Established in 1988, The Computerworld Honors Program (formerly the Smithsonian Award) brings together the principals of the world's foremost information technology companies to recognize and document the achievements of the men, women, organizations and institutions around the world, whose visionary applications of information technology promote positive social, economic and educational change.
Each year, members of the Computerworld Honors Chairmen's Committee, a group of 100 Chairmen/CEOs from leading global IT companies (Microsoft-Bill Gates, Research in Motion - Jim Balsillie, Oracle - Larry J. Ellison, Yahoo!- Terry S. Semel, Intel-Craig Barrett, Hitachi - Etsuhiko Shoyama, Dell - Michael Dell, America Online - Randel A. Falco, AT&T - Randall L. Stephenson, Panasonic - Yoshi Yamada, to name a few) submit nominations for organizations they feel demonstrated extraordinary use of information technology in 10 distinct categories of industry-related endeavor. The categories are: Business & Related Services; Education & Academia; Environment; Energy & Agriculture; Finance, Insurance and Real Estate; Government; Healthcare; Manufacturing; Media, Arts & Entertainment; Non-Profit Organizations; and Transportation. PensEyeView.com falls in the Media, Arts & Entertainment category.
Laureates' achievements are recognized at two distinct events, which occur on the same day in June. During the Laureate Medal Ceremony, Case Studies are formally inducted into the Program's International Archives, and honorees are presented with a medallion inscribed with the Program's mission, "A Search for New Heroes." Later that day, Laureates join members of the Chairmen's Committee and other industry luminaries for the Gala Awards Evening. At that evening event, additional honors are given to 50 Finalists - 5 Laureates from each of the 10 categories, whose Case Studies were selected by Program Judges to be outstanding innovations within the information technology field. That field is narrowed further with the presentation of the 21st Century Achievement Awards. These awards are given to only one Finalist in each category, singled out for special recognition by the Program Judges to be the very best among their peers.