Enter the new People Moving Business Awards, from Microsoft

Microsoft UK Ltd announces today the launch of the inaugural People Moving Business Awards in a bid to recognise the champions of mobile working across British industry.

In partnership with the Chartered Management Institute, Business Link and Management Today magazine, the awards are set to become an annual showcase for companies and individual employees throughout the UK who are demonstrating best practice in mobile working: regardless of the technologies they are using. Full details of the awards categories an online entry form can be found by clicking on the People Moving Business Awards banner on the Management Today website (www.managementtoday.co.uk).

ìMobile working is a top priority for British business,î says Alex Reeve, UK Director, Microsoft Mobile Communications Business. ìDevelopments in mobile technologies are making people think differently about how they can improve both their working and social lives. With nearly half of all UK jobs requiring some form of remote working[1], employers are looking seriously at ways to improve productivity through mobile technologies, while employees want to improve their work and life balance through flexible working. These awards will celebrate companies and individuals that achieve these goals.î

There are six awards in total split across three categories: companies and organisations; individuals and partners/suppliers of mobile technologies. From the home worker to large multinationals, businesses of all sizes can enter, the only criteria being the ability to demonstrate how the introduction of mobile technologies and flexible working have made a positive impact in the workplace, to the lives of employees or both.

Alongside Alex Reeve, the judging panel includes experts in HR, business networking, mobile working and business journalism. They are: Petra Wilton from the Chartered Management Institute; Martin Wyn Griffith, Chief Executive of DTIís Small Business Service; Andrew Saunders, Deputy Editor of Management Today; Fiona Pandit from The Work Foundation and Ed Williams from the Mobile Data Association.

Petra Wilton from the Chartered Management Institute: ìMobile working is becoming ever more relevant to our members. The People Moving Business Awards will provide an industry showcase, helping managers to better understand the potential offered by introducing innovative mobile working practices. We are delighted to be a sponsor of these awards.î

Martin Wyn Griffith, Chief Executive of DTIís Small Business Service: I am pleased that DTI is a partner for the People Moving Business Awards. DTI is committed to promoting good practice and new technologies to small and medium sized businesses ñ all of which play a crucial role in building the vibrancy of the UKís economy. Mobile technology helps both employers and employees to adopt flexible working, increase productivity, and make it easier to run a home based business, whilst maintaining a healthy work/life balance.

Andrew Saunders, Deputy Editor of Management Today: ìMobile working is increasingly becoming an everyday part of our working lives, thanks to its ability to boost our productivity, improve our work/life balance and turn downtime into uptime. The People Moving Business Awards have been created to reward those individuals and organisations which are truly making the most of mobility and to recognise the fact that the benefits of mobility can only continue to grow. The technology is continually improving and we havenít seen the half of it yet.î

The awards ceremony will be in London on the 4th September and the closing date for applications is 25th June ñ please visit www.managementtoday.co.uk and click on the People Moving Business Awards banner to submit an entry.

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[1] The Work Foundation report (Mobile Work Futures for Microsoft, January 2007)