MINNEAPOLIS -- Nov. 10, 2004 -- Digital River, Inc. (NASDAQ:DRIV), a global leader in e-commerce outsourcing, today announced it was named as an award recipient in the Technology Services category at the 2004 Tekne Awards held at the Minneapolis Convention Center on November 9, 2004. The Tekne Awards recognize Minnesota's outstanding technology achievements and leaders.
"We are honored to be not only selected as a recipient of a 2004 Tekne Award, but also recognized among technology innovators in Minnesota," said Joel Ronning, CEO of Digital River. "It is my privilege to receive this award on behalf of the talented associates at Digital River. Under the strong leadership of our management team, the associates at Digital River have pushed the technology envelope to deliver a world-class global e-commerce solution that continues to be acknowledged as a market leader."
Sponsored jointly by The Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) and Minnesota Technology, Inc. (MTI) - and in partnership with Medical Alley, MNBIO and Minnesota Project Innovation - the Tekne Awards recognize technology innovators and leaders who have made lasting contributions to enhancing the quality of life and competitiveness of Minnesota.
"Earning a Tekne Award is a strong indicator of achievement and leadership in Minnesota's competitive technology sectors," said Dr. Wayne Pletcher, president and CEO, Minnesota Technology, Inc. "We're very proud to honor homegrown successes like Digital River because its efforts help strengthen our entire industry, adding to the success of our business environment and our state's economy."
"Since we first started this program five years ago, it has grown to become a respected honor for our state's technology innovators and leaders," said Kate Rubin, president, Minnesota High Tech Association. "All of our 2004 Tekne Award recipients and finalists are living proof of the vital, thriving technology climate here in Minnesota."
Tekne Awards are separated into emerging and established company categories, recognizing the best and brightest in innovation, development, education, commercialization and management of technology in Minnesota. This year's awards featured 51 finalists in 17 categories. A list of all recipients and finalists is available online at www.tekneawards.org.
About Digital River, Inc.
Digital River, Inc., a global leader in e-commerce outsourcing, builds and manages online businesses for more than 40,000 software publishers, manufacturers, distributors and online retailers. Its multi-channel e-commerce solution, which supports both direct and indirect sales, is designed to help companies of all sizes maximize online revenues as well as reduce the costs and risks of running an e-commerce operation. The company's comprehensive platform offers site development and hosting, order management, fraud prevention, site merchandising, advanced reporting and analytics, product fulfillment, e-marketing and multi-lingual customer service.
Founded in 1994, Digital River is headquartered in Minneapolis with offices in Chicago, Mountain View, California, London, and Cologne, Germany. For more details about Digital River, visit the corporate Web site at www.digitalriver.com or call 952-253-1234.
About Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA)
The Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) accelerates the growth, success and sustainability of Minnesota's technology-based economy through public policy advocacy, member collaboration and education, and community outreach. MHTA is the only membership organization that represents Minnesota's entire technology-based economy. MHTA members include organizations of every size - involved in virtually every aspect of technology creation, production, application and education in Minnesota. MHTA works in partnership with AeA, which represents Minnesota's technology organizations nationally. Find out more online at www.mhta.org.
About Minnesota Technology Inc. (MTI)
Minnesota Technology Inc. (MTI) is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization with the mission of helping its business customers gain competitive advantages, supporting their growth, and contributing to Minnesota's economic vitality. MTI fulfills this work through a statewide staff of expert professionals who have tested expertise across a wide variety of business, technology, manufacturing, engineering, publishing and research disciplines. Over the last three years, MTI has helped nearly 2,000 Minnesota companies and made a significant economic impact. It helped create and retain over 2,500 jobs, saved its clients more than $70 million, and helped generate $80 million in new technology investments. For more information visit www.minnesotatechnology.org.
