Anita Borg Institute Honors Three ``Women of Vision''; Prominent Women in Technology to Receive Awards at Gala Inaugural Event.

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI) will honor the recipients of its first Women of Vision Awards at a gala reception and dinner for more than 500 attendees to be held this evening at San Jose's Fairmont Hotel. Three prominent individuals -- Radia Perlman, Sun Microsystems; Pamela Samuelson, University of California, Berkeley; and Janie Tsao, Cisco Systems -- will be honored for their accomplishments and contributions as women in technology in the categories of Innovation, Social Impact and Leadership, respectively. The event will feature keynote speaker Dr. John Hennessy, president of Stanford University and Susan Goldberg, executive editor of the San Jose Mercury News as master of ceremonies.

Event sponsors include Sun Microsystems (Gold), Cisco Systems (Silver) and EMC, Google, Guidant, HP, and NASA (Bronze).

ABI President and CEO Dr. Telle Whitney said, "Understanding that the United States faces critical global competitive challenges in technology leadership and innovation, ABI established the Women of Vision Awards to highlight, recognize and celebrate the achievements of women revolutionizing technology. Our three recipients exemplify a woman's individual capacity to excel at following her own vision, while making contributions that ensure a better future for all of us."

The three Women of Vision Award winners were selected from a field of more than 60 nominees, all of whom are women engaged in technology professions in industry, academia or government. Candidates for the Award are considered based on their records for (1) consistent, significant contributions to technology invention and application; (2) effecting positive changes in the ways in which technology impacts society; and (3) demonstrated leadership in the technology industry.

Selected in the category for Innovation is Radia Perlman, Ph.D., Senior Distinguished Engineer at Sun Microsystems. A prolific inventor with 70 patents granted and 50 in process, Perlman is honored for critical innovations in networking security, routing technologies and other contributions critical to the workings and expansion of the Internet. Among these is her invention of the Spanning Tree Algorithm, a ubiquitous and essential formula used by bridges and routers to make Internet links more efficient. The author of two widely used textbooks and numerous technical papers, Perlman has been recognized by Data Communications Magazine as one of the 20 most influential people in information technology. She received her Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Pamela Samuelson is the Women of Vision winner in the Social Impact category. Recognized for her work at the forefront of legal issues in the Internet age, Samuelson is Professor of Law and Information Management at the University of California, Berkeley. She is also a Chancellor's Professor and a Director of the University's Berkeley Center for Law & Technology. Widely published in the areas of copyright, software protection and cyber-law, she is credited with innovative thinking about the challenges that new information technologies pose for traditional legal systems on both a practical and Constitutional level. Samuelson's honors include fellowships with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM). She is also the co-founder of the Samuelson Law, Technology and Public Policy Clinic at UC-Berkeley.

For Leadership, the Women of Vision Award recognizes Janie Tsao, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Marketing and Business Development for the Linksys Division of Cisco Systems, Inc. Tsao was a co-founder of Linksys in 1988, driving the company's growth from start-up to market leader prior to its acquisition by Cisco in 2003 for $500 million. Her efforts to develop major sales outlets for the company's networking hardware have resulted in market leadership for Linksys, which now commands more than forty percent of the U.S. market for broadband routers, USB and networking equipment in both retail and e-commerce sales channels. Anticipating and responding to the rapid technological change in high-speed Internet access via wired or wireless solutions, Tsao has directed and structured innovative strategies and alliances for distribution, e-commerce and international channels. She has been honored as Inc. Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year and as one of BridgeGate's top 20 leaders in networking technology. Tsao received a BA degree from the University of Tamkang, Taiwan.

"This year's winners embody what is best in our community, our nation and our world," added ABI's Whitney. "Women, individually and collectively, have the power to improve our world and change the face of technology. These women are using that power in ways that have earned them a rightful place as role models for the next generation. They are truly 'Women of Vision,' and we are proud to honor them."

For more information: http://anitaborg.org/womenofvision/.

About the Anita Borg Institute

Founded in 1997, the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology is a nationally recognized organization dedicated to positioning women squarely into the mainstream of technology and innovation. The Institute accomplishes its goals through collaboration with industry, academic and government organizations. A growing list of leading corporations, including partners HP, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems and sponsors, IBM, Google and Cisco recognize that by investing in its programs to engage and develop technical women, they can achieve a more diverse, globally competitive workforce capable of producing higher levels of technology innovation and better financial performance. Partnering with these visionaries, as well as leading universities, government organizations and influential individual business and political leaders, the Institute is delivering programs that are changing the world for women and technology.

The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3): www.anitaborg.org.