USOBE, the Ultimate Source Of Boating Excursions, has been named the best new Software/Information Technology company at the ThinkTEC Innovation Summit. The company has developed and deployed a proprietary software program and web site that allows customers nationwide to find and rate charter boat operators. The announcement was made at a conference hosted by the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness, the South Carolina Research Authority, and SCLaunch!

“I accept this on behalf of everyone in our company, especially our programming team” said Vickie Waller, president of the venture. “Even though this industry has an $82 billion economic impact and supports over 500,000 jobs it has traditionally been locally operated. For the first time, we have organized it for the information age.”

Now in its ninth year, the ThinkTEC Summit is designed to foster knowledge-based economic activity.  The USOBE model was selected by a panel drawn from leaders of angel capital groups, businesses, nonprofits, government entities and educational institutions. In making their decision, the judges recognized both the creativity of the search engine and the chance to capitalize on an undeveloped market opportunity.

“While fishing is still the biggest part of the industry, eco-tours and sunset cruises are coming on fast” added Mrs. Waller. “Boating is such a perfect way for families to spend quality time together. Now finding a professional, Coast Guard licensed captain is just a few clicks away."