At the Gala for the First Award Ceremony for Telematics, Wednesday September 27^th 2006, DoRIS, the Austrian Inland Navigation Information System won the Award for the most convincing telematics solution among the 34 projects submitted. Among the 12 nominees, DoRIS was prized with the „Special Award“granted in addition to the two national awards. via donau demonstrated once more with DoRIS – Donau River Information Services, an innovative vision for the use of telematics operations in transport.

DoRIS, which entered its official operational phase in the first quarter of 2006 offers a variety of different services to various users. In order to assure that the system records all vessels comprehensively, via donau, and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology have created the proper framework and incentives for equipping as many vessels as possible operating on the Danube with AIS (Automatic Identification System). More than 135 vessels are already equipped with these. Austria’s Supreme Shipping Authority is planning for 2007 to have all commercial vessels equipped with AIS Transponders. „DoRIS is the successful realization of a complex telematics concept with positive implications for the safety and attractiveness of the waterways as a transport mode”, stated Jury Chairman Dr. Matthias Rapp in his praise. The jury agreed that through their full-fledged safety and security parameters, DoRIS offers a great potential to give an optimum support in the shift from road transport to waterway transport. „The Special Prize“, concluded Dr. Rapp, is awarded to DoRIS „due to its strong connection to infrastructure as well as to the size and relevance of the product both on a national and international scale.”

The State Award for Telematics is one out of two National Awards granted by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Transport and Innovation. This Award was created in order to reward successful telematics projects and to highlight the performance of Austrian R&D facilities and enterprises. With DoRIS, via donau is the first award-winner prized with this new distinction.