If the future of the nation's economy lies in innovation and technology, then last night offered a glimpse of what that future may hold for Pittsburgh.

For the eighth straight year, the Pittsburgh Technology Council honored the region's fastest-growing and most promising tech firms, based on such factors as sales and jobs growth, financial performance and corporate citizenship in a scoring system overseen by auditors PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLC.

Unlike some earlier years, when a lot of the winners had names that were unrecognizable to most anyone save avid techsters, this year's list bore few surprises. In other words, what were promising, unfamiliar companies of years past are now promising but familiar companies today -- a sign, perhaps, that the technology revolution has taken hold locally.

"These companies continue to be high fliers," Pittsburgh Technology Council Chief Executive Officer Steven Zylstra told nearly 500 gathered at the Carnegie Music Hall. And, he might have added, it is hoped their flight will help carry the region into a new, more promising economic frontier.

Tops in Technology

This year's winners in the Pittsburgh Technology Council's annual rundown of the best local technology firms

Advanced Manufacturing:
Winner: Extrude Hone
The Irwin-based company's innovative machinery and processes are used throughout the world to manufacture a broad array of products including aircraft, automobiles, medical devices and dies and molds for forming metal, glass and plastic.
CEO: Lawrence Rhoades
Founded: 1966
Sales: $75 million
Employees: 443

Information Technology
Winner: Vocollect Inc.
The Wilkins-based company makes wearable mobile computer and voice-recognition software that is used in industrial applications and helps clients cut operating costs by eliminating errors and improving worker productivity.
CEO: Jack LeVan
Founded: 1987
Sales: $46 million
Employees: 155

Life Sciences
Winner: Respironics Inc.
The Murrysville-based firm is a leading developer, maker and distributor of products that serve the global sleep and respiratory markets.
CEO: John Miclot
Founded: 1976
Sales: $630 million
Employees: 2,851

Rising Star
Winner: Corporate Solutions LLC
The Forest Hills firm offers IT and back-office accounting outsourcing, custom software application development, systems integration, enterprise resource planning and data warehousing solutions to areas companies.
CEO: Steven Richard
Founded: 2001
Sales: NA
Employees: 43

Service provider
Winner: Guru.com
The Oakland-based firm acts as an online marketplace for freelance talent, allowing businesses to connect with freelancers locally or globally who specialize in more than 160 professional categories including Web site design, programming, graphic design and administrative support.
CEO: Inderpal Guglani
Founded: 1997
Sales: NA
Employees: 8

CEO of the year (tie)
Dave Nelsen, CoManage Corp.
& Georgia Berner, Berner International Corp.