Local Microsoft ISVs and resellers took home a swag of awards from Microsoft’s annual worldwide partner conference, held last week in New Orleans.

Of the 17 awards the software giant presented at the partner conference, local companies had a good showing.

North Sydney-based company, Professional Advantage, won the Microsoft Business Solutions "partner’s choice award” for the third year running. This award recognises those Microsoft partners that extend the functionality of its Business Solutions products (Great Plains, Axapta).

“It may be the third time in a row but we never get tired of the recognition and feedback and will never take it for granted,” joint managing director, Derek Rippingdale, said.

Professional Advantage also took out a Microsoft award for ERP reseller of the year.

Perth-founded ISV Brookstone bagged an award for its “Brookstone Virtual Office” suite of products, named .Net packaged application of the year.

The application consists of several modules covering such business functionality as contact management, help desk, project management and human resources.

The software uses several Microsoft technologies – such as Outlook and Sharepoint – to extend such functionality to mobile devices (e.g. PocketPC devices and SmartPhones).

Director, John Stockbridge, said it was the second time Brookstone’s software has been recognised at the event.

He said Brookstone was actively seeking expressions of interest from distributors and resellers in Australia for the software.

Sydney-based MBS reseller, Eclipse Computing, took out the regional award of “Outstanding Partner South Pacific”.

Of particular note was Eclipse’s success with the Axapta product, which it only took on in July 2002.

Within eight months the company built Microsoft’s largest Axapta practice in the region.

Aston Business Solutions was named Global Partner of the Year.