Earlier this week Telematics Update revealed the winners of the seventh annual Telematics Awards at an industry gala dinner in Detroit, Michigan.

The awards dinner took place during the 9th annual Telematics Detroit 2009 Conference & Exhibition - the world's largest and most prestigious telematics conference.

The entries were judged by a selection of independent consultants and industry experts, and a shortlist of the finalists in each category was announced last month.

For the first time in the Awards' history, Telematics Update announced not only a winner but also a runner-up for most categories:

Telematics Leadership Award (Individual):

Joint Winners:

Chet Huber, President, OnStar

Joseph Berry, Director/Chief Architect - SYNC, Ford Motor Company

Runner-up: Andrew Poliak, Director of automotive business development, QNX Software Systems

Industry Newcomer Award:

Winner: FORD for SYNC

Runner-up: GENIVI Alliance

Best Embedded Telematics Service Award:

Winner: OnStar by GM

Runner-up: Airbiquity

Best Embedded Telematics Navigation Product Award:

Winner: BMW of North America

Runner-up: Visteon

Best Portable Telematics Solution Award:

Winner: TeleNav 

Runner-up: Tele Atlas

Best Portable Navigation System Award

Winner: TomTom

Best Aftermarket Device Award:

Joint Winners:

Autonet Mobile

Hughes Telematics

Runner up: Parrot

Best Telematics Component Solution Award:

Joint Winners:

Inrix

NAVTEQ

Runner-up: Intel

Best Telematics Service & Application for Commercial Vehicles Award:

Winner: Daimler Trucks

Runner-up: NAVMAN Wireless

Best use of Telematics Technology in the Public Sector Award:

Winner: OnStar

Runner up: Inrix

Car Manufacturer Innovation Award

Winner: Ford

Runner-up: GM Onstar

Ford Motor Company received tremendous recognition this year for winning three prestigious awards. In response to winning the awards, Joesph Berry, director of product & business development said, "Ford Motor Company is very thankful and humbled to be recognised by such a prestigious organisation as Telematics Update and its industry professionals. We are extremely proud to be a part of this very important industry event and we will continue to support it in the future."

"Telematics Update has once again delivered with an informative and impressive conference for the automotive navigation and telematics industries," said Bryan Mistele, president & CEO of INRIX. "We are honoured to win an award for Best Telematics Component Solution for our collaboration with Ford on the new Ford SYNC with Traffic, Directions & Information."

“This recognition from Telematics Update validates our emergence into the aftermarket sector,” said Erik Goldman, president of HTI.  “The in-Drive AT-500 leverages HTI’s rich portfolio of technology and next generation telematics architecture to provide unprecedented connectivity for vehicles on an aftermarket basis.  This device allows HTI to expand our reach beyond embedded telematics and work with organizations such as insurance agencies, auto clubs and wireless carriers to offer their customers the benefits of a connected vehicle.”   

"We are honoured to have received the prestigious Telematics Award, particularly whilst competing in a category with so many strong contenders," said Derek Rotz, manager of advanced engineering at Daimler Trucks North America. "This award acknowledges the importance of developing and introducing innovative solutions to increase fuel economy on an industry level. I am personally very proud to have worked with a dedicated and motivated team to create the industry's first vehicle control application that uses GPS and 3D maps to save fuel."

“BMW is honoured to be recognised at Telematics Detroit 2009 as offering the 'Best Embedded Telematics Product' in 2008/2009 for its BMW Search online capability as part of the new BMW Navigation system.  We greatly appreciate the opportunity to be part of this event and wish to thank you and the Telematics Update team for all your efforts to make it so successful,” said Fran Dance, telematics services manager,  BMW of North America.

NAVTEQ won the Best Telematics Component Solution Award. “NAVTEQ is proud that Telematics Update recognised our revolutionary Map & Positioning Engine, with GPS by STMicroelectronics, for this award for its potential to enable GPS and digital maps in every vehicle in support of ADAS, safety and energy efficiency applications,” said Bob Denaro, vice president of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems at NAVTEQ.

Precksha Saksena-Sood, managing director of Telematics Update, would like to offer her heartiest congratulations to all Telematics Awards 2009 winners and runners-up. "2008/2009 has been a year of tremendous innovation. In a tougher climate companies need to offer even more cutting-edge solutions in order to succeed, and our winners and runners-up are living proof of that."