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CloudNOW's Top Women in Cloud Awards Recognize Thought Leaders and Tech Pioneers

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CloudNOW, a nonprofit executive consortium of the leading women in cloud computing, announced during Cloud Connect Santa Clara today, the first annual CloudNOW Awards presented to 10 outstanding women in cloud computing for their contributions, accomplishments and thought leadership.

"It was amazing and gratifying to have the caliber of candidates participate in our first annual awards," said Jocelyn DeGance Graham, founder of CloudNOW. "As we continue to fulfill on our mission, we plan to expand the awards next year to recognize the outstanding contributions of more women in the cloud and further the reach of women in technology."

Cloud Connect was chosen as the venue to announce the awards because it is the premier cloud event of the year. The event is an ideal platform to recognize the contributions of women, bringing together all constituents of the cloud computing industry, with a program rich in all aspects of cloud computing and committed to enriching the cloud conversation.

"Cloud computing is going through an exciting and vibrant evolution and many of the leading participants are women," said Bernard Golden, CloudNOW Advisory Board. "Fostering conversations and collaboration on cloud computing is critical and an organization that provides an opportunity for that discussion is an excellent addition to the ecosystem."

The following women in cloud computing were honored with CloudNOW Top Women in Cloud Awards:

    --  Padmasree Warrior, CTO, Cisco
    --  Lauren States, CTO of Cloud Computing, IBM
    --  Vanessa Alvarez, Analyst, Infrastructure and Operations, Forrester
        Research
    --  Jamie Dos Santos, President of Terremark, a Verizon company
    --  Jill T. Singer, CIO of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
    --  Becky Swain, Founder of the Cloud Security Alliance
    --  Lori MacVittie, Senior Technical Analyst, F5 Networks
    --  Ellen Rubin, Founder of CloudSwitch, Terremark, a Verizon company
    --  Dawn Leaf, Senior Executive for Cloud Computing, NIST
    --  Jamie Erbes, Cloud Labs Director, HP Fellow, HP

"We are excited about the alliance between Cloud Connect and CloudNOW. CloudNOW represents the future of women in tech organizations and is a voice that we are proud to have uniquely represented at our Conference," said Steve Wylie, general manager of Cloud Connect.

CloudNOW is the only nonprofit women in tech initiative focused on cloud as the main IT conversation promoting women in tech without isolating them from the industry at large.

About the CloudNOW

CloudNOW (cloudnetworkofwomen.com) is a non-profit consortium of the leading women in cloud computing, focused on using technology for the overall professional development of women from around the world by providing a forum for networking, knowledge sharing, mentoring, and economic growth.

CloudNOW offers members the opportunity to creatively approach the technological challenges of cloud today, working in partnership with the tech industry, cloud visionaries, and global media. Our membership comes from cloud service providers such as IBM, Terremark, Cisco, HP, Intel, and Salesforce, as well as successful startups, the tech media, and noted analysts.

Membership is free; all that is required is a passion for cloud, and a belief in using technology as a tool for positive change, economic equality, and social justice. Opportunities are available for corporations and special interest group liaisons covering such topics as security, sustainability, and deep technical forums.

About Cloud Connect

Cloud Connect, produced by UBM TechWeb, is the defining event of the cloud computing industry. As both a conference and an exhibition, Cloud Connect's goal is to chart the course of cloud computing's development by bringing together enterprise IT professionals, developers, infrastructure and service providers and cloud computing innovators. UBM TechWeb has produced cloud events that define and frame cloud computing discussions since June 2008, and recently expanded the Cloud Connect event brand to Chicago and Bangalore, India, in addition to the flagship Santa Clara event. Cloud Connect is a one-of-a-kind event that encompasses the entire cloud computing ecosystem featuring a Launch Pad program, IT & Developer workshops and a full conference program. For more information visit: www.cloudconnectevent.com.

SOURCE CloudNOW