FamilySearch Developers Conference Awards

As I mentioned earlier, the 2009 FamilySearch Software Awards were announced and handed out during lunch today. [Oops! I was just asked to embargo this information until tomorrow at 9:00am. Well, if there was another blogger at the lunch, you might find out before then. Look for this article again, tomorrow. -- The Insider]

"The purpose is to publicly and formally celebrate the software achievements of those developers and companies that are making important contributions to the family history and genealogy industry," said Gordon Clarke, FamilySearch Web services product manager.

The Best Features Awards were judged from among products and vendors that are FamilySearch certified. A panel of judges compared the products against the categories. Clarke told us that all the judges except two were outside FamilySearch. The Best Features FamilySearch Awards for 2009 are:

• Best Web Features
• Best Desktop Features
• Best Productivity Features: [RootsMagic 4 has already announced they received an award for their dashboard, so I don't have to embargo that. I don't remember if there were other awards given in this category.]
• Best Use of Media
• Best Tree-Cleaning or Syncing Interfaces: [RootsMagic 4 has already announced they received "Easiest to Synch" award, so I don't have to embargo that. There was at least one other vendor award in this category.]

Contestants for the Developer Choice Awards were nominated by the development community and voted on by the development community, making them true, developers' choice. The Developer Choice 2009 Awards are:

• API Library
• Most Useful to Developers
• Potential Future Impacts

Congratulations to all the winners!