Fukuoka Ruby Award Winners
2012 Fukuoka Ruby Award
The competition received a total of 82 entries 9 countries. As the result of Preliminary Evaluation and Final Selection, one Grand Prize, three Outstanding Performance Awards, five special awards, and eight Fukuoka Innovator Awards were given.
Grand Prize:
ThinReports
Matsukei Co., Ltd. (Shimane)
This form generation system innovating the complicated systems development distinctive of Japan displays a high degree of completion.
Outstanding Performance Awards:
MOGOK
Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (Tokyo)
As a domestically-made Ruby development platform, the impact on industry promises to be large. It is still under development, but completion is expected.
Joruri Gw (Joruri Groupware)
IDS Inc. / Information Systems Section, Planning and General Affairs Department, Tokushima Prefectural Government (Tokushima)
This open source groupware compatible with organizations on a scale of ten thousand people, such as local communities, demonstrates rich functionality and ease of implementation.
Wakame
Axsh Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)
This virtual data center is a novel and promising experiment in cloud services.
Special Awards:
Engine Yard Award
Gene information analysis platform: Genome Sphere
Manycolors Inc. (Fukuoka)
This platform applying the merits of Ruby into the research field of genetic information analysis has a considerable social impact.
Yukihiro Matsumoto Ruby Leadership Award
CloudFoundry
VMware, Inc. (U.S.A)
For a global company based in Silicon Valley to develop a product using Ruby has an impact on industry.
Silicon Valley Ruby Innovator Award
Banjo
Banjo, Inc. (U.S.A)
This application integrating major worldwide social networking services such as Facebook and Twitter demonstrates great usability. Further expansion is expected.
Technology Award
fog
Wesley Beary（U.S.A)
As development of a Ruby library compatible with a variety of cloud services, this entry is expected to contribute to the spread of Ruby.
Technology Award
MobiCloud
Kno.e.sis Center (U.S.A)
As a cloud-based application development framework, MobiCloud is expected to increase the number of Ruby developers.
Fukuoka Innovator Awards:
The following were selected for promising efforts that contribute to the spread of Ruby in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Fukuoka Prefecture Corporate Location Information Site CMS
photo91
Plug-in for Cooperative Use of Ruby on Rails and FileMaker: RfmAdaptor
Zeeble
Home Medical Equipment Support System
Nihon Computer Consultant Co., Ltd.
Cloud-type Electronic Medical Record Data Evacuation System for Use in Times of Disaster
Yamazaki Laboratory, Industrial Science and Technology Department, Kinki University
WaRKS (Waiting Room Kiosk and Screen)
Electronic Portfolio System: Ediea
2011 Fukuoka Ruby Award
The competition received a total of 79 entries, with 48 from Japan and 31 from overseas (9 countries including the U.S.A., Germany, China, and others). As the result of Preliminary Evaluation and Final Selection, one Grand Prize, three Outstanding Performance Awards, three Fukuoka Innovator Awards, and three Special Awards were given.
Grand Prize:
monkey magic – Managing Clouds
EC-One, Inc. (Fukuoka)
Cloud computing environments have come to be considered an important infrastructure in recent years. Monkey Magic is a management system that regulates the burden arising from complicated and large-scale systems, providing comfortable service over the Internet in such environments. Not only is it convenient, but it makes possible the maximum use of cloud computing environments, which are increasingly common. Uses in business are expected.
Outstanding Performance Awards:
youRoom
Sonic Garden (Tokyo)
YouRoom is a miniblog-style Web application that specializes in sharing information in groups. The free service allows users to share private information with multiple members. Agile software development quickly reflecting user demands since service began has demonstrated thorough use of Ruby’s high productivity from development through operation.
Joruri: An Open-source CMS for Local Authority Websites
IDS inc., Tokushima Prefectural Government (Tokushima)
Joruri is an open-source CMS with all the functions necessary for constructing websites for local authorities. Sample data is provided at no cost, so creating a website for a local authority is easy. Ruby promotional activities are also underway and plans exist for releasing templates for university websites.
ZENPRE: Presentation Streaming Service
Fusic Co., Ltd. (Fukuoka)
Zenpre is a Web service for displaying and viewing slide shows and video presentations. The service delivers crisp materials and presentations in real time to distant viewers and allows presentations to be saved for later viewing. The service is free, and a broad range of applications in lectures and by study groups are expected.
