IRIS Honored with American Business Ethics Award for 2003

In a year when corporate and executive greed are dominating the news, it is refreshing that a local company--IRIS Technologies--was honored with the 2003 American Business Ethics Award for small companies at a special luncheon last month in Pittsburgh's Duquesne Club.

IRIS Technologies President and CEO Jerry Salandro accepted the ethics award, a cut glass trophy, presented to honor companies that demonstrate a firm commitment to ethical business practices in everyday operations, management, philosophies and responses to crises or challenges.

The Society of Financial Service Professionals Pittsburgh Chapter presents the American Business Ethics Award annually. Joining IRIS in the winner's circle was PPG Industries, Inc. in the large companies division, Free Markets, Inc. received the award for medium companies and in the non-profit area the winner was The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Another local industrial leader, Kennametal, Inc., was a finalist in the Large Companies division.

Judges for the 2003 ethics awards were Dr. Brad Agle, associate professor and director of the David Berg Center for Ethics and Leadership at Pitt's Katz Graduate School of Business; Perry Minnis, ethics officer at Alcoa; Dr. Peter Marsden, executive director and senior lecturer for the Center for the Advancement of Applied Ethics of Carnegie-Mellon University and Tim Romps, ombudsman of the Bayer Corp.

After receiving the award, Salandro cited the fact that "integrity" is the key to good business relations with company leaders who are good "people" persons. He explained IRIS follows The Golden Rule. "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." He added a good work environment where the company is "family" is important to encourage creative employees who love their jobs. He credited loyal vendors and suppliers with making and keeping IRIS competitive in the market place.

IRIS Technologies, located in the Westmoreland Industrial Park on Georges School Road north of Eastgate Mall, develops, and sells products that make video easier to use. IRIS customers are an eclectic bunch ranging from broadcasters, schools, universities, football coaches, even the Pentagon. One pertinent example, because Cable Vision of New Jersey had recently installed an IRIS signal routing system, they were able to continue broadcasting TV signals even after their satellite dishes on top of the World Trade Center were destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The area company's flagship product--the Video Commander--is the world's first icon-based device routing system operable from anywhere in the world.

The Landro Play Analyzer

Last year Salandro, a former wrestling coach, unveiled The Landro Play Analyzer as a new gridiron coaching tool. Marketed for $5,000, the Landro enables football coaches to use video as a teaching tool providing instantaneous access to as many as 20,000 plays for study and review. The new technology enables coaches to study their team and player's performance to help them win more games.

Coach Bill Cowher was amazed after seeing the Landro System in use. He added his pro team spent over $600,000 to assemble a TV tape and replay system to do what IRIS is doing at a fraction of the cost.

Already a tool of local teams, Landro is helping Greater Latrobe's Wildcats, Greensburg-Salem, Hempfield Area and Greensburg Central Catholic football coaches review key plays and games. W & J College Coach John Banaszak, a former Steeler, is high on Landro explaining it moves coaching to a new winning level as he can classify and code plays in a way that is much easier and simpler than using videotape.

Among Landro's many advantages is the ability to quickly produce highlight videos for parents of players and potential college recruiters.