In reviewing its 2008 Mobile Innovation Global Award entries at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the GSMA named Gesturetek the overall winner for its handset  interface. The judges said it would help improve the consumer experience on mobile handsets for menu navigation, content selection, gaming and other uses in the future.

“User experience has been a major headline within the mobile industry. GestureTek gives the mobile industry a great competitive interface that can be incorporated into many current and future handsets removing a significant barrier to consumers’ use of mobile devices today,” wrote the judges.

Entries submitted prior to the Barcelona event were reviewed by a panel of judges that included senior executives and managing partners from 3i, Carmel Ventures, Ericsson, Global View Partners, Rogers Wireless, SFR, Telecom Italia and Telefonica O2 Group.

The Mobile Innovation Global Awards are part of the GSMA’s Mobile

Innovation Marketplace, which encourages and promotes new ideas for the mobile industry by bringing together smaller companies developing innovative mobile products, industry investors and mobile operators.

The other category winners were:

• Most Innovative Wireless Device-centric Technology: Inside Contactless (France)
• Most Innovative Carrier Infrastructure or Platform: Flexenclosure (Sweden)
• Most Innovative Mobile Application in a Vertical Market: GestureTek (USA)
• Most innovative Consumer Application or Service: Tagattitude (France)
• Most Innovative True Mobile Start-Up: Audience (USA)