SWINDON'S British Computer Society has invited more firms from the town to enter its annual awards.

The BCS IT Professional Awards are seen as the Oscars of the computing world.

Last year almost 800 people attended and 22 awards were given out.

With Swindon being home to the society, it is keen that the town's reputation as an IT hotspot bolstered not just by multinationals like Intel but by small owner-managed firms is borne out by a crop of awards.

BCS president David Morriss said: "We are expecting an increase in entries again this year as more and more people recognise the BCS IT Professional Awards as the best way to gain recognition for industry best practice.

"The awards are intended to mirror the constant changes in the IT industry.

"This year we are recognising developments in the rapidly growing mobile computing sector and will continue last year's focus on women in IT, which remains as timely an issue as ever."

There are five categories: The technology awards look at excellence in computing in the context of business value and social benefit.

Business achievement awards are concern with finding the best management team.

Individual excellence awards include categories such as young IT practitioner of the year, director and business analyst.

The president's awards are chosen at the discretion of Mr Morriss and will highlight mobile computing and women.

And the flagship award features the most deserving of the winners from the night, as well as awards innovation.

Entry has now opened for all of the categories in the awards.

And there are a series of different deadlines for entries, starting from March 24.

Applicants must first register their application with the BCS through www.bcs.org and submitting a £50 fee.

After judging by industry experts and academics, medallists will be chosen and the winners will come from this shortlistedgroup.

The awards will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Park Lane in London on Thursday, September 29.

The awards, which are run in conjunction with Computer Weekly magazine, are growing last year there was a 55 per cent increase in entries.

They were launched in their current format in 2003.

The BCS is represented in more than 100 countries.