BY BETTY JESPERSEN

Staff Writer

Two central Maine businesses were recognized last week as being among the state's most innovative technology companies.

TechMaine, at its annual awards ceremony in Portland, presented Insyt New Media, of Farmington, with the Best of the Web Award in Arts & Entertainment; and Blue Marble Geographics, of Gardiner, with the Governor's Award for Technology Company of the Year.

TechMaine, or the Technology Association of Maine, is the statewide trade association for Maine's technology industries.

"The Technology Award Gala is TechMaine's vehicle to honor the technology talent we have in the state," says Joe Kumiszcza, TechMaine's executive director.

"Maine's technology sector continues to grow, and we are seeing Maine companies becoming more and more globally successful," Kumiszcza said.

Blue Marble is an example of a solid, successful small technology business that has stayed in the state and trains and employs technology graduates, Kumiszcza said.

Blue Marble President Patrick Cunningham said Maine is known as a state with a strong background in surveying and mapping technology, and his company has experienced continued exceptional growth in both profitability and revenues over the past four years.

"We have been able to expand with a great team of talented technologists that want to stay and work in Maine," he said.

Blue Marble is a mapping software company that has been in Maine for 15 years and now has 25 full-time employees.

"One of the things we were concerned about as we were going through a big growth phase was whether we could find enough skilled technical people to work here," Cunningham said.

"Maine has a terrific workforce of overeducated and underemployed people and we have been able to find most of our engineers and developers right out of the university system," Cunningham said.

He said Blue Marble's record growth was done without the help of outside venture capital or funding, but that not all new tech companies can do that. It is crucial, he said, for Maine to create a state-backed venture capital fund to give technology companies a leg up.

"If this state is going to grow the technology industry, something has to be done," he said.

Insyt New Media's founder, Peter Roberts, of Industry, said the Metro Mama Web site his company designed targets the Worcester, Mass., area and is designed for moms on the go.

The site, www.metromama.com, is easy to use, has a look and feel that appeals to young mothers and is pleasing to the eye. It has information and resources on party planning and education, and is updated daily to include news and local events.

Insyt is a new media company with eight full-time employees that Roberts started in 2001 while still in school at the University of Maine's New Media program in Orono. His clients now include Rossignol, Maine Huts & Trails, BioEdge Fishing Products, Beagle Wear, Saddleback Mountain, Bristol Seafoods and Magic Falls Rafting Co.

"This is the third Best of the Web Awards we have won and we were nominated for three this year," Roberts said. "What we do is deliver high-end screen and print-based solutions to clients with a niche in the outdoors market."

The awards were presented May 20 in Portland.

Betty Jespersen --778- 6991

bjespersen@centralmaine.com