UNICEF developed its "Fly-Away" to be able to deliver IT services anywhere in the world. It provides voice over IP, facsimiles, email, and Internet services -- and lets its workers in the field connect to UNICEF's corporate IT systems. Setting up the portable telecommunications system doesn't require technical expertise,Shannak added .

Shannak said commercial systems with similar functions can cost more than $100,000. UNICEF's IT department assembles its Fly-Away system for no more than $20,000 and as little as $5,000, depending on what equipment is included, said Shannak. "We could not afford anything else," he said.

UNICEF's IT effort took the top honors in the non-profit category of the annual at an event here last night. This annual contest was launched in 1988 as an effort to create a record of technology innovation. A number of libraries and universities have been collecting these case studies from around the world to build an ongoing history of IT.

The IT projects recognized by the Honors Program judges are wide ranging. For instance, Intelligent Hospital Systems uses intravenous delivery system that last night won a leadership award in health care. This system automatically prepares IV systems to ensure exact dosages and labels. The technology addresses "a labor intensive and error prone process," said Thomas Doherty, CTO of the Winnipeg, Manitoba-based firm.

The winner in the environment, energy and agriculture category was Austin Energy in Texas for its work on system. Andres Carvallo, Austin Energy's CIO, said he expects that by 2015 the grid will help determine whether there are enough power resources on hand to power thousands of electric vehicles expected to be in Austin at the time, and the price they will pay.