In this context, the World Mail Awards recognize and reward excellence across all sectors of the postal industry worldwide in the following categories: Corporate Social Responsibility Customer Service, e-Commerce , Growth, Industry Leadership, Innovation, People Management, Retail Project, Security, Technology.

The augmented reality application developed by Virtualware for Correos is one of the Shortlisted entrants to the nine awards categories.

The winners will be announced during the gala dinner and awards ceremony at the Hotel President Wilson, Geneva on the 21st May 2012, the opening night of the internationally recognized World Mail & Express Europe three day conference.

The ‘Digital Innovation Contest – Culture’ run by IC tomorrow, in conjunction with a selection of cultural sector organisations, is procuring up to 10 trials – offering a maximum award of £24,000 for each successful innovative commercial prototype from the following three themes: commercialization of digital assets, mobile and location based access and connectivity and conversations.

IC tomorrow is working with museums and galleries to find ways in which those cultural organisations can benefit from commercialisation of their digital assets, to help generate much needed additional revenues.  Their challenge patrons are the British Museum, The New Art Gallery Walsall, National Museums of Scotland, SPACE, The Public, The Design Museum, Birmingham Museums and Art Galleries and the International Slavery Museum/ National Museums Liverpool; who have helped IC tomorrow selecting the prototypes which will be supported.

Virtualware prototype has been selected finalist in The Public challenge with an mobile application to encourage engagement with exhibitions.  The contest final will be happening at the Design Museum on the 16th May, a great opportunity to support fellow digital innovators and meet valuable cultural professionals.

The Spanish company Virtualware, based in England is presenting its new product at MS Life 2012, held in Manchester (stand M12) from April 14th to 15th. A new system designed for physical rehabilitation targeted towards multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative disorders that require a physical neuro-rehabilitation program.

An innovative product based on Microsoft® Kinect, a technology that provides active exercises for functional training improvement without any controller. The patient is immersed in a 3D environment in which he/she is challenged to set goals in a continuous and motivating way.

This is the very first product of these characteristics at an international level; VirtuaRehab is distinguished by avoiding currently problems and intrusive methods of tracking patients. At the same time the implementation costs has been drastically reduced, (from £2.5 per patient / month). It also provides an analysis module that allows therapist to follow-up the progresses of each patient and to adapt the sessions to the specific degree of disability.

Its cloud architecture based on Microsoft® Azure, is one of the main advantages that enables online therapies management, facilitating the access to small rehabilitation centres and hospitals at a very low cost per month.

The first implementation of the product has been at EMlabs Virtual Games, a space that the Basque Foundation of Multiple Sclerosis Eugenia Epalza inaugurated at the beginning of March. It is the first European centre of virtual rehabilitation for dealing Multiple Sclerosis patients.  The Spanish company is already receiving demand for the service from different European, North and South American countries.

www.virtualrehab.info

Zamudio, December 13, 2011. Virtualware, a company specializing in immersive technologies, virtual reality, augmented reality and multimedia is headquartered in Basauri (Bizkaia). This morning, it received the Company Accelerator seal from Innobasque, Basque Innovation Agency. This seal certifies it as a company with a high potential for development. This means that it is an organization that is capable of multiplying its total revenue by tenfold in five years, going international, selling 25% of the innovative products and increasing its workforce by 20% in three years.

Innobasque guides this type of organization through its Company Acceleration scheme. Here, the available resources in the powerful network of Innobasque members are used to the fullest. The network is made up of over 150 expert agents who have validated the project. Its value lies in the connections they establish when seeking alliances, partners, financing possibilities, mentors, comparison and guidance tasks.
Innobasque supports these companies that have a high growth potential, are innovative and have a worldwide presence because they leverage our economy’s transformation. They are companies created in the Basque Country by local entrepreneurs that are imbued with a highly innovative component. Though they are not numerous, they make up a network that nourishes them. The network creates a suitable environment for synergies, collaboration and business deals to blossom; in short, to reactivate the economy.

Serious games
Virtualware was started just seven years ago in the Biscayan town of Basauri. It ended the last fiscal year with a turnover that was 20% more than the previous year’s, and with plans to continue to grow even more. Its workforce has also increased by 26% from 2009 to 2010. It is made up of highly-qualified engineering, computer programming or model-making professionals. In addition, it is present in the United Kingdom and Italy. Therefore, they estimate that in 2012, 10% of its sales volume will come from the international market where it has already identified business opportunities with large corporations like CityGroup or Roca.

Virtualware creates, designs and develops innovative solutions based on immersive technologies, virtual reality, augmented reality and multimedia. It targets the culture, healthcare and education and training sectors. From complex hardware and software installations for museums and interpretation centers, to rehabilitation platforms using “Kinect®”, to video games and “serious games” as education and training vehicles.
We hope that after going through the Company Accelerator by Innobasque, Virtualware will be a driving force behind the Basque economy. This is because companies are the ones that lend competitiveness to the system, thus generating wealth in the surrounding environment and highly-qualified job positions that yield a high added value. These organizations are leading the transformation that the Basque Country needs to compete in a global setting.

Innovation is rewarded
Virtualware’s resolute commitment to innovation has been rewarded by several awards such as “Seal of Excellence”, a prize for the effectiveness and innovation of its virtual reality solutions. It was given by the European Multimedia Forum (EMF) consecutively in 2009 and 2010. In the field of education, Virtualware was one of the first companies awarded with the Escuela 2.0 Seal. This is a seal of distinction for quality awarded by the Ministry of Education that recognizes its commitment and ties with the development and improvement of the quality of education through ICTs. Additionally, it recently received one of the Ficod 2011 Awards given out by the International Forum for Digital Content for the most innovative initiatives in the field of digital content.