The University of Otago won the supreme award for technology innovation.
When it comes to innovation in New Zealand, the tertiary sector has been in the spotlight at the 2015 Microsoft Tertiary ICT Innovation Awards.
These were presented as part of the 33rd Tertiary ICT Conference held in Dunedin and the city's university was well represented, taking out the supreme award.
The University of Otago developed an virtual desktop that allows students to access resources from a number of different devices, including laptops, tablets and smartphones.
This technology means students will be able to study in a more flexible manner, accessing programmes and applications that were previously limited to computers located on campus. As well as the top award, the platform also won the Excellence in Technology Innovation category, with a total prize package worth $3,000
Judges were impressed by the capabilities of the developed software, mentioning that it had made a huge positive impact on the lives of students attending the University.
Education Sector Manager at Microsoft New Zealand Evan Blackman highlighted the importance of these awards in the grand scheme of the technological landscape in New Zealand.
"The awards are an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding innovation and dedication we see in the use of technology to improve learning and research results in the New Zealand tertiary education sector," he stated.
Last year's supreme winners AUT did not manage to take an award in any category as the Waikato Institute of Technology took away the remaining prizes for Excellence in Technology Delivery and Excellence in Technology for Learning.
AUT's interactive scorecard won the Excellence in Technology Delivery category and the top prize last year, after the system was able to track and improve a number of key student metrics such as timetabling and enrolment.
For those looking for IT project manager jobs, developments in this sector can directly benefit students, providing a rewarding career for those involved in technology innovations.
