As thesoftware industry gears up for next month's Software 2007 Conference, M.R.Rangaswami and his Sand Hill Group have published their annual list ofInnovation Showcase winners. In M.R.'s own words:

"Thisyear's Showcase winners illustrate that innovation is alive and well in thesoftware space," said M.R. Rangaswami, Sand Hill Group co-founder and Software2007 executive conference director. "Of the 20 Showcase companies selected lastyear, nine have been acquired or received funding in the eight months since theevent. Whether looking for funding, launching a company or product or justtelling the world about a great new idea, Showcase gives these novel companiesa stage to introduce their concepts to an audience of key participants in thesoftware ecosystem."

I planon spending considerable time profiling some of these companies in the coming months,but for now, here is the list in alphabetical order for your perusal:

• Accruent, Inc. -- Accruent provides real estate management solutions to a broad range of customers

• Alfresco Software, Inc. -- Alfresco provides open source enterprise content management solutions

• Atlantis Computing, Inc -- Atlantis provides a suite of web-based productivity applications, as a service

• Black Duck Software, Inc. -- Black Duck provides software compliance solutions for a management and licensing of software assets

• Brightidea.com -- Brightidea.com provides a suite of tools to help track and foster innovation management

• ClusterSeven, Inc. -- ClusterSeven provides tools to monitor Excel-based activities within large organizations

• Compulink Systems -- CompuLink provides project management solutions to services-driven enterprises

• Initiate Systems, Inc. -- Initiate provides solutions for customer data management

• IntraLinks, Inc. -- IntraLinks provides secure, web-based workspaces for on-demand, time-sensitive business processes

• IT Mill Ltd. -- IT Mill provides enterprise web design services and tools

• Ketera Technologies, Inc. -- Ketera provides spend management solutions, as a service

• MessageOne, Inc. -- MessageOne provides business continuity solutions

• Parature, Inc. -- Parature provides help desk and customer service software as an on demand service

• Persystent Technologies -- Persystent provides desktop management, availability and compliance solutions

• Plexus Systems, Inc. -- Plexus provides supply-chain management solutions to manufacturing companies, as a service

• QL2 Software, Inc. -- QL2 provides data extraction and capture solutions

• QlikTech International AB -- QlikTech provides low-cost, easy-to-implement BI tools
• rPath -- rPath provides tools to create and distribute software appliances

• Serus Corporation -- Serus provides workforce management solutions to manage technology outsourcing initiatives

• SpringCM -- SpringCM provides web-based document management

• SuccessFactors, Inc. -- SuccessFactors provides on-demand talent and human capital management solutions

• Transparency Software, Inc. -- Transparency provides database audit and compliance solutions

• WorkLight -- WorkLight leverages web 2.0 technologies to provide simplified access to important data

• Xactly Corporation -- Xactly provides on-demand sales compensation and performance management solutions
• Zantaz, Inc. -- Zantaz provides on-demand solutions for compliance, archiving and electronic discovery

Congratulations to all the companies mentioned, you can be sure that at least a handful of these companies will be forces to be reckoned with in the near future if M.R.'s track record is any indication.

Note: I and/or funds I maintain discretionary control over have a passive investment interest in SuccessFactors.

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