When developers achieve the distinction of excellence, it is because they have been able to make the intangible tangible to the business. They have been able to illumine just that right bit of technology’s cutting edge so that it makes perfect sense to the organization’s core. Then they have made it happen. Every year there are a few that stand out in this regard: adopting and deploying the best of the new technology, and integrating, extending it, and tailoring it to support the enterprise.

For these impressive achievements, the following five projects have been selected as the winners of this year’s Windows in Financial Services Developer Awards. The awards were handed out at Microsoft’s Sixth Annual Financial Services Developer Conference in New York on March 13.

Recognizing Outstanding Innovation in Deploying Advanced Microsoft Technologies

Technological innovation can drive competitiveness and lay the foundation for leadership. For companies in the fast-paced financial industry, the key to success is aligning advanced technologies to meet specific business needs. The ten firms profiled on the following pages have done just that. They have adopted technologies ranging from 64bit computing, Web services and portal servers to business intelligence, wireless and spreadsheet technology and have positioned them, at times even modified them, to address specific industry challenges.

Through the Innovator Awards, now in its third year, Windows in Financial Services recognizes those firms that have harnessed the fl exibility, scal­ability and reliability of Microsoft technology to remove obstacles to progress and create new opportunities.

The 2007 Innovator Award Recipients are:

• Innovation in Business Intelligence – Lehman Brothers
• Web Site Innovation – Regions Bank
• Innovation in Mainframe Migration – Progressive
• Database Innovation – Citi’s Lava
• Innovation in High-Performance Computing – UniCredit
• CRM Innovation – EDS Solcorp’s WealthServ
• Order Management System Innovation – Linedata Services’ LongView Live
• Innovation in Spreadsheet Risk Mitigation & Compliance – Prodiance
• Innovation in Channel Renewal – Fiserv
• Wireless Innovation – Pyxis Mobile

Whether it’s traders reacting to hourly stock fluctuations or brokers responding to unexpected transaction requests, the financial services industry moves quickly, and leaves little room for error. Few understand this better than Infusion Development, a unique IT consulting, solutions and training firm with headquarters in Toronto and New York as well as offices in Boston, and London, UK. Infusion Development counts some of the world’s largest financial companies among its clientele.

Since opening its doors in 1998, Infusion Development has grown steadily to over 175 employees, a feat the independently owned company attributes to its passion for new technology.

“Infusion Development has made its mark through remaining focused on emerging technologies,” says Alim Somani, president, Infusion Development. “We use some of the latest and greatest Microsoft products to drive collaboration and innovation in the trading floors and operations areas of Toronto, New York and London’s most influential financial institutions.”