A BURY technology company has reached the finals of the prestigious 2021 UK National Innovation Awards.

Avoira, which is based in Pennine House on Salford Street, Bury, has been shortlisted in the Remote Employee Productive and Performance category.

The companies’ entry centres on an integrated speech analytics, contact centre and telephony proposition. Using a direct proprietary interface this marries the Xdroid machine learning and artificial intelligence powered real-time voice analytics with Noetica’s software platform.

“Reaching the finals is an achievement in itself,” said Avoira’s CX practice director, Steve Watts. “Uniquely, the National Innovation Awards are judged by senior business leaders whose workplace experience and expertise relates directly to each category. They are all about real-world application and demonstrable benefits.”

Launched in 2016 by the Directors Club United Kingdom, the awards recognise technology innovations and their impact on customer experience, operational performance and employee engagement.

30 judges will remotely assess Avoira's entry through a video presentation. The winner will then be announced on Tuesday, May 11 at a webcast gala presentation.

This year the awards are centred on technology innovations that improve 'Work from Home' capability, productivity or experience.

Jon Snow, chair of the Directors Club and convenor of the judges, said: “Remote working from living rooms, kitchens, attics and garden sheds has enabled the UK to avoid a much deeper and more prolonged economic shock during the pandemic. "The technologies that power and underpin this work from anywhere revolution deserve recognition and celebration.

“Congratulations to all the finalists and a big thanks to all the entrants. This competition has shown the depth of creativity out there in the tech universe.

“Key legacies of this pandemic will be more flexible and geographically diverse labour pools, more inclusive home-based work opportunities, and greater work-life balance."