Fukuoka Innovator Awards:
EIR: A Support System for Regional Medical Cooperation Using iPhone to Link Caregivers
Lighthouse Corp (Fukuoka)
EIR is a support system for sharing information among doctors, nurses, and other caregivers who visit patients in their homes. It is compatible with mobile devices such as smartphones and aims to improve the quality of regional team health care provision through the convenient sharing of patients’ medical information.
GeoIME: Location-linked Japanese Input System
Kyushu University (Fukuoka)
GeoIME is a “considerate” conversion system for Japanese-language input that automatically displays a list of likely conversions for text based on the user’s location. By focusing on the circumstances of users—whose choice of words, such as place names, will change depending on where they are—the innovative effort aims to simplify Japanese input on handheld devices.
Rapid System for Voting and Vote Counting in Fukuoka Elections
Local Authority UML Group (Fukuoka)
The applicant is conducting activities with the goal of increasing efficiency in work done by local authorities. The project is a model of system development for tabulation in voting and vote counting, in which differences between local authorities are difficult to notice. As such, this project promotes greater efficiency in work done by local authorities as well as improvement in services provided for residents.
Special Awards:
rurema
ClearCode Inc. (Tokyo)
Rurema Search is a Web application for rapidly searching the Ruby Reference Manual (Rurema). With its search function focusing on Ruby, it is a useful dictionary tool for Ruby programmers. As a system based on a thorough understanding of Ruby’s features, allowing users to perform such tasks as search individual versions of Ruby, the application contributes to the spread of Ruby.
Contributions to the Release of Ruby 1.9.2
Yusuke Endo (Kanagawa)
The applicant made progress toward the release of Ruby 1.9.2, the newest version of Ruby, by addressing and solving numerous problems that stood in the way. He has contributed to the spread of Ruby by achieving the release of Ruby 1.9.2, which was behind schedule.
Rails for Zombies
Envy Labs LLC. (U.S.A.)
Rails for Zombies is an online tutorial for easily learning the basics of programming with Ruby on Rails. The tutorial makes excellent use of Heroku, a Ruby on Rails cloud platform service provider. Use as a tool for spreading the use of Ruby is expected.
2010 Fukuoka Ruby Award
The competition received a total of 64 entries, with 46 from Japan and 18 from overseas (7 countries including the U.S.A., England, Australia, and others). As the result of Preliminary Evaluation and Final Selection, one Grand Prize, four Outstanding Performance Awards, three Fukuoka Innovator Awards, and two Special Awards were given.
Grand Prize:
Rhodes: A Ruby-based Framework for Developing Native Smartphone Apps
Rhomobile, Inc. (U.S.A.)
Rhodes is software for developing applications for smartphones, which have shown increased popularity in recent years. It is available for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Symbian. As it removes the necessity of separate development for each OS, it significantly cuts down on the cost and length of development. This framework is expected to be expanded for business use as an incredibly effective tool in development for smartphones.
Outstanding Performance Awards:
Construction of a Web Application Foundation Using the OSS Technology RoR with the Goal of Moving Mitsubishi Corporation's Notes DB
IT Frontier Corporation (Tokyo)
Ruby is being used for system development of the Web application to serve as the foundation for Mitsubishi Corporation’s enterprise system. Examples of using Ruby in an enterprise system have been extremely rare, but the application demonstrated no problems in performance serving as the basis for a corporation’s enterprise system and thus provides an incredibly useful example.
Skip
TIS Inc. (Tokyo)
Skip is an SNS for internal organizational change. Using Ruby in development and operation of an SNS, which requires constant improvement based on user input, can achieve an SNS with a high degree of user satisfaction. Since being released as open source software in June 2008, it has been downloaded over 3,000 times and is now seeing use by a variety of organizations from large corporations to universities.
EasyPack for Google Apps
i3 Systems, Inc. (Fukuoka)
i3 Systems is using Ruby to develop EasyPack for Google Apps. EasyPack is a collection of seven products for effectively using Google Apps, a group of cloud applications that excel at managing e-mail, schedules, and other data at companies and organizations. By managing address books and providing access restrictions, both necessary for corporate systems, these products increase the efficiency of corporate activities.
Children's Ruby Project: Using Ruby on Rails the Next Generation of Human Resources for Carrying japan into the Future as One of the World's Most Advanced Countries in IT
Mitaka Town Management Organization (Tokyo)
This is Japan’s first effort to teach elementary and junior high school students programming. It focuses on the efficiency of Ruby as a teaching material in science and IT education of the next generation. The project plans to expand into development of an education curriculum in which everyone from elementary school children to working adults can learn Ruby.
