Company: iolo technologies, Los Angeles, CA
Company Description: iolo technologies, a privately held firm founded in 1998 and located in Los Angeles, produces award-winning software that repairs, optimizes, and protects computers running Windows, including System Mechanic, the #1 best-selling PC tune-up product, Search and Recover and DriveScrubber. Consistently placed on Deloitte's Fast 50 list from 2004 to 2007, iolo saw growth of 80 percent in 2008.
Nomination Category: Company Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Fastest-Growing Company of the Year

Nomination Title: iolo technologies

Tell the story about what this nominated company achieved since January 1 2008 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

Founded in 1998 with only a few hundred dollars from its founder’s savings
account, iolo technologies produces award-winning software to repair, optimize,
and protect computers running Windows. Privately held, always self-funded,
debt-free, and profitable since inception, iolo has been one of the fastest
growing companies in the Southern California region for over ten years now,
consistently ranking on Deloitte Fast 50 list of the fastest growing companies
every year from 2004-2007. This groundbreaking company has successfully
established a new software category – PC tune-up software – and taken on some of
the largest consumer software companies, such as Symantec, to ultimately
establish itself as the worldwide leader. iolo technologies now commands 66
percent of the PC tune-up market in both the US and Canada.

With a concerted retail launch that began in 2004, iolo’s products are now sold
in 18,000 storefronts including all major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Costco,
Target, Best Buy, Office Depot, Staples, among others, throughout the Unites
States and 13 other countries around the globe.  In 2009, iolo estimates its
worldwide user base at approximately 22 million.

According to the most recent NPD Reports data in 2008, iolo achieved revenue
increase of 63 percent, despite a sharp worldwide recession and an overall
decline of 16 percent for the rest of the software industry. In 2009, with the
industry sales in further decline at 15 percent in both January and February,
iolo registered an average of 47 percent revenue growth over 2008, which
represents a 214 percent increase over the same period in February 2007.

iolo’s continued growth comes despite severe declines in the global and national
economy, 11.9 percent drop in new PC sales, the sharpest in history and nearly
three times worse than the previous worst drop in 2001 (Gartner), and
skyrocketing PC repairs, now accounting for more than 65 percent of service
calls (OnForce).

In addition to exponential growth, iolo has, since January 2008, also:
1)            Expanded its international presence to France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium,
Luxembourg and Australia, releasing local language versions in French, German
and Dutch and quickly taking #1 sales positions in four out of six of these
respective countries.
2)            Been the first utility software provider to make its products 64-bit and
Windows 7-compatible.
3)            Introduced several new significant improvements to its flagship PC tune-up
product, the #1 best-selling (according to NPD Reports) and
multiple-award-winning System Mechanic, currently at version 8.5. The product,
with a multitude of proprietary technologies developed in-house by iolo and
repeatedly recognized by the press as the “brand name to go with” and the “best
of breed” PC tune-up software, now includes ActiveCare®, a patent-pending
automatic proactive maintenance technology; a next-generation method for
dramatically improving Windows startup speeds; and DriveSense™, a window into
real-time hard-disk health.
4)            Released improved versions of Search and Recover™, its award-winning deleted
data recovery tool.
5)            Hired dozens of new employees and further expanded operations across the board.
6)            Actively advocated green and environmentally conscientious campaigns. For
example, 82 percent of computers in the US end up in landfills after only 30
months of use, mostly to make way for new technology. As part of its green
initiative, iolo is donating 2,000 copies of its System Mechanic and
DriveScrubber products to LA Shares, a non-profit materials reuse program in LA
County, and another 15,000 copies to National Cristina Foundation. iolo hopes
System Mechanic donations will help recipients use their aging computers for
longer, and DriveScrubber, its best-selling secure data removal tool, can
encourage donors to donate their PCs without worrying about the safety of any
sensitive data.
7)            Accomplished all of the above with zero outside capital or debt, relying
since inception on its own organic growth and revenue to fund business expansion.
8)            Remained consistently profitable for the 11th year in a row.

In 2009, the company is planning further international expansion, new product
releases and an even stronger focus on green campaigns. iolo continues to grow
and is poised for sustained growth and success because of its strong focus on
customer satisfaction, quality products, and very relevant technology, which
breathes new life into older PCs, keeps them operating in optimal condition for
longer and saves consumers and businesses much-needed cash.

List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

Los Angeles Business Journal profile story on iolo, 11/10/08:
http://www.iolo.com/promo/newsletter/dec/images/lajournal.pdf

Government Computer News gives System Mechanic the coveted “Reviewer’s Choice”
award and an A+ rating, 4/7/09:
http://gcn.com/Articles/2009/04/06/Lab-Review-SystemMechanic-8.5.aspx?Page=1

ComputerWorld says "System Mechanic remains the best bang for the buck. Norton
Utilities pales by comparison, which is too bad, given its illustrious history",
3/24/09:
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=Software&articleId=9129439&taxonomyId=18&pageNumber=3

NetworkWorld gives iolo's System Mechanic 5 out of 5 stars, 12/8/08:
http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2008/121008-cool-tools.html?page=1

NY1 TV enlists iolo as the main expert source for this segment on spring
cleaning for PCs, 3/24/09:
http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/technology/96171/spring-cleaning-also-applies-to-computers/Default.aspx

The Economist praises System Mechanic, 3/13/09:
http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13307789

Popular Mechanics exclusively mentions System Mechanic as the only commercial
product in this lengthy do-it-yourself article on speeding up PC boot times, 3/1/09:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how_to/4306154.html

Channel Insider names System Mechanic the "better utility" with "more complete"
information, 2/6/09:
http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Reviews/How-to-Fix-PC-Performance-Issues-with-Software-Utilities/

Business.com recommends to "go with the leader", iolo's "best selling" System
Mechanic that has "garnered great reviews", 2/5/09:
http://whatworksforbusiness.wordpress.com/2009/02/05/fixing-pooped-out-pcs-takes-priority-for-small-business/

Cape Cod Times describes iolo's System Mechanic as a "gem", "bargain to
boot" and "remarkably effective and cost-effective", 2/3/09:
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090203/BIZ/902030303

ZDNet praises iolo's efforts to extend PCs' life, 12/22/08:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/green/?p=1598

Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader of this nominated company:

Noah Rowles founded iolo technologies, LLC (www.iolo.com) in June 1998 at the
age of 25 with only a few hundred dollars from his personal savings account.
Weary of being the family and neighborhood tech-whiz-on-call, Rowles decided to
start a company dedicated to creating software that helps other people’s
computers run smoothly. 11 years later, Los Angeles-based iolo technologies has
defined, created, and taken the helm of this critical software category. With 66
percent of the US market share, it is now the leading PC tune-up software
company with more than 360 employees throughout multiple offices around the
globe. Today, its products are sold in 18,000 stores throughout 14 countries and
used by more than 22 million users worldwide.