2011 Launch Pad Finalists Announced for UBM TechWeb's Enterprise 2.0 Conference

SAN FRANCISCO, May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Enterprise 2.0 Conference, produced by UBM TechWeb, today announced the four finalists selected to participate in this year's Launch Pad program.  The Launch Pad contest provides a unique public forum for unveiling new social tools within the enterprise, and takes place during the Enterprise 2.0 Conference in Boston on Wednesday, June 22 at the Hynes Convention Center.  The Enterprise 2.0 Conference is the largest and most important event focused on the growing market for enterprise social software, and dedicated to exploring how Web 2.0 and collaborative technologies are changing business today. For more information visit: http://launchpad.e2conf.com/.

This year's participants first pitched their submissions via Twitter. The Jury then selected top submissions to upload a short video to the Launch Pad site where the Enterprise 2.0 community voted on their favorite. The four companies with the most votes will present to the Enterprise 2.0 Boston audience at the event. Each Launch Pad finalist has three minutes on stage to present their tool or service to an audience of business and technology decision makers, evangelists, and adopters of cutting edge technologies.  Following the four finalists' presentations, the audience will vote to crown a "People's Choice" winner.

The four finalists are:

• Acquia: a commercial open source software company providing products, services, and technical support for the open source Drupal social publishing system.
• Next Principles: captures inputs from Social Media platforms into new or existing consumer profiles in CRM, and uses the consolidated profiles to better serve consumers especially at the point of purchase.
• Podio: an online work platform combining specialized and flexible work apps with messaging, tasks, reporting, workflow and contact management, to help build and shape the online workplace most fitting to each individual's role.
• Saba Software: a system that enables today's people-driven enterprises by combining learning, performance and collaboration technologies to deliver solutions that help customers experience a people multiplier effect that powers up people and teams to achieve results.

"The Enterprise 2.0 Launch Pad program highlights the innovative companies leading today's changing enterprise landscape," said Steve Wylie, General Manager, Enterprise 2.0 Conference. "Each of these four finalists demonstrates how with new tools and technologies, businesses can improve the way they work and communicate. We look forward to hearing more from the Launch Pad final four as they present their unique and interesting offerings to the Enterprise 2.0 audience."

* For more information on 2011 Enterprise 2.0 Conference Launch Pad finalists, visit: http://launchpad.e2conf.com/

* To learn more about the 2011 Enterprise 2.0 Conference or to register, visit: http://www.e2conf.com/boston/

* To see more details on Launch Pad, visit: http://launchpad.e2conf.com/

* To apply for a media pass, visit: http://www.e2conf.com/boston/media-center/

* To see the latest conference news and to interact with other Enterprise 2.0 Conference attendees join the Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/e2conf

About The Enterprise 2.0 Conference

The Enterprise 2.0 Conference explores the integration of social and collaborative technologies in the enterprise, from both strategic and tactical perspectives. This Conference and Expo Pavilion focuses on the tools and best practices to drive business performance across workforce, customers, and partners networks. For more information visit: www.e2conf.com.

About UBM TechWeb

UBM TechWeb, the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology. Through its three core businesses – media solutions, marketing services and paid content – UBM TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed brands and media applications in the technology market. More than 14.5 million business and technology professionals (CIOs and IT managers, Web & Digital professionals, Software Developers, Government decision makers, and Telecom providers) actively engage in UBM TechWeb's communities and information resources monthly. UBM TechWeb brands include: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat and Enterprise Connect; award-winning online resources such as InformationWeek, Light Reading, and Network Computing; and market-leading magazines InformationWeek, Wall Street & Technology, and Advanced Trading. UBM TechWeb is a UBM plc company, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.

SOURCE UBM TechWeb