The Top Tech Index is created to help businesses make well-informed buying decisions by identifying a list of technology vendors that have performed financially well, have a proven track record, and are firmly committed to the Asian market. We recognize that the technology industry is vast, and there are hundreds of technology players providing a wide range of products and services. However, ZDNet Asia's Top Tech 50 focuses on the companies that provide infocomm technology products and services to businesses in 8 main industry categories.

The categories are:

1. Systems	5. Networking and Communications
2. Storage management	6. Security
3. Software infrastructure	7. Services
4. Business applications	8. Internet services (including Web 2.0)

To get to this list, ZDNet Asia will study hundreds of infocomm technology companies and the trends shaping Asia's business technology landscape. From there, we will handpick the Top Tech 50 Companies based on several factors including market activities, performance, industry standing and product developments. The companies will be judged on 6 key performance indicators, weighted as indicated:

1. Global headcount (10%)

2. Global revenues (15%)

3. Global net income (15%)

4. Average revenue year-on-year growth over 4 years (25%)

5. Average net income year-on-year growth over 4 years (10%)

6. Asia market coverage in these 10 countries (25%)

China	Hong Kong	India	Indonesia	Malaysia
Philippines	Singapore	Taiwan	Thailand	Vietnam

Special awards are also handed out to the top 10 fastest-growing companies according to a single criterion: average percentage year-on-year revenue/net income growth over 4 years.

Unlike ZDNet Asia's Top Tech 50 Companies, which have established themselves as financially successful and viable industry players, ZDNet Asia's Top Asian TechnoVisionaries represent the region's most promising homegrown startups and technopreneurs.

Nominees will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Technology innovation	4. Market potential
2. Business model	5. Investor/financial record
3. Customer strategy	6. Creative branding/marketing

For this inaugural year, we will select up to 10 tech companies. Depending on the quality of this year's nominees, we may increase or decrease the number.

From the Top Asian TechnoVisionaries, ZDNet Asia will also hand out two special awards:

Breakthrough Award
ZDNet Asia will honor one company that has demonstrated creativity in terms of developing new technology hardware or software to solve a business problem. The technology/product must be targeted at businesses.

Asian Technopreneur of the Year
ZDNet Asia will honor one individual who is a visionary and consistently pushes the limits on creativity and IT innovation.