Nominations are now open for Best of Interop 2013 in Las Vegas. The Best of Interop awards recognize innovative products and services from exhibitors at the show. The competition includes eight categories (listed below), and the winners will be announced on the show floor on May 7th. This year the show introduces the Audience Choice award, in which attendees pick their favorite product from the category winners.

I've served as a judge for Best of Interop for several years. It’s a chance to dig into the compelling products that have emerged over the past 12 months. Most interesting are the debates among the judges. We’re all on the lookout for products and services that advance the state of the art, but we also have our quirks. Some lean toward practical, if incremental, improvements (hey, look at all the ports they added!) while others are drawn to bold, and potentially risky, ideas that shake up the status quo (SDN). This makes for some interesting conversations.