Your trusted source

The co-inventor of the iPod and founder of Nest Labs Tony Fadell was named the 7th winner of the RA Presidential Award for the global contribution to the area of Information Technologies (IT). The name of the winner was announced at a press conference on Thursday at the Presidential Palace. It was noted that Fadell is the youngest awardee who ever received the award.

To note, the RA Presidential Award in the area of Information Technologies was established by executive order of President Sargsyan and is intended to boost the development of the IT area. The annual award is bestowed on the individuals who have made outstanding contribution to the IT area, whose input – technological, educational, administrative, and financial or other has resulted in the significant advancement in the IT area.

A Lebanese-American inventor, Tony Fadell is a designer, entrepreneur, and angel investor. He served as the Senior Vice President of the iPod division at Apple Inc. from March 2006 to November 2008 and is known as "one of the fathers of the iPod" for his work on the first generations of Apple's music player. In May 2010, he founded Nest Labs, which announced its first product, the Nest Learning Thermostat, in October 2011 Nest was acquired by Google in January 2014 for $3.2 billion.

The Head of the Award Committee, the Chief of Staff of the RA President’s Office Armen Gevorgyan highlighted Fadell’s the valuable contribution to the development of the global IT sector 

“The award also has a symbolic meaning, as it features the prospects of the IT sector development in Armenia, aiming to make Armenia recognizable as a county making serious progress in the area,” Gevorgyan said, adding Fadell will be hosted in Armenia to receive the award.

The nomination was carried out by the Award Committee appointed by the President of Armenia and by the international selection commission. The Award comprises the Medal symbolizing Armenia and high technologies, a diploma and a symbolic souvenir.

Established in 2009, the award was first bestowed on the former President of the Board of Directors of the Intel Corporation Craig Barrett in 2010, the second was awarded Steve Wozniak – cofounder of the Apple Computers Corporation in 2011, the third went to the Honorary President of Synaptics Federico Faggine in 2012, the fourth – to the President of the Union of Semiconductors Manufacturers Experts, President of Techno Vision and former CEO of the Hitachi Company Tsugio Makimoto, and the fifth award went to Mario Mazzola – Chief Development Officer of Cisco Company. Evgeni Kaspersky was the winner of the previous, sixth award.