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Technology company Dell Australia has joined other corporations in promoting its small business credentials with the announcement of the winner of its 2008 Small Business Excellence award.

The winner of the inaugural award is Task Retail Technology (TRT), chosen from 170 applications and 10 finalists. Based on Sydney's northern beaches, the company produces point-of-sale software for retailers that provides their head offices with real-time data from any location in the world. Australia and New Zealand managing director Joe Kremer says the panel of judges look for innovative use of technology that leads to great customer service.

"We learn a lot from small business. You tend to hear what is going on without a middle man," he says,  the award means TRT will receive $US25,000 ($28,800) in Dell products and services, Microsoft courses from IT trainer EXCOM Education, which co-sponsored the award, and collaborative meetings with senior Dell executives including chief executive officer Michael Dell. TRT will also join 11 other national winners in the first global Dell small business award, to be announced next month.

The original award program began in the US in 2004. It was expanded this year to include countries including Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain and the United Kingdom. New Zealand is not on the list, although Kremer says it’s under consideration.

Former US winners include Australian Megan Duckett, the founder of SewWhat? Inc, a drapery company that grew from a home-based business and now provides services to some of the biggest names in show business.

Duckett, who developed a software system that streamlined her business processes, reported a 73 per cent increase in revenues in fiscal 2006 after winning in 2006.

 Reporter: Mark Fenton-Jones.

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