Computerworld Unveils Top 100 Emerging Companies for 2002

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., November 26, 2001 -- IDG’s Computerworld, an information services company for the IT leader community, today announced its annual list of the Top 100 Emerging Companies. Selected from nominations submitted to Computerworld, the companies were honored for the significant value they bring to corporate IT, their creative and innovative thinking, and positive signs of their capacity to execute strategy in a relatively new or emerging market.

The Emerging Companies for 2002 demonstrate an ability to help organizations and IT departments achieve significant cost-savings and have a tendency to focus on lowering expenses rather than increasing revenue. Also common among the selected companies is their ability to offer a quick and impressive return on investment.

"The changing economy has created a new set of criteria by which to judge the Top 100 Emerging Companies of 2002," said Maryfran Johnson, editor in chief of Computerworld. "In 2001, it was all about revenue generation and growth. For 2002, the emerging companies promise considerable cost-reductions and efficiency gained through their technology. The top 100 companies to watch in 2002 identified by Computerworld are pushing the envelope of creativity and innovation to deliver on that promise."

Many featured companies and products help increase the bottom line by lessening administrative and general costs and reducing headcount and travel expenses. Among those selected as the Top 100 Emerging Companies for 2002 were companies such as Comergent Technologies, Empirix Inc., Groove Networks Inc., Guardent Inc., Kada Systems, Keyware, Mutek Solutions, NerveWire, Sitara Networks, Spotfire Inc., Tonic Software, Tripwire and WebEx Communications Inc.

To select the Top 100 Emerging Companies, a panel of Computerworld editors and a select group of information technology industry influencers (senior-level executives who are both providers and users of IT) reviewed nominations from for-profit ventures with revenue less than $250 million and founded no earlier than 1996. Of those nominations, a final list of 100 innovators was chosen based on the following criteria:

• The company and its technology offer demonstrable value to corporate IT operations; the product or service addresses problems or challenges that IT managers face.

• The company is innovative; the product or service presents a new and creative approach to an IT issue and competes in a relatively new or emerging market; the product or service is viable.

• The company demonstrates positive signs of an ability to execute its strategy (revenue, revenue growth, funding, and stable management team).

More information about the Top 100 Emerging Companies for 2002 and a complete listing of all 100 companies can be found at www.computerworld.com.