NineSigma Collaborates with The Edison Awards™ to Identify the World's Top Game Changers

CLEVELAND, Nov. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Stand up and be counted for making a difference! NineSigma, the leading innovation partner to companies worldwide, is collaborating with the Edison Awards™ to identify the world's top game changing products and services and excellence in innovation leadership.

Named after inventor Thomas Alva Edison, the awards were established to globally recognize, honor and foster innovation, and encourage innovators to make a positive impact on the world. Large companies, small businesses, inventors, researchers, and other individuals are eligible to submit nominations for their new products and services. The submission deadline is December 7, 2012.

"We are thrilled to reach out to NineSigma's vast worldwide network of innovators.  These are people who are transforming their industries and developing solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing our world today," said Frank Bonafilia, Executive Director of the Edison Awards.

NineSigma helped pioneer the strategy of open innovation, the process of reaching out to the world for technologies and ideas. This has led to advances in everything from lower salt foods to new approaches to an AIDS vaccine. The company is now taking its services to the next level through its open innovation social media destination, NineSights™, fueling additional collaboration between solution seekers and providers.

"Both NineSigma and the directors of the Edison Awards believe new discoveries are possible when individual organizations work together on a common challenge. We are honored to partner with them to help identify those organizations that have helped to change the world," said Andy Zynga, CEO of NineSigma.

To qualify for consideration as a nominee, the product or service must have been launched on the market and be available to end users between July 1, 2011 and February 28, 2013. Winners will be announced on April 25, 2013 during the Annual Edison Awards Gala. These innovators will also have opportunities for high-level business networking, a chance to bring their solutions to a wider market, and much more.

Nominees will be evaluated according to four primary criteria: concept, value, delivery and impact. Awards are given in 15 categories, from Applied Technology to Energy and Sustainability. To learn more and link to a nomination form, please visit the Edison Awards page on NineSigma's website.

About NineSigma
NineSigma engages organizations with external innovation resources and enables them to share knowledge to accelerate the innovation cycle, whether they are in the private, public, government or social sectors. Their proprietary and collaborative process has produced billions of dollars in tangible value. Companies such as Kraft, Philips, L'Oreal, Unilever, Denso and Suntory utilize NineSigma's Open Innovation services to solve immediate challenges, fill product pipelines, integrate new knowledge into their organizations, close development gaps, and improve financial performance. NineSigma has the largest open global network of solution providers and an extensive database of existing solutions that spans all industries and technical disciplines. Our team integrates professionals from a variety of fields, including business leaders, innovation consultants and Ph.D.-level scientists. Learn more at www.ninesigma.com or join our LinkedIn group at http://linkd.in/NineSigma.

About the Edison Awards™
The Edison Awards is a program conducted by Edison Universe, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to fostering future innovators.  The Awards have been recognizing and honoring the best in innovations and innovators since 1987. They honor game-changing innovations that are at the forefront of new product and service development, marketing and human-centered design, and are one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of successful innovation. The 2013 Edison Awards are sponsored by Nielsen, Discovery Communications, Science Channel and USA Today. For more information about the Edison Awards and a list of past winners, visit www.edisonawards.com.

Media Contact: 
Dawn Ringel, Warner Communications, [email protected], (781) 449-8456

SOURCE NineSigma