Yes, we are in the midst of a global economic crisis and the UK government is in self-inflicted breakdown but park those thoughts for a bit.

Did you know you're one of 250,000 business professionals who access Finance Week and our sister websites [1] every month and you're a pretty influential bunch.

So, when we gather the views of our audience on a wide variety of subjects, the results are very representative of what the C suite really thinks - including CEOs, CFOs, entrepreneurs, HR directors, accountants, trainers and knowledge management experts. With that in mind, we’re delighted to announce that the Sift Software Satisfaction Awards [2] are back, It is the only such scheme based on the views of genuine buyers and end-users of business software applications.

Now in its fourth year, the SSAs, as they are affectionately known, have built up quite a reputation.  The awards - judged by you and your peers - act as a valuable guide to any business making investment decisions about the core applications on which you run your businesses.

Last year, around 6,000 people voted across 21 categories but we would like even more people to particpate this year. Thanks very much in advance for taking the time to vote. It will only take a moment and we’ll update you in July when the shortlists are announced, and in October when the winners are revealed during a glitzy ceremony at The Royal Courts of Justice [3] in central London.

To make sure your voice is heard, vote now [4]. The deadline for entries is Tuesday 30 June.