Fukuoka Innovator Awards:
EC-Rider
EC-One, Inc. (Fukuoka)
EC-Rider is highly customizable open-source software developed using Ruby for constructing and operating e-commerce websites. As a package for rapidly developing e-commerce sites matching the needs of businesses as well as markets, it is expected to play a role in product sales.
Roodle
SEIKO IT Solution Co., Ltd. (Fukuoka)
Roodle is an open-source system that combines the e-learning system platform LMS (learning management system) with HRM (human resources management). As the first open-source system to possess both features, it is expected to find use in education.
DICOMini
SEIKOTEC Co.,Ltd. (Fukuoka)
DICOMini is a management system for medical imaging such as CT, MRI, and CR. Management systems for medical images have generally been introduced at large hospitals like university hospitals, but using Ruby encourages use by small-scale medical facilities for improvement of the services they provide.
Cloud Special Awards:
Framing the Business Cases for Rails: The ARC Model
Pivotal Labs, Inc. (U.S.A.)
By proposing agile development integrating Ruby’s productivity with cloud computing technology, the progress of which promises to continue accelerating, this model displays potential for revolutionizing business.
Wakame: An Open-source Cloud Controller (1)(2)
axsh Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)
This company is developing Japan’s first software for fully automating administrative tasks in data center businesses using cloud computing technology.
2009 Fukuoka Ruby Award
The first Fukuoka Ruby Award Competition received a total of 78 entries, with 58 from Japan and 20 from overseas (7 countries including the U.S.A., England, Spain, and others). As the result of Preliminary Evaluation and Final Selection, one Grand Prize, three Outstanding Performance Awards, and three Fukuoka Innovator Awards were given.
Grand Prize:
Climate Information Tool Kit (CLIK)
APEC Climate Center (South Korea)
The Climate Information Took Kit (CLIK) is a climate information system. It predicts disaster-causing climate changes with the goal of reducing human suffering and economic loss in developing nations to the absolute minimum. Climate change scientists developed the system using Ruby. Use of the application is free, allowing provision of accurate predictions in developing nations without requiring expensive technology or human investment.
Outstanding Performance Awards:
9Arrows
9Arrows (Fukuoka)
9Arrows is software for sharing and managing information on project progress. Not only is it compatible with projects consisting of a single organization, but it is also compatible with projects being carried out at multiple locations by multiple organizations. This project invigorates Ruby-related businesses and seeks to produce software that will be used worldwide, so it is available as an open-source program. It totals approximately 11,000 downloads in 75 countries and possesses approximately 5,000 registrants/users.
Town Management Encyclopedia-Ruby Library Information System
Mitaka Town Management (Tokyo)
This is a library information system developed at low cost using Ruby. It connects multiple public libraries over the Internet, allowing quick search and management of approximately 700,000 items of library information. Libraries that have adopted the system release and offer support for the program and cultivate Ruby technicians for local IT corporations. As an effort toward self-sustained system management and operation and maintenance in those areas, this project contributes to the spread of Ruby.
Puppet-Systems Building Systems
Luke Kanies (U.S.A.)
Puppet is a tool for integrated management of settings related to security and operation of multiple computers. So that anyone can use it, the tool is available as an open-source software, thereby contributing to the spread of Ruby. Paid support is also available for construction of enterprise systems that require constant stable operation.
Fukuoka Innovator Awards:
Measuring Equipment Relay System for CPFCS (Cell Processing Factory Control System)
SEIKOTEC Co.,Ltd. (Fukuoka)
This system is installed in microcomputers that store the results of cell cultivation incubator temperature and air cleanliness measurements in the databases of cell processing factory control systems. It is an incredibly useful example of using Ruby to develop software for embedded applications, to which Ruby has not commonly been considered applicable.
AIMS: A Safe and Secure E-mail System for PTA Notifications (mamori & miteru)
MOTO:TAKER (Fukuoka)
AIMS (Miteru and Mamori) is a service that uses e-mail to provide a communication network for PTAs. Since PTA officers change each year, the design is simple and operation can reflect local circumstances. It is not a commercial service, but rather a free service provided by volunteers. Ruby is used so that maintenance and operation can be as versatile as possible.
ediea: An Electronic Portfolio System for Universities Toward Developing Human Resources who Act Voluntarily
HAW International Inc. (Fukuoka)
This is an integrated self-management system for assisting university students in voluntarily pursuing their own growth. It uses Ruby to realize functions for compiling results and progress, compiling guidance histories, and analyzing trends in university performance management and study.
