sector and through innovations like Zaptz, Tops is determined to play a leadership role in truly developing

Tasmania as the intelligent island," Noel Brown said.

Contact: Andrew Hennessy, telephone (03) 6270 